Stilton Stitch has a poor record from box one but trainer Bruce King believes his greyhound is ready to wear the red rug to victory for the first time at Wentworth Park Wednesday.
Stilton Stitch, who downed brilliant speedster My Little Mate in a 400m top grade sprint at Richmond last Friday night, has drawn the rails in race five, a 520m fifth grade.
King's greyhound has not won in four outings from the inside trap but King is quietly confident he can break through on Wednesday.
"His box one record is pretty ordinary but Stilton Stitch has not had the rails in nearly four months,'' King said.
"Previously he has tended to miss the jump from box one and then, after getting crowded for room by dogs on his outside, has been inclined to shift wide.
"But he is a lot better greyhound now than he was when he last drew box one.
"I was very pleased with the way he went to the line to win at Richmond last Friday and he pulled up really well after the run.''
Stilton Stitch is the only greyhound in on Wednesday's race to have broken the 30 second barrier at Wentworth Park, having won in a fast 29.93 from box four at headquarters on April 7.
The NSW GBOTA will acknowledge Anzac Day by on Wednesday honouring Roy Dockery, a 96-year-old World War II veteran who has been attending greyhound racing since 1936.
"I started off by crawling under the fence at Wollongong dogs because youngsters were not allowed to go the greyhounds in the pre-war years,'' Dockery recalled.
"Since returning from service overseas I have not missed many Wentworth Park meetings.''
These days Dockery, who served in New Guinea and Borneo throughout the War, conducts guided tours through the Kokoda Trail Memorial Walkway at Rhodes, in north-western Sydney.
The Anzac Day Roy Dockery Stakes is race two where in-form trainer Glen McKinley will rug up three of the eight starters in a 520m fifth grade.
McKinley, who also trains the crack Wentworth Park sprinter Royal Turbo, will be represented by Nando's Thunder (box one), Oriental Owen (four) and Snow Fantasy (eight).
He rates Nando's Thunder his best chance, saying: "Box one is a big plus for him.
"Nando's Thunder has good early speed and followed up a good third at Wenty last Wednesday with a smart win at Bulli on Saturday night.
"Snow Fantasy has had only one race since a spell, finishing third from box eight at LADBROKES GARDENS last Friday.
"She is trialling extremely well and if she had drawn the rails I would be tipping her to win.
"But while she is stronger at the finish than Nando's Thunder and my other runner, Oriental Owen, Snow Fantasy is awkwardly positioned in the extreme outside box.''
Best graded dog on Wednesday is Winsome Money, chasing his fifth win in eight appearances at Wentworth Park in race eight, a 520m fourth grade.
The John Finn-trained greyhound won the Group 3 New Sensation final at Wentworth Park on March 31 and was far from disgraced when fifth in a heat of the Group 1 Perth Cup at Cannington last Saturday night.
Winsome Money not only plunges in class, but is suitably drawn in box seven.
He has won three of his four races from wide draws and looks assured of a clear passage to the first turn courtesy of Eleanor Rascal, who has box eight and is a slow beginner and wide runner.
On Wednesday's card marks the first Wentworth Park outing for Mrs Mouse, who will be hot favourite to win race six, the 520m Dapto To Wenty Final.
The Darryl Thomas-trained greyhound has box three and will be all the rage after winning her Dapto heat by five lengths in 29.87, fastest time of the night.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet: Winsome Money (Race 8)
Best Value: Nando's Thunder (Race 2)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 1, 2
Race 6 - 3, 4, 5
Race 7 - 3, 1, 8
Race 8 - 7, 4
$20 for 55.55%
