Simon Keeping will earn a trip to Melbourne for the Group 1 Super Stayers Series at The Meadows if he wins impressively at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The greyhound has box two in the opening event, a 720m fourth and fifth grade, and trainer Marty Hallinan believes his dog has never been in finer fettle.
"He has box two on Saturday and because he likes to skirt around his opponents, I would have preferred him drawn wide,'' Hallinan said.
"But as Simon Keeping is usually last to leave the starting boxes it really depends on what sort of run he gets during the race.
"He came from last to win over 520m at Wentworth Park on January 24 and staged another last-to-first performance to win over 590m at Bulli at his most recent start on February 10.
"And he is better suited over 720m than either of those distances.
"If he wins well on Saturday I will nominate him for the heats of the Group 1 Super Stayers over 725m at The Meadows on February 24.
"Simon Keeping is a far better dog than when he was racing over 720m at Wenty last year.
"He hurt his hock so instead of rushing him back I put him in the yard for a couple of months and he has come back totally different, racing more keenly and generally happier in himself.''
Simon Keeping's toughest opponent could be long-distance newcomer Watch The Wasp, who has won eight of 33 shorter races, including a sizzling 29.99 520m Wentworth Park win in September.
Watch The Wasp has not raced since January 20 but trainer DEAN Swain said: "He has had several Wentworth Park trials to prepare him for this race and if he is going to make a stayer he is fit enough to run the 720m on Saturday.
"Hopefully he will get away with a big break early.''
Effective Comet, who has won four 520m races at Wentworth Park, resumes for Swain in race five, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
"She looks well positioned in box seven, especially as Rusty Memories, who has box six, usually begins fast and heads towards the rails,'' Swain said.
"Effective Comet won twice over 600m at Gosford last month but has been freshened up and should run a good race on Saturday night.''
Swain and his father Sid have two of the favourites, DEAN's Styles (box seven) and his dad's Secretly Hot (box one) in race 10, a 520m fifth grade.
Secretly Hot, who won her first four starts, including a brilliant 30.50 effort over 535m at Richmond, is ideally drawn according to Sid Swain.
"She is no world beater but should win a few at Wenty and she loves to rail,'' Swain senior said.
"Although Secretly Hot has not raced at Wentworth Park I have trialled her there and she covered the 520m in 30.40, running home in a nippy 11.90.
"Her early sectional times were moderate but I think she can run around 30.20 on Saturday.''
DEAN Swain said: "Styles has had several trials at Wenty and in his first hit-out he clocked electrifying early splits but got tired.
"He has got stronger in his subsequent Wentworth Park hit-outs and I expect him to run in a straight line from the boxes to the first turn.''
Styles led throughout for a tiring win over 515m at Gosford on Tuesday night while in the same race Secretly Hot was skittled twice while trying to cross from box eight and finished down the course.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet Simon Keeping (race 1)
Best Value Effective Comet (race 5)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 1, 2
Race 6 - 1, 5, 4
Race 7 - 2, 8, 7
Race 8 - 2, 4
$20 for 37.03%
