A sharp drop in class should enable Ritza Rossi to notch his 15th Wentworth Park win in tonight's Ladbrokes Paws Jan 14 Stakes.
The Mark Gatt-trained greyhound was a fast finishing third in the fastest of the four Christmas Gift heats at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and tackles far easier opposition on Wednesday.
Ritza Rossi has won six races from the three outside boxes and looks well positioned in box seven this week.
Daniel Gatt, kennel foreman for his brother, trainer Mark Gatt, said: "I like Ritza Rossi when he is drawn out wide and with speedsters like However Humble and Virouette in the race, the event should be run to suit our greyhound.
"Ritza Rossi lacks a bit of early pace but when there are quick front-runners engaged they tend to string the field out. When that happens Ritza Rossi gets a better chance to find a clear run.''
Last Saturday night Ritza Rossi was fifth in the middle stages but rattled home to finish third, beaten just over three lengths by Clock's Ticking and Mister Twister.
While Ritza Rossi stands out at Wednesday's best bet, the value runner of the night should be the George Borg-trained Istanbouli">Istanbouli.
Istanbouli has made the pace and been run down at his past five starts, notching four seconds and a third at Wentworth Park and Gosford.
But his trainer believes box eight could help the dog end his frustrating sequence of placings in the Ziggy Niszczot Stakes, 520m.
"Box eight is Istanbouli's favourite draw and Fab Seven, who has box seven, has good early pace," Borg said. "He should give my dog a clear run down the outside of the field in the run to the first turn.''
Black Jillak followed successive wins at Gosford on November 22 and 29 with an unplaced run at her Wentworth Park debut on December 7.
That metropolitan failure can be discarded as the Darren Sultana-trained greyhound was skittled at box rise.
While Black Jillak did step to the right from box two, she lost all chance when a greyhound drawn wide veered sharply towards the rails.
The pair collided and Black Jillak was never a chance after that incident.
Black Jillak has box two in Wednesday night's first heat of the Ladbrokes Supports The Dogs Stakes, 520m, and is capable of leading throughout.
"She does prefer to be drawn wide but for some reason Black Jillak jumps faster when she is boxed near the rails,'' trainer Sultana said.
"So if there is not a lot of pace around her on Wednesday, having box two should be okay.
"Before she raced at Wenty on December 7 I trialled Black Jillak at the track and she clocked 30.50.
"I reckon she can get down to 30.40 on Wednesday so hopefully that will be good enough to win it.''
The eagerly awaited Wentworth Park debut of boom youngster Black Jack Opal has had to be put on hold as the dog has a minor injury and will miss The Gardens To Wenty Final, 520m.
Black Jack Opal had won five of six starts before finishing a luckless second to Hummin Gun in his heat at The Gardens and in his absence his heat conqueror should win comfortably.
Hummin Gun, trained at Grafton by John Corrigan, has compiled the imposing record of 11 wins and eight seconds from 22 starts.
For Wentworth Park fields, form and expert picks, click here.
Best Bet: Ritza Rossi (Race 6)
Best Value: Istanbouli (race 3)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 1, 3
Race 6 - 7, 1, 4
Race 7 - 7, 8, 5
Race 8 - 5, 2, 8
$20 for 37.03%
