Poco Dorado's third placing in her heat of the Ladbrokes National Futurity was extraordinary and the John Finn-trained greyhound has the box to take out Saturday night's Group 1 final at Wentworth Park.
Poco Dorado has box seven and Finn commented: "She is drawn out wide where she wants to be.
"Slingshot Gypsy, who has box eight, should get out of her way because she can run 5.40 to the first mark while Poco Dorado can't go better than 5.50.''
In last week's second heat, the strong finishing Poco Dorado was in a winning position when fourth on the back straight but was skittled and almost fell.
Her effort to finish third to Dyna Yami and Sheez My Chicki, beaten just over a length, had to be seen to be believed.
Slingshot Gypsy was the fastest Futurity heat winner and trainer Robert Britton said: "I am not unhappy about her box eight draw because she will run in a straight line from the start to the first turn.
"In nine races Slingshot Gypsy has rarely been beaten for the early lead but until last week she tended to compound on the home bend.
"She showed improved stamina in her heat win but while I expect her to be the pacemaker on Saturday, if a strong finisher emerges from the pack and is chasing Slingshot Gypsy at the half-way mark, she is in trouble.''
Poco Dorado's trainer John Finn will attempt to turn the clock back 33 years by winning Saturday's Group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby with Two Times Twice.
Finn won the Derby in 1985 with RAPID SUPREME, when the Wentworth Park surface was grass, and he rates Two Times Twice, a litter brother to Poco Dorado, a strong chance.
"Two Times Twice fell at Wenty on January 13 and wanted to get wide from box three at his next start there,'' Finn said.
"But I think he may have been a bit cautious after taking a tumble and he had no trouble handling his inside draw when he won his Derby heat from box two last Saturday.
"He has the same box in the final so only needs a reasonably clear run in the early stages.''
Fastest Derby qualifiers are the Robert Britton-trained Fernando Express, who has box seven in the final, and Out Of Range, in box four for trainer Seona Thompson.
Fernando Express led from the first turn to win his heat in 29.91 but the move from box two last Saturday has Britton worried.
"From box seven I don't know how Fernando Express is going to be able to get across to the rails so he is going to need a lot of luck,'' Britton said.
But Out Of Range's trainer Thompson is unconcerned about her greyhound's middle draw, being upbeat following her greyhound's slick all-the-way heat win from box seven.
FORBES trainer Ray Smith, who won last year's National Derby with Big Daddy Bee, rates Little Digger, his 2018 finalist, equal to that greyhound.
"Big Daddy Bee and Little Digger have similar ability and even race the same way as they are both inclined to come from back in the field but are very strong at the finish,'' Smith said.
"Big Daddy Bee had box one when he won last year and while I would have loved to see Little Digger wearing the red rug, he is better off in box three than he was when he won his heat from box seven.''
The great Fernando Bale won the 2015 National Derby and is the sire of five Derby finalists, Two Times Twice, Little Digger, Out Of Range, Fernando Express and Off The Leash.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet: Poppa Ogg (Race 5)
Best Value: Lagoon Rhett (Race 10)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 3, 1
Race 6 - 4, 3, 2
Race 7 - 8, 2, 4
Race 8 - 7, 8
$20 for 37.03%
