Mister Twister is all the rage for Friday night's $100,000 to the winner Globe Memorial Richmond Riches final (race eight, 535m).
Mister Twister (pictured, black rug), the second fastest qualifier at 30.80, has box one, while quickest semi-final winner Fast Times (30.74), trained in Queensland by Tony Brett, has box seven.
Because Fast Times gets wide in the run to the first turn, Brett is happy with his greyhound's draw, but concedes Mister Twister has a lot going for him.
Mister Twister lost form earlier this year so trainer Jason MACKAY took a gamble and had a tonsillectomy performed on the greyhound.
"Mister Twister was breaking 30 seconds at Wentworth Park when he was a youngster yet all of a sudden he could not get near those figures," MACKAY said.
"I noticed he was gasping for air after his races so I had his tonsils removed and he has come back better than ever."
Mister Twister is owned by a seven member syndicate and the same group, who race greyhounds under the Tiger Seven banner, also have Kong in Friday night's final.
Kong, a 39kg giant, stormed home to win his semi-final in 30.89 from box two and has taken a liking to the Richmond track.
"Box six is no help but I still give him a good chance because he is unbeaten in two races at Richmond, in his Riches heat and semi-final," Kong's trainer Cheryl Murray said.
"Actually Kong is feeling better this week than he was before his semi-final and he might get a clear run to the first turn from box six. Fast Times, who has box seven, should stay wide, and with the greyhounds in four and five likely to head for the rails, Kong could be drawn okay."
Best value bet on Friday's strong Richmond card should be Megalodon, who has box three in the 4/5th grade Castlewood Kitchens Stakes (race five, 618m).
Megalodon was runner-up at her only Richmond 618m test and won impressively over 600m at Unibet Gardens on May 9 before a luckless fifth in a Wentworth Park 520m race last Saturday night.
Although top stayers Miss Foxy Lee and Starzsa Light are opposing Megalodon, they may be forced to give that greyhound too much start in the early stages.
In addition, Miss Foxy Lee and Starzsa Light are coming back in distance after being unplaced over 715m at Sandown last Thursday and are awkwardly drawn in boxes five and seven respectively.
Megalodon though is drawn to go straight to the lead at box rise.
Jeff Collerson's selections
Best Bet: Mister Twister (Race 8)
Best Value: Megalodon (Race 5)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 3, 5
Race 6 - 3, 4, 6
Race 7 - 8, 3, 2
Race 8 - 1, 7
$20 for 55.55%
