Melbourne’s big race specialist training team of Angela Langton and Jeff Britton have nominated Mister Harlewood and Flossing as the pick of their five finalists in Saturday night's Group 1 age races at Wentworth Park.
Langton has Western Envoy in box six in the Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic while her partner Britton has Mister Harlewood (pictured) and Weblec Jack in seven and eight in the same event.
In the Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal, Britton will be represented by Flossing and Mepunga Frankie in boxes four and seven respectively.
"Mister Harlewood and Weblec Jack are similar in ability but Mister Harlewood has better habits, he can run quick splits to the first mark and is a more reliable beginner than Weblec Jack, who is hit or miss at the start,'' Britton said.
"Flossing is no world-beater but can be such a good beginner she could cut down to the rails and lead around the first turn.
"If she does that, and beats the favourite Miley Nismo to the corner, she could also help my other finalist, Mepunga Frankie.
"Mepunga Frankie’s well drawn out wide in seven but she likes to go around her opponents on the bends, and in big races you are better off with a dog which pushes along the rails.''
Miley Nismo, whose heat win in 29.67s was clearly the fastest of the Peter Mosman Opal qualifiers, has box one and should only need to begin cleanly to be hard to beat.
She not only posted quickest overall heat time, but her run home figures were superior to any other runner.
Gunning trainer Jodie Lord, who is enjoying a stellar year, is quietly confident of taking out the Vic Peters final with Cawborne Marty, who chased home Mister Harlewood in his heat.
"Cawborne Marty is going better than ever and box two looks to be a terrific draw on Saturday night,'' Lord said.
Fastest Vic Peters qualifier Feral Franky, who stopped the clock at 29.78 last week, has to overcome a horror box five draw in the final.
Best bet on Saturday looms as the Ruth Matic-trained Embye, who has box one in the $20,000 to the winner Ladbrokes Stayers Challenge final, 720m.
Greyhounds qualified via a pointscore system on country tracks and Embye, who is ideally drawn, looks a class above his rivals.
He has clocked a sensational 41.88s for the Wentworth Park 720m trip and is the only finalist to have broken the 42s barrier.
The 520m $20,000 Ladbrokes Sprinters Challenge final is wide open with Dubbo trainer Charmaine Roberts qualifying with Nikita Keeping (box two), Jingles Keeping (three) and Cliff Keeping (five).
Roberts' partner Shayne Stiff, a keen form student, cannot split their trio.
"Cliff Keeping is going particularly well at the moment but he has box five and the dog in four is a wide runner,'' Stiff said.
"Jingles Keeping is good enough to win but has to beat Secret Of Ours, in box one, and Nikita Keeping in two, to the first turn.
"Darren Sultana's Secret Of Ours has a fabulous draw, he is boxed to get the run of the race and is the dog we have to beat.''
Best Bet Embye (race 3)
Best Value Cawborne Marty (race 5)
Quaddie race 5 - 2, 5, 7
Race 6 - 1, 5, 3
Race 7 - 1, 2, 5
Race 8 - 1, 7
$20 for 37.03%
