John Finn has trained winners of the Sydney, Association and Wentworth Park Gold Cups and is poised to land Wentworth Park's other major staying race - the Group 3 Ladbrokes Summer Cup - with Winsome April on Saturday night.
Finn's champion Irinka Barbie won the 2004 Association and Wentworth Park Gold Cups double while he took out the 1992 Sydney Cup with Sailing Waverly.
The Summer Cup is the only big Wentworth Park long-distance race to have eluded him but Winsome April's rails draw gives her a great chance of rectifying that omission.
Winsome April finished fourth in Lovelace">Lovelace's Cup heat win last week but she was desperately unlucky, being badly checked when disputing the lead approaching the first turn.
Because of this Winsome April was at the back of the field with a lap to go, giving the leaders 25 lengths' start, before flashing home to wind up less than four lengths behind the winner.
"She has never jumped as fast as she did in her heat but that cost her because a greyhound on her left moved wide while two others on her outside came in on top of her and chopped her out,'' Finn said.
"Winsome April pulled up well and when they did the box draw I was hoping for one, two or three, so getting the rails was a great result.''
Gunnadoo Cove, who tasted defeat for the first time in five Wentworth Park 720m appearances when second in Acheron's heat, is also suitably positioned in box seven in the final.
"Having Melissa's Pride in box six and Lovelace in eight should help Gunnadoo Cove because they have early speed so might get out of my greyhound's way in the run to the first turn,'' trainer Johnny Heard said.
"I could not believe how much ground Gunnadoo Cove made up in her heat, yet after the race she wasn't even puffing. She could have gone around again.
"She is very fit as I work my stayers hard, each morning Gunnadoo Cove is exercised for 45 minutes around the streets before spending 12 minutes on a walking machine at a fast pace.''
Saturday night's star bet looks to be the DEAN Swain-trained Nadal">Nadal, who has box four in the Xmas Night Dec. 17 Stakes (race two, 520m).
Nadal was a certainty beaten when second to Dawn Mini in a similar race last week and although he has drawn the middle of the track Swain believes the dog only needs a clean getaway to win on Saturday.
"Nadal blew the start last week and he can do that occasionally,'' Swain said. "Then he was simply going too fast at the first turn and collided with the pacemaker Dawn Mini.
"He lost a lot of ground when that happened so I was pleased he finished second.
"In the straight Nadal died a bit on his run but that was to be expected as he was having only his second start since a spell.
"Dawn Mini, who was in front, is strong at the finish and has won over 600m at Dapto in smart time.
"Although Nadal has box four on Saturday night my other dog Twist Of Thunder, who has box three, could help him get a clear run to the first turn.
"Twist Of Thunder goes left when the boxes open so there should be plenty of room for Nadal.''
Saturday's attractive Wentworth Park meeting also features four heats of the Group 3 Christmas Gift, 520m, with first and second going into next week's final.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Nadal (Race 2)
Best Value: Winsome April (Race 6)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 8, 3, 5
Race 6 - 1, 7, 2
Race 7 - 1, 2
Race 8 - 2, 4, 3
$20 for 37.03%
