Boom greyhound Nations is chasing his eighth win in nine starts at Wentworth Park tonight but trainer Peter Sims believes his kennelmate Nana's Habit could be drawn to upset the favourite.
Nations has box six in the opening event, the 5th grade Ladbrokes Odds Boost Stakes (520m), while Nana's Habit has drawn the rails in the same race.
Nations' only defeat in eight races was at Wentworth Park and the talented youngster has drawn awkwardly on Saturday.
Tina's Magic, who has box five, is a wide runner while Whatta Rebel, drawn outside Nations in box seven, is a front-runner who likes to rail.
Nana's Habit was having only her second start in three months when a luckless third, from box six, at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
She was badly hampered when trying to reach the rails at the first turn and trainer Sims believes that hit-out will do Nana's Habit the "world of good.''
Sims said: "She did not have a lot of work leading up to last week's race and I expect her to find plenty of improvement, especially from box one.
"Nations is slightly quicker if he gets the right run but the box draw favours Nana's Habit.''
Sims, a regular visitor to Wentworth Park from his kennels at Illabo, near Wagga, also has Modus Operandi exiting box eight in the 4th grade Ladbrokes Multimaker Stakes (race nine, 520m).
Modus Operandi led from the first turn to win when an odds-on favourite from box two at Wentworth Park last Saturday but Sims thinks he can handle box eight on Saturday.
"He should run in a straight line from the boxes to the first turn and then work his way across to the fence,'' Sims said.
"Modus Operandi handled the outside draw well when he defeated his kennelmate Pride Of Charlie at Wenty on October 25.''
Little Nangar, who has box two in Saturday night's free for all @wpgrey On Twitter Stakes (race ten, 520m), should relish the smaller than usual field of seven.
Little Nangar lacks early speed but trainer Dennis Barnes describes her as a "good, honest and tough little greyhound.''
Barnes said: "Box two is fine because while I used to prefer seeing Little Nangar drawn wide, she has changed her habits as she has matured.
"Formerly she wanted to shift wide at the first turn but now she runs straight and has won five of her nine races from boxes one and two.''
Little Nangar was third early but swept around the two pacemakers top lead on the back straight when a runaway winner at Wentworth Park on November 8.
There have been few more impressive first-up 720m Wentworth Park winners than Zipping Katelyn on November 8 but she now moves from box two to box eight in the non-graded Ladbrokes Cash Out Stakes (race three, 720m) on Saturday night.
Last start Zipping Katelyn bungled the jump but railed superbly to lead with a lap to go and careered away to score by nine lengths in a smart 42.54.
Trainer Jason Mackay is not greatly concerned about her wide draw on Saturday, commenting: "I think she will handle the box providing she begins reasonably well.
"The small field of six will suit her and if she steps away cleanly she could be up running second when they reach the 520m boxes the first time around.
"One thing for sure, she will run out a powerful 720 metres.''
Jeff Collerson's picks
Best Bet: Zipping Katelyn (Race 3)
Best Value: Nana's Habit (Race 1)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 3, 5, 6
Race 6 - 5, 3, 8
Race 7 - 8, 2
Race 8 - 2, 3, 5
$20 for 37.03%
