Snooker DAVE surprised even her trainer Andrew Bell with a first-up third at Wentworth Park last week and he believes she is drawn to score her first city win there Wednesday.
Despite the name Snooker DAVE is a tiny 24.5kg female, and after racing wide last Wednesday she looks ideally positioned in box eight in race eight, the 520m Ladbrokes Odds Boost Stakes.
Snooker DAVE had box one for her Wentworth Park debut last week but after leading to the first turn she lost the lead through veering to the centre of the track.
After being second on the back straight she wound up four lengths from the winner Crack Shot, finishing third.
"I delighted with her run last week because Snooker DAVE had not previously seen the track and I had my doubts about her capacity to see out the 520 metres,'' trainer Bell said.
"She hung on better than expected, especially as she drifted off the track early and then seemed 'lost' on the back straight.
"I am far happier seeing her in box eight this week because she has had that draw twice previously and won both times.''
Steelcity Boxing will be sent out a raging hot favourite for race three, a 520m Maitland To Wentworth Park Final, after clocking easily the fastest time in last week's 450m heats.
Steelcity Boxing, who has box one, won a maiden race at Wentworth Park early this year in a flying 29.90 and none of his rivals on Wednesday have got within cooee of those figures at headquarters.
Trainer Darryl Thomas' only concern is Steelcity Boxing's poor box manners in recent weeks.
"He has bungled the jump at his past three starts but if he gets away reasonably well this week I expect him to win,'' Thomas said.
"The dog has already clocked 29.90 at Wenty and if anything he is going even better now.
"In one of his early races at Wentworth Park Steelcity Boxing hit his head on the boxes as he jumped and then he took a tumble at the track.
"Box one though is a huge bonus for him this time.''
Another greyhound expected to make full use of box one is Velocity Liberty, who will wear the red rug in Wednesday's second event, a 520m fifth grade.
Trained on the south coast by Robyn Goodwin, Velocity Liberty has dazzling early speed and is usually a brilliant beginner.
She made the pace when third to noted strong finisher Midnight Starlet in the Miller Memorial Final over 516m at Dubbo last Friday and wasn't headed in winning a Wentworth Park maiden in a nippy 30.26 in March.
When she exited box one at Dapto on April 5, Velocity Liberty again led throughout, this time stopping the clock at a blistering 29.99.
Wednesday's Free-For-All over 520m looks a match between prolific Wentworth Park winner Royal Turbo, a front-runner who has won 16 races at the track, and Little Digger, who flashed home to win last Friday's Dubbo Cup final.
Both greyhounds are nicely drawn, with the Glen McKinley-trained Royal Turbo in box two and the Ray Smith-trained Little Digger, who lacks early pace but roars home, in three.
Smith's promising stayer Irinka Leanne has box eight in Wednesday's 720m Ladbrokes Greyhound Previews Stakes and only has to repeat her sensational first-up effort at Wentworth Park last week to score again.
Irinka Leanne had not been tried beyond 618m before contesting a 720m fifth grade last Wednesday but led all the way from box one, winning by 10 lengths in top class time of 42.32.
Jeff Collerson’s Selection’s
Best Bet: Velocity Liberty (Race 2)
Best Value: Snooker DAVE (Race 8)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 8, 7
Race 6 - 8, 7
Race 7 - 3, 2, 4
Race 8 - 8, 2, 7
$20 for 55.55%
