FORBES trainer Raymond "Jack'' Smith is bringing nine well credentialed greyhounds to Wentworth Park Wednesday but none has brighter prospects than Little Digger in race eight.
Little Digger, who has won 14 of 28 races, has drawn box one for only the second time in his career, having worn the red rug to victory in a fast 29.96 at Wentworth Park last month.
And despite drawing the rails trap just once, Little Digger has compiled an imposing Wentworth Park record of six wins and five placings from 15 appearances.
Although he lacks early pace he has a perfect draw on Wednesday as kennelmate Big Daddy Bee, box two, and Zipping Bronco in three, are tardy in the early stages.
Smith's other Wentworth Park starters are Midnight Jayne (box one) and Irinka Hamo (four) in race three, Zagati (box one, race four), Irinka Leanne (box six, race five), Midnight Treat (box seven, race eight), Irinka Lizzy (box two, race seven) and Irinka Milo (box eight, race nine).
Best chance among those should be Zagati, who is ideally positioned on the rails, while Midnight Jayne and Irinka Hamo, along with Midnight Treat and Irinka Lizzy, will be among the fancied runners in their races.
It is rare for a greyhound to come to Wentworth Park after having just one race at the provincials but connections of Finale believe their greyhound is up to the task in Wednesday’s opening event.
Finale, who won his only race, a 520m maiden at Dapto from box four, has box two in a 520m fifth grade restricted to greyhounds with no more than a single win.
Trainer Julie Fletcher's husband Bruce said: "Finale is desperate for the rails so his inside draw is good.
"Although he has not raced at Wentworth Park Finale has had two box-to-box trials there so he knows his way around the track.
"Before he raced he clocked 18.43 in a trial, and while that time is only steady, he improved considerably to record 18.21 in a more recent hit-out.
"When Finale ran the 18.21 the top notch sprinter Ritza Lenny trialled immediately after him and posted 18.01, so for an inexperienced youngster to clock just two-tenths slower than a star like Ritza Lenny was very pleasing.
"And we think Finale has improved a little since then.''
Vista King, who equalled the LADBROKES GARDENS 515m record when he won in 29.19 on May 8, faces his toughest test so far in race nine, heat five of the 520m Ladbrokes Back Yourself Challenge.
Vista King is chasing his fifth successive win after opening his Wentworth Park account with a fast finishing win in the slow time of 30.59 on May 16 before scoring consecutive wins at LADBROKES GARDENS.
The dog is trained at Sawyers Gully in the Hunter Valley by Denis Berwick, who is celebrating his 50th year as a trainer in 2018.
"Vista King's latest win was in the fast time of 29.35 at LADBROKES GARDENS on May 29 and he pulled up well,'' trainer Denis Berwick said.
"Vista King is a funny dog, early in his career he badly wanted box one but lately he seems to go well from box seven or eight.
"It seems to depend on how he feels on the night so I just hope he is happy to sit on the rails going around the first turn.''
Vista King's hardest opponents are Smooth Blend (box three) and Benkennie Chic (box five).
Smooth Blend is likely to be sent out favourite after winning 12 of his 33 starts but he tends to race in the centre of the track so is not well positioned.
Benkennie Chic has had a win and two luckless seconds from just three Wentworth Park outings and has the early zip required to overcome her awkward draw.
While Little Digger selects himself as Wednesday’s best bet, the under-rated Elza Lay looks the top value wager after drawing near the rails in race 10.
Elzy Lay is well placed in this fourth and fifth grade event as he has won four races at Wentworth Park, while none of his rivals has scored on more than two occasions at headquarters.
Elzy Lay won in the fastest time of the night at Bulli last Saturday after being sent out at long odds because of an unsuitable box seven draw, so should be hard to hold out from box two on Wednesday.
Jeff Collerson’s Selections
Best Bet: Little Digger (race 8)
Best Value: Elzy Lay (race 10)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 4, 5, 2
Race 6 - 4. 5. 7
Race 7 - 2, 7, 6
Race 8 - 1, 5
$20 for 37.03%
