Cardiology won last year's NSW final of the National Distance Championship and is set to complete the rare double by taking out tonight's 2017 edition at Wentworth Park.
Last year Cardiology led throughout to win easily before finishing sixth to Victoria's Ring The Bell in the grand final at Adelaide's Angle Park. Her task of winning her second successive state final on tonight has been made easier by the withdrawal of her main rival, Sherbini.
Despite being new to long distance racing, Sherbini was sent out a $2 favourite to beat Cardiology in last week's heats and acquitted herself well, finishing third. "She won't be starting in this week's final because she has succumbed to a bout of kennel cough,'' Sherbini's trainer Mark Gatt said.
Cardiology is easily the fastest qualifier for Saturday night's 720m race and is well drawn in box seven, as she has won five of nine appearances while wearing the black rug.
Her toughest rival now looms as Kim's Love, despite that greyhound not having won over 720m at Wentworth Park. "Kim's Love has box one and could not be drawn better,'' trainer Keith Pedrana said.
"She was having only her fourth long distance race when third, beaten a length, in Starzsa Light's heat last week.
"And that was after she missed the kick from box eight and got tangled up with Elantris, who had box one, at the first turn. "Only for that bump on the first corner Kim's Love would have gone close to winning.
"I trialled her over 274m at Appin this week and she went exactly the same as she did before her good heat performance.''
Trainer Christine Proctor concedes she has "thrown him in at the deep end'' but believes her inexperienced greyhound Bekin Street has the ideal draw to win tonight's NSW final of the 520m National Sprint Championship.
Proctor's champion sprinter Bessy Boo finished third to Benteke in this race last year but Bekin Street possesses more early speed than that wonderful campaigner. At 23 months of age, Bekin Street is the youngest in Saturday night's lineup but Proctor thinks his box one draw can tip the scales in his favour.
"Bekin Street has not drawn closer to the inside than box three in his 13 races so far but he definitely prefers a rails box.
"He has got box one on Saturday so now all he has to do is use it.
"Effective Comet, who has box two, raced wide when she made the pace in Bekin Street's heat last week so she should give him a clear run to the first turn.
"When Bekin Street won last week he had box three, and up to then that was the nearest he had drawn to the fence.''
Bekin Street's toughest rivals appear to be dual group 1 winner Mister Twister, box five, and El Magnifico, box three. "Box five is not great but it is not the end of the world and if Mister Twister nails the start, which he often does, he will go close to winning,'' trainer Jason Mackay said.
Julie Fletcher, El Magnifico's trainer, said: "My dog has a much better record from inside draws than he does from outside boxes so he will take holding off if he gets a clear run along the rails.''
Winners of the NSW Sprint and Distance Championship run-offs will represent NSW at Brisbane's Albion Park for the grand finals on Friday, August 25.
Jeff Collerson’s picks
Best Bet: Big Black (Race 4)
Best Value: Knight Sprite (Race 7)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 1, 6
Race 6 - 1, 7
Race 7 - 5, 3, 4
Race 8 - 1, 5, 3
$20 for 37.03%
