Poppa Ogg lost no admirers from a Golden Easter Egg viewpoint with his third behind Zipping Clive and Rohan Hill at Wentworth Park last week and is poised to turn the tables there on Saturday night.
Last Saturday Poppa Ogg was a clear early leader but ran wide from box three before being headed by Zipping Clive approaching the home bend, winding up just over two lengths behind the winner.
But in Saturday night's 520m Free-For-All, another dress rehearsal for the March 17 Golden Easter Egg heats, Poppa Ogg has box two while Zipping Clive shifts from last week's favourable rails draw to box four.
"Because he races in the middle of the track I prefer Poppa Ogg drawn anywhere between boxes five and eight,'' trainer Barbara Spackman said.
"Despite that he has won seven of his nine starts from box two and I believe he will be a stronger dog this week than he was last Saturday.
"Poppa Ogg was short of a run last week because I had not been able to secure a start with him with his three previous nominations.''
Another trainer who would have preferred a wide draw for his box one greyhound on Saturday night is Neil Staines, who has Tilikum in race six.
Tilikum is in career best form, finishing third at Wentworth Park on February 24, winning easily in his personal best time of 29.81 four nights later, and flashing home to be runner-up last Saturday.
Tilikum had box six when he won and exited the rails draw when he came from fourth in the middle stages last week.
"His problem is that he wants to get off the track at the first turn,'' trainer Staines said.
"Last week Tilikum did everything possible to get beaten yet he still finished up only three lengths from the winner, Umatilla.
"Tilikum has more early zip than most people think and if he comes out on the right leg he is capable of leading around the first turn.''
Box one though brought a happy response from Steve Moran, whose wife Pauline trains Huxley, who will wear the red rug in race three.
Huxley made his Wentworth Park race debut in a similar fifth grade on February 28 but drew poorly in box six and was never out of trouble, finishing fifth to Sunny Village.
"He is desperate for box one,'' Steve Moran said.
"Before last week's race Pauline had given Huxley a 520m trial and two post-to-post hand-slips at Wenty so the dog knows his way around the course.
"In each of his trials Huxley went well enough to suggest he will perform well on Saturday night.''
Huxley made full use of an inside draw when he came from box two and won over 535m at Richmond in 30.71, fastest time of the night, on February 2.
He led all the way in that win and also in a subsequent success from box five there so has the pace to lead throughout on Saturday.
Saturday's card features two 720m events, with fastest qualifier Blazin' Savannah tipped to win the Ladbrokes Monthly Medal Final and Where Art Thou, who has been having success in far harder races in Melbourne in recent weeks, a stand-out in race nine.
Where Art Thou is yet to win over 720m at Wentworth Park but recorded fastest time of the night when she registered an easy win at her most recent race, over 715m at Sandown, on March 1.
Jeff Collerson's Selection's
Best Bet: Where Art Thou (Race 9)
Best Value: Poppa Ogg (Race 8)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 5, 8, 2
Race 6 - 1, 3, 4
Race 7 - 1, 2
Race 8 - 2, 1, 4
$20 for 37.03%
