Poco Dorado had a mere half head to spare as she took her Wentworth Park 720m tally to six wins from six starts in Friday night's Sydney Cup heats but she has drawn perfectly in box seven in this Saturday's $75,000 to the winner final.
Poco Dorado's 42.25sec set the time standard for the Cup heats but Poke The Bear, fastest qualifier for Saturday night's GRNSW + Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase, was not so fortunate in the draw for the $1 million purse.
The Seona Thompson-trained whirlwind drew box five, while kennelmate Midnight Starlet came up with her favourite alley, box one.
Making the Million Dollar Chase even more fascinating is seeing the NSW duo Sky Wave and Mystic Riot well positioned in boxes two and seven respectively.
When Minnie Finn, wife of Poco Dorado's trainer John Finn, watched the Sydney Cup box draw, she exclaimed "box seven with Ebby Ripper outside her in eight, that's perfect!''
Ebby Ripper, financial advisor Michael Eberand's "warrior princess'' stormed into yet another big race final by flashing home to beat all but Veloce Nero, Poco Dorado's sister and kennelmate, in a 42.51sec heat.
Victoria's Billy's Bake, prepared by Striker Light's trainer Brett Bravo, pulled off a minor upset by leading throughout in his heat in 42.44sec.
Billy's Bake has drawn ideally in box one in the final with Kihael Road, who bungled the start when third, from box eight, in that Victorian's heat, nicely placed in three.
Poke The Bear's box five draw in the Million Dollar Chase is unlikely to dent the belief trainer Seona Thompson and her husband Jason have in this marvellous greyhound.
Poke The Bear broke the Warragul track record before winning his Chase heat at WP and shattered the Healesville record in the lead-up to his emphatic semi success over the flying Benali in 29.66, best time of the night.
Benali, noted for his strength at the finish, was coming off a near record 29.29sec Million Dollar Chase heat win, but despite narrowly beating Poke The Bear out of the boxes in Friday's semi-final, Thompson's greyhound "punched up'' inside him and led around the first turn.
For a few strides leaving the back straight the tenacious Benali looked to have his rival's measure, but Poke The Bear, described by Jason Thompson before the race as "a real, hard, tough race dog'' dug in and actually came away in the straight.
The Thompsons won three of the eight semi-finals and have Midnight Starlet, a 29.90sec semi victor, ideally placed in box one in the final, with Azkaban, who qualified in 29.75, in box four.
Sydney hobby trainer Andrew Crouch had his most successful night ever, winning semis with Big Butters in 29.69sec and Jamella Jet in 30.05sec.
But the draw makes Sky Wave (box two) and Mystic Riot (seven) look the best prospects of keeping the $1 million cheque in NSW.
Sky Wave, whose trainer Vic Sultana has been working with greyhounds for over 50 years, clocked the fastest sectional times in Friday's semi-finals, while connections of the JODIE Lagogiane-trained Mystic Riot erupted in prolonged cheering when their greyhound came up with a wide alley in the final.
Box draw for the Million Dollar Chase is 1 Midnight Starlet 2 Sky Wave 3 Dyna Harpa 4 Azkaban 5 Poke The Bear 6 Big Butters 7 Mystic Riot 8 Jamella Jet with reserves Hecton Bale and Benali.
Sydney Cup draw is 1 Billy's Bake 2 Zipping Manuela 3 Kihael Road 4 Zipping Kelly 5 Veloce Nero 6 Taken King 7 Poco Dorado 8 Ebby Ripper with reserves Kanzan and Rockstar Patriot.
