Fastest qualifiers Curtain Call and Zipping Floyd clash with brilliant front-runner Ben Hur in by far the strongest of the four semi-finals of the Crownbet Dapto Maiden Classic tonight.
Curtain Call, who led throughout to win his heat last week from box three in 30.00, has box eight, while Zipping Floyd, who exited box seven in his 30.01 heat win, has drawn the rails.
Ben Hur led all the way in recording 30.27 in his heat, but his first "split'' of 5.27sec was easily quickest of the seven heats.
Ben Hur is expected to make the pace again after drawing box three in his semi-final but trainer George Borg lamented: "He has drawn the strongest semi for sure.
"But Ben Hur pulled up well after his heat win and when I trialled him over 274m up the straight at Appin last Saturday he really zipped along.''
Zipping Floyd's trainer Darryl Prestwide was elated when his hefty 38kg dog drew box one this week.
"He was not suited drawn wide in his heat and I was hoping he would be near the fence this time so box one is perfect,'' Prestwidge said.
"Hopefully from the rails Zipping Floyd can be sitting in second or third spot on the back straight because if he is he will be hard to hold off at the finish.
"When he won his heat his run home time was outstanding.''
Prestwidge is a semi-retired builder who took out a trainer's licence a little more than a year ago.
"I qualified for last year's Dapto Maiden Classic final with Zipping Tatum but while she had been the fastest heat winner she missed a place in the final,'' Prestwidge said.
"I have not won a big race yet so I'm hoping Zipping Floyd can turns things around this year.''
While Zipping Floyd's rails draw makes him appeal as tonight's best Dapto bet, My Gal Penny, who has box one in the fourth Maiden Classic semi-final, looks the value wager of the meeting.
The Patricia Chaker-trained My Gal Penny won her heat last week in 30.39 from box eight but her move to box one tonight is a bonus.
"My Gal Penny was trialling well over 400m at Richmond before she finished third, clocking slow time, in a 520m performance trial at Dapto on August 10,'' Chaker said.
"But she had not previously seen the track and she had never been beyond 400m so under the circumstances I thought her run was okay.
"In last week's heat, with the experience on the track and the benefit of having a 520m hit-out under her belt, she overcame box eight to win 30.39.
"After My Gal Penny won I said to my 19-year-old son Jackson, who does all the work with this greyhound, wouldn't it be great if she drew box one in the semi-finals.
"And she has!
"Jackson's ambition is to become a professional greyhound trainer and while he has an owner-trainer's ticket he is not yet a public trainer, so officially I train My Gal Penny for her owners, who bought her as a puppy.''
Zipping Floyd's owner Marty Hallinan is tipped to train the winner of the first semi-final, Zipping Chazza, who has drawn box three.
Zipping Chazza made full use of box one to win his heat in a slick 30.18.
Easy To Excel was desperately unlucky when fourth from box seven in his heat and the Allen Williams-trained dog's box three draw makes him look the one to beat in the third semi-final.
Jeff Collerson's picks
Best Bet: Zipping Floyd (Race 3)
Best Value: My Gal Penny (Race 5)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 1, 7
Race 6 - 8, 5, 1
Race 7 - 6, 4, 7
Race 8 - 3, 2, 5
$20 for 37.03%
