Falcon's Fury has drawn out wide for this Saturday night's Group 1 Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder final at Wentworth Park and his connections could not be happier.
The Paul Braddon-trained greyhound bungled the start from box two in his heat last Saturday but after being third at the first turn, railed underneath the two leaders to hit the front on the back straight.
He came away to win by five lengths in 29.95, just .01 slower than the fastest time of the eight heats, posted by the Forbes-trained veteran Brad Hill Billy.
While Falcon's Fury's four Wentworth Park wins have been from boxes one, two (rwice) and five, trainer Paul Braddon and his wife Pam were hoping for box eight in the final.
"We want to see him draw wide,'' Pam Braddon said just before the boxes were drawn.
When Falcon's Fury came up with box seven, Braddon said: "Box eight would have been perfect but we're very pleased with box seven.''
After Falcon's Fury, usually a reliable beginner, missed the jump but still managed to win convincingly, Paul Braddon said: "That just shows what a real race dog he is.''
Brad Hill Billy showed deft footwork to rail into third position at the half-way mark in his heat, despite having come from box four.
After hitting the front on the home bend the Ray Smith-trained former Tasmanian raced away to win by just on four lengths, notching his 15th win in 35 Wentworth Park starts.
But Brad Hill Billy, a moderate beginner, will need to use similar dexterity to get through the pack in the final, as he has drawn box five.
Unusually for a Group 1 Wentworth Park race, Saturday's Thunder final will feature only two Victorians, the Andrea Dailly-trained Shima Bar in box one and Striker Light, from the Brett Bravo kennel, in two.
Although Striker Light took 30.01 to cover the 520m, her second and third splits of 13.68 and 17.80 were clearly fastest of the eight finalists.
Striker Light hit the front coming to the first corner and set up a huge lead in the middle stages before fading to win by two lengths.
Doreen Drynan, who trained National Sprint Championship winner Chica Destacada, was incredulous to see her greyhound Magic Lace make the final.
Magic Lace ran down Virouette to win her heat in 30.13.
"She is a handy greyhound but nowhere near in the class of Chica Destacada and I can't believe she has won a heat of a Group One,'' Drynan said.
Blabba Mouth, bought as a pup for $5000, gave northern coalfields trainer Cheryl MurRay her first shot at group race glory by running down Mainline Osti to win her heat in 30.34.
Australia's top stayer Burn One Down was beaten into third place in his heat of the Ladbrokes Summer Distance Plate but will be sent out favourite for Saturday night's final.
Burn One Down, who seemed to have every chance before finishing solidly to chase home Runway Bono and Very Choosy, has drawn box seven next Saturday.
His toughest rival could be Ebby Ripper, who was runner-up to It's A Fling in the other heat.
Ebby Ripper is slow early but is ideally drawn in box eight.
Runway Bono led throughout to cover the 720m in 42.43, while It's A Fling was third early and second from the back straight to the home corner before winning by a head in 42.57.
Box draws are Ladbrokes Paws Of Thunder: 1 Shima Bar 2 Striker Light 3 Blabba Mouth 4 Lowanna's Son 5 Brad Hill Billy 6 Clock's Ticking 7 Falcon's Fury 8 Magic Lace with reserves Black Hole Sun and Takedown.
Ladbrokes Summer Distance Plate: 1 Very Choosy 2 Celestial Folk 3 Dublin Bull 4 Runway Bono 5 Lovelace 6 It's A Fling 7 Burn One Down 8 Ebby Ripper with reserves Miss Foxy Lee and Gunnadoo Cove.
