Brooke Ennis, who trained the 2014 Golden Easter Egg winner Tonk, is confident she will get a shot at a second Wentworth Park Group 1 final by taking out heat three of Saturday night's Ladbrokes National Derby with Tedesco">Tedesco.
Named after the Wests Tigers rugby league full-back, Tedesco is ideally drawn according to Ennis.
"Tedesco has won just one of his past five races but bad draws have beaten him,'' Ennis said. "He has a lot of ability and loves the rails so from box one I think he will win.
"We also have Matt Machine in this heat and while he has, if any thing, more ability, he has drawn out in box six and the way they are boxed I don't think he can beat Tedesco.''
Shima Bar will embark on his quest to become the first greyhound to take out the Paws Of Thunder and National Derby double in 25 years when he contests heat four of the Derby.
"He pulled up perfectly after his Thunder win and while box four is not too bad, I just hope his kennelmate Dyna Boomer, who has box five, does not knock Shima Bar down at the start,'' said trainer Andrea Dailly.
"Dyna Boomer is usually a slow beginner but he does veer left when the boxes open so I would rather have seen him drawn away from Shima Bar.''
Victoria-based Dailly is bringing six greyhounds to Wentworth Park for Saturday's heats of the Derby and Group 1 National Futurity, an age classic for bitches.
"Apart from Shima Bar, my best chance is possibly Daithy Allen, who has box three in heat one of the Futurity,'' Dailly said.
"She has ability but my other runners, Jarbass Bale and Lorenzo Bale are tardy early while Celica Bale, who has box seven in heat three of the Futurity, is badly boxed as she needs the fence.''
Jeff Britton and his partner Angela Langton made the trip from Victoria to Wentworth Park last week and came away with three winners, including Dublin Bull, who led throughout in the group two Summer Distance Plate.
They have five runners on Saturday night with Duty Free and Hit The Highway looking their best chances.
"Duty Free trialled 29.91 at his first look at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and he has box one in heat two of the Derby,'' Britton said. "Duty Free uses a bit of the track but I'm happy with the draw because box one should bring him out cleanly.
"We have Alpha Lucky in the same heat and while he can handle an outside draw he will probably struggle from box seven against a classy lineup like this.
"Kumbia Lass led all the way from box one at Wenty last week but has the job ahead from box eight in heat three of the Futurity while Vostok, who has box three in the first Derby heat, is well drawn near the rails but has not seen Wentworth Park.
"Hit The Highway lacks early pace but he is well positioned in box one in heat four, the strongest of the Derby heats.''
Sandown Laurels winner Up Hill Jill is tipped to improve on her 30.14 Wentworth Park trial last week when she contests heat four of the National Futurity.
"I was happy with her trial because Up Hill Jill is a race dog who seldom clocks fast times in solo hit-outs,'' trainer David Geall said.
Best NSW chance in the Derby looms as Falcon">Falcon's Fury, out to atone for an unlucky third in the Paws Of Thunder final in heat five.
Falcon's Fury had won each of four Wentworth Park races before having no luck when third to Shima Bar and Clock's Ticking in last Saturday's Thunder.
For Wentworth Park Saturday fields and form, click here.
Jeff Collerson's Wentworth Park Saturday picks:
Best Bet: Up Hill Jill (Race 8)
Best Value: Takedown (Race 10)
Quaddie: Race 5 - 1, 6, 3
Race 6 - 1, 5, 6
Race 7 - 4, 1, 5
Race 8 - 2, 8
$20 for 37.03%
