Bessy Boo has drawn box one in his bid to notch his 35th Wentworth Park win in this Saturday night's Christmas Gift final (520m).
The Christine Proctor-trained veteran (pictured) flashed home to snare second placing behind Royal Turbo in his heat last Saturday, earning a berth in this week's $25,000 to the winner run-off.
Bessy Boo had box six last Saturday and Proctor was overjoyed when Bessy Boo came up with box one, his favourite draw, in the final.
Royal Turbo, the shock $34 winner of his heat, was not even meant to be in the Christmas Gift.
"I forgot to tick the box to indicate I did not want to start in the Christmas Gift," trainer Glen McKinley said after his heat win. "Oviously I'm now very glad about that oversight.
"Royal Turbo could upset them again after drawing box eight in the final.
"I'm really happy with that box because I did not want him to have other dogs on his outside, coming across him in the run to the first turn.''
Fastest Gift qualifier is Clock's Ticking, who won his heat in 30.07while Big Chicken led throughout in 30.11 with Better Call Sloy and Royal Turbo all-the-way heat winners in 30.21 and 30.28 respectively.
Box draw for the Gift is 1 Bessy Boo 2 Better Call Sloy 3 Brad Hill Billy 4 Big Chicken 5 Clock's Ticking 6 Mister Twister 7 Gate Blaster 8 Royal Turbo with reserves Ritza Rossi and Nangar Bear.
Meanwhile, Melissa's Pride and Ring The Bell figured in the first dead-heat in the 52-year history of the Group 3 Summer Cup when judge Ray McGavin was unable to separate the pair at the finish of Saturday night's 720m Wentworth Park race.
Tearaway leader Melissa's Pride looked to have the race won at the top of the straight but Victorian-trained Ring The Bell, this year's National Distance Championship winner, came from fourth on the home turn with last-minute surge along the rails.
After a lengthy delay a dead-heat was semaphored, meaning connections split first and second prizemoney, giving them just over $12,500 apiece.
"While we were waiting for the photo-finish result I offered to share the prizemoney anyway with Melissa's Pride's trainer Michelle Shambler but she wasn't too keen,'' quipped Ring The Bell's trainer Gerry O'Keefe.
"I'm happy with the result. It's nice to share coming up to Christmas and I have been treated royally during each of my visits to Sydney.''
See you next week!
