Interstate greyhounds have won five of the past seven Summer Cups and the Victorian, Queensland and WA contingent hold a strong hand again in Saturday night's Heats of the Group 3 720m event at Wentworth Park.
Queensland-trained Apatite">Apatite, who took out this year's Sydney Cup at Wentworth Park and It's A Bird, winner of last month's Group 1 Bold Trease at Sandown, stand out in Heat one.
Heat two is more open but National Distance Championship winner Ring The Bell, trained in Victoria by Gerry O'Keefe, and Acheron from Western Australia are strong contenders.
O'Keefe said Ring The Bell (pictured) is not going as well as when he won the National Distance Championship but believes the dog still has plenty of wins in him.
"He has chased home Burn One Down on four occasions recently and that greyhound is simply too good,'' O'Keefe said. "I did not think Burn One Down would be coming to Sydney for this race so I decided to head back to Wenty to avoid him.
"Ring The Bell has been placed in each of his two Wentworth Park 720m starts so knows his way around the track.''
Ring The Bell should get a clear run to the first turn as Tommy The Weapon, who has drawn inside him, veers hard left in the early stages.
It's A Bird arrived in Thirlmere trainer Mark Gatt's kennels on Monday but has settled in well according to her trainer.
"She led all the way in the Bold Trease but her trainer in Victoria, Wayne Vassallo, decided she would benefit from a holiday up here,'' Gatt said. "I think that whatever It's A Bird does on Saturday she will improve upon if she qualifies for the Cup final the following week because she will have had that bit more time at my place.''
Apatite, who sprang a surprise by winning the Sydney Cup on October 8 at double figure odds, looms as It's A Bird's toughest rival.
At her only Wentworth Park appearance since her shock Cup final win, Apatite was desperately unlucky when sixth on November 5.
She was disputing the lead at the first turn when she was badly checked and lost all chance.
Mark Gatt has three of the eight runners in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Appreciation Stakes (race six, 520m) and while he believes Takedown">Takedown can lead from box one, he ranks Chaser">Chaser (box five) as his in-form greyhound.
"Takedown has the draw to be the pacemaker but Chaser has never raced better so while box five is not good he will be hard to beat if he gets a crack at them,'' Gatt said.
Aqua Dragon, runner-up in each of his only two Wentworth Park starts for new trainer Andrew Mulrine, is boxed to break through in Saturday night's 520m gapnsw.com.au Stakes.
"Aqua Dragon has box six and before I got him he had won three of his four starts from that draw,'' Mulrine said. "He is well boxed and being in the last race won't worry him in the least.
"Aqua Dragon is the perfect kennel dog, in fact I will probably have to wake him up when I go to take him out for his race on Saturday.''
Evergreen Bessy Boo is boxed to land his 35th Wentworth Park win in Saturday's Ladbrokes Monthly Medal final (520m).
Bessy Boo has won 31 Wentworth Park 520m races and three over the 720m trip, with his record from box one being an imposing 10 wins from 24 appearances.
He has an ideal draw on Saturday, with slow beginner Winsome Amanda in box two and wide runner Got A Motor in three.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Nadal (Race 9)
Best Value: Aqua Dragon (race 10)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 5, 4
Race 6 - 3, 5, 2
Race 7 - 7, 3, 2
Race 8 - 1, 4, 7
$20 for 37.03%
