The final may be worth $15,000 less to the winner but tonight's Wentworth Park Heats of thedogs.com.au Maiden Series boasts as much quality as the Heats of the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden held on March 9.
The final of the latest Wentworth Park maiden series, to be held next Wednesday evening, is worth $10,000 to the winner with first and second in each of tonight’s Heats qualifying.
Boom western districts newcomer Romeo Reign makes his race debut for trainer Michael Cope jumps from box one in Heat one but the youngster's trainer is concerned as to how his charge will handle the inside box.
"He likes to run two or three dogs out from the rails so I would have preferred him drawn out in the middle,'' Cope said.
"It is hard to predict what he will do because it's difficult to get field experience with unraced youngsters so Romeo Reign has only ever trialled against one or two other greyhounds.
"He knows his way around Wentworth Park, I have given him two post-to-post hand-slips there and he went well.
"But whatever he does on Wednesday he will be a better greyhound in six months' time.''
In winning two 450m performance trials at Bathurst Romeo Reign has gone to the line strongly to clock identical times, a slick 25.84.
Trainer Chris Nutt rates Run The Jewels, who has box one in an outstanding second Heat, as his best chance on Wedneday night.
"I have given her a couple of trials at Wentworth Park and what was encouraging is that she improved considerably at her second hit-out,'' Nutt said.
"She was beaten three lengths into second place in 30.33 in her first trial but in her second look at Wenty she clocked 30.24 and posted a nice first split of 5.48.''
While Run The Jewels does not have the experience of Et Cetera, Hernando Kahn and Lochinvar Brogue, Nutt believes the rails draw could tip the scales in her favour.
Et Cetera has box five while Hernando Kahn and Lochinvar Brogue have drawn six and seven respectively.
Both Hernando Kahn and Lochinvar Brogue are well boxed out wide and they have wide Wentworth Park experience.
Hernando Kahn finished second to final winner Wicked Warrior in a Heat of the Ladbrokes Magic Maiden while Lochinvar Brogue was third to Wicked Warrior in a semi-final.
Heat three features the clash of the Mark Gatt-trained Chaser">Chaser, Brooklyn Bad from the Kristy Sultana kennels and the John Chapman-prepared Roman Red.
Brooklyn Bad was a certainty beaten when third in a Heat of the Magic Maiden before falling in his semi-final and his extensive Wentworth Park experience could give him the edge.
But Chaser has clocked 30.15 in a 520m Dapto performance trial while Roman Red set Bathurst alight recently, posting near record time of 25.68 in a 450m hit-out.
And on January 21 Roman Red had been beaten a mere half length by Bob's Uncle in a performance trial, and Bob's Uncle has gone on to qualify for Friday night's PPK Group Limited Maitland Gold Cup final.
Jason Fletcher is rarely without a top notch juvenile and the Appin trainer will unveil his latest star Fantastic Blake in Heat four on Wednesday night.
Fantastic Blake won his 520m performance trial at Dapto in 29.88, figures usually achieved only by top grade sprinters.
Ludwig">Ludwig weakened into fourth place at his Wentworth Park debut last Wednesday night but trainer Chris Nutt is hoping box one and the track experience will bring him into this week's first ladbrokes.com.au Sprint with a strong chance.
After winning 10 of 34 country races, Ludwig, a new addition to Nutt's kennels, was second early and third on the home turn before finishing fourth to New Direction in a slick 30.10 last week.
"He trialled 30.48 at Wentworth Park before last week's race so I'm hoping with that experience Ludwig might get down to around 30.30 on Wednesday,'' Nutt said.
Ludwig meets weaker opposition this week than in last Wednesday's race, when subsequent Wentworth Park winner Winsome Warrior finished second and boom Bathurst youngster Equal Ben wound up in third position.
Wednesday night's best bet should be Runway Bono, who has box six in Heat two of the ladbrokes.com.au and Inshallah, who has drawn four in Heat four.
Runway Bono finished strongly from third at the first turn to beat all but Winsome Bluey at his first Wentworth Park appearance last Wednesday night while Inshallah came from sixth at the first turn, off an unsuitlable box eight draw, to chase home Jet Ready and Too Many Daddys at the same meeting.
For Wentworth Park Wednesday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wednesday picks:
Best Bet: Runway Bono (Race 7)
Best Value: Inshallah (Race 9)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 3, 2
Race 6 - 1, 7, 3
Race 7 - 6, 1, 7
Race 8 - 5, 1, 3
$20 for 37.03%
