Cosmic Bonus, finalist in last month's NSW Sprint Championship and winner of five races at Wentworth Park, heads an outstanding lineup in Friday's five heats of the Charcoal Inn Casino Cup.
Final of the Group 3 484m event, worth $25,000 to the winner, will be held on September 22.
Trained at Whiteman Creek, near Grafton, by his breeder Evelyn Harris, Cosmic Bonus (pictured) exits box five in Friday's first heat.
"The draw should not worry him because he has had box five at his past two starts, both at Casino, and he has won easily each time,'' Harris said.
Harris took out last year's Casino Cup with Black Lee Bonus, who has box five in heat three.
Black Lee Bonus has had three wins and five placings from 15 starts at Casino and won at Grafton on September 4 before finishing down the course, after bungling the jump, at Gosford on Tuesday.
Neeky's Way has not raced since April but trainer John Dart gives her a great chance of landing heat two of the Cup from her favourable box eight draw.
Neeky's Way is a litter sister and kennelmate to Tahlia's Way, who led to the home turn when second to Billy's Bake in the Group 3 Chairman's Cup at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
Owner John McGrory has always considered Neeky's Way superior to her more famous sister and Dart said his only concern regarding Friday's heat is race fitness.
"Neeky's Way has been sidelined due to a seasonal condition but she is trialling well and box eight certainly won't worry her,'' Dart said.
"My only concern is Neeky's Way could be short of a run.''
Neeky's Way has had 12 wins and 11 placings from 32 starts with Dart also rugging up Spare Cash, a winner of 19 from 42 races, in heat four of the Cup.
"Spare Cash is well drawn in box seven and she took no harm from her hard run when fifth at Wenty on September 9,'' Dart said.
"I put her up the straight on Tuesday morning and couldn't catch her, all she wanted to do was run.
"But Spare Cash will need to do every thing right to beat Terra Torra, who has box two and is an outstanding greyhound.''
The Ryan Newstead-trained Terra Torra is a Casino specialist, having scored five wins and three seconds from a dozen appearances over the 484m trip there.
Leading Victorian trainer Anthony Azzopardi sent Canya Touche to Northern Rivers conditioner Bob Cooke for the Cup and this winner of nine from 31 starts has box five in heat five.
But Cooke is far from confident, pointing out: "I trialled Canya Touche at Casino and she did not run flash time so I am hoping the run on the track will have improved her.''
The Geoff Grimwood-trained Aston Ebert looks hardest to beat after drawing suitably in box two in heat five while Queensland trainer Darren Russell is tipped to win heat three with Snug.
Snug, who has box two, has had just 15 starts for six wins and five placings and her duel with champion Queensland stayer Cyndie's Magic should be a thriller.
Although primarily a long-distance greyhound, Cyndie's Magic won over 520m at Albion Park on September 7, taking her earnings to nearly $400,000 from 40 wins.
Jeff Collerson's picks
Best Bet: Cosmic Bonus (Race 4)
Best Value: Aston Ebert (Race 8)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 7, 5
Race 6 - 2, 4, 5
Race 7 - 2, 7
Race 8 - 2, 4, 5
$20 for 37.03%
