Poco Dorado is almost certain to be sent out an odds-on favourite to take her Wentworth Park 720m tally to 10 wins from 10 starts when she steps out in next Saturday night's group 3 Summer Cup.
The John Finn-trained chaser gave another textbook staying performance when she led throughout in heat one last Saturday, defeating the consistent Taken King by four lengths in 41.75sec.
Poco Dorado's litter brother and kennelmate Blue Moon Rising led all the way in heat two, stopping the clock at 42.33, equivalent of around nine lengths slower time.
Poco Dorado had box six last Saturday and has always shown a liking for wide draws, but box five is unlikely to deter her army of fans from "backing up'' for another serve of the champ in the Cup final.
"She is not badly drawn because there is not a lot of early pace among the dogs drawn around her,'' trainer John Finn's wife Melinda said on Saturday.
"Blue Moon Rising is not in her league and although Veloce Nero's effort to finish third behind him and Ebby Ripper in heat two was terrific, neither is she.
"They are not capable of running the sizzling early splits that Poco Dorado clocked tonight.''
Veloce Nero (pictured) was clearly the best performance of the beaten division in the Cup heats as she was badly checked at the first turn, and after coming from sixth early to be second on the back straight, she wilted slightly to finish four lengths behind Blue Moon Rising.
"Veloce Nero had not had a 720m run since October 20 and while she was not as race fit tonight as Blue Moon Rising, she is a faster greyhound,'' Melinda Finn said.
"And Veloce Nero nearly fell when checked at the first turn, but just the same, I can't see her beating Poco Dorado.''
Ebby Ripper will have start number 99 when she contests the Summer Cup, and, as one Melbourne commentator said recently, "it isn't a group staying race without Ebby Ripper in the field.''
She has drawn box eight in next Saturday's final but trainer Michael Eberand commented: "Boxes don't really matter to her, it depends on what sort of passage she gets through the field.
"All being well Ebby Ripper's 100th start will be in the Newcastle Cup at LADBROKES GARDENS on December 14.''
Time honours for the 520m trip last Saturday were surprisingly with fifth grade winner It's A Wish, who led throughout for a 13 lengths romp in a sensational 29.48sec.
It's A Wish went into the race as a winner of just two from 12 starts but indicated her ability to "run time'' with a 30.53 performance over 535m at Richmond on November 13.
While she has been inclined to get back in the field in most of her races, box one prompted a quick getaway from It's A Wish on Saturday and with runner-up Swift Viper, in box two, running wide at the first turn, she had an unimpeded passage throughout the race.
Zipping Mitzy recorded yet another quick 520m time to win her fourth successive Wentworth Park race in Saturday's Free-For-All, coming from third early to run down pacemaker Drink Schooners and coming away to score by five lengths.
Zipping Mitzy clocked 29.59, a remarkably consistent performance coming on top of her three previous Wenty wins in 29.61, 29.52 and 29.58.
Box draw for the Summer Cup is 1 Blue Moon Rising 2 Rockstar Kerr 3 Veloce Nero 4 Taken King 5 Poco Dorado 6 Ethics">White Sox Ethics">Ethics 7 Kanzan 8 Ebby Ripper with reserves Double Gee and Yankee's Ethics.
