Up Hill Jill, the "queen'' of Australia’s greyhound racing along with Miss Splendamiro and Ella Enchanted, the two fastest Wentworth Park winners this year, stand out in three heats of the Group 3 Evans & Son Jewellers Ladies Bracelet on Saturday night.
Up Hill Jill, trained in Victoria by David Geall, returns to Wentworth Park after finishing second in last week's Group 1 Perth Cup and will be out repeat her win in Sydney's biggest race, last month's Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg.
She has box seven in heat one of the Bracelet while Miss Splendamiro has box one in heat two and Ella Enchanted will exit box four in heat three.
Until last Saturday night, Zipping Clive, Crash Bandicoot and Dual Keroma shared 2018's quickest Wentworth Park time of 29.65, but Ella Enchanted stopped the clock at 29.64 before Miss Splendamiro won in a sensational 29.55.
While Up Hill Jill is awkwardly drawn in box seven, trainer David Geall said: "In her favour is that she is more consistently fast out of the boxes at Wentworth Park than at any other track in Australia.
"I was proud of how she went in the Perth Cup because the plane flight from Melbourne was four hours each way and she had to be at the airport two hours before departure times.
"Then there was another hour in the car to reach her Perth kennelling facilities so having to do that two weeks in succession was stressful for her.
"But Up Hill Jill has made a complete recovery and I am glad I can bring her to Sydney for the Bracelet by road.
"She is an old hand at travelling in my van and she just loves it, she relaxes completely.''
Miss Splendamiro will be the hottest favourite of the night from her ideal rails draw, and while she had box eight in her blistering win at Wentworth Park last week, she has won six of her seven races while wearing the red rug.
Ella Enchanted had not trialled out of the 520m starting boxes before her dazzling Wentworth Park debut win last week and her time surprised even her trainer Darren Sultana.
"Before she raced she had a two hand-slips at Wenty and did not go too well but she improved sharply in a couple of hit-outs before last Saturday,'' Sultana said.
"I gave her a hand-slip from the first corner and she went well before she absolutely flew in a post-to-post slip at the track.
"Box four is not great because Ella Enchanted, while she is not hopeless early, is not brilliant either.''
But Ella Enchanted should get a clear run to the first corner as Bombshell Bandit (box three) is a fast beginner who rails well while Alpine Little, who has box five, is also quick early but is a wide runner.
Elzy Lay was a certainty beaten when third, under a length from the winner, at Wentworth Park last week and looks good value in Saturday night's second event, a 520m fifth grade.
Elzy Lay has box four and because he lacks early speed but is a keen railer with a powerful finish, his chances depend on him getting a reasonably clear run through the field.
The Judy Fisher-trained dog had box six and was a conspicuous last for the first 250m of his race last week but would have won had he not collided when unleashing a powerful burst at the top of the straight.
"We were concerned about him because Elzy Lay was bowled over by another dog in the catching pen,'' Ron Fisher, the trainer's husband said.
"He seemed to be okay the next morning but just to be sure we trialled him over 365m at Nowra on Tuesday morning and he went as fast as he ever does.
"Elzy Lay is in terrific form but can't seem to draw an inside box.''
Most suitably drawn runner on Saturday night is Poco Dorado, who has box eight in the first race, a 520m fifth grade.
Poco Dorado had box seven when runner-up in a heat of the Group 2 Queensland Futurity at Albion Park on April 5 and runs her best races when she is able to go around her rivals in the early and middle stages.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet Miss Splendamiro (race 6)
Best Value Elzy Lay (race 2)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 7, 6
Race 6 - 1, 5
Race 7 - 4, 3, 5
Race 8 - 3, 6, 5
$20 for 55.55%
