Ritza Donald and Fantastic Gigi are joint fastest qualifiers for Friday night's NSW Bred Maiden Final at Wentworth Park but sectional times favour Ritza Donald.
The JODIE Lord-trained Ritza Donald led throughout to win his 520m heat last Friday in 30.03sec, while Fantastic Gigi, trained by Jason Fletcher, led all the way in identical overall time.
But while Fantastic Gigi took 5.55 and 13.99 for her first two "splits'' Ritza Donald's early sectional times were 5.40 and 13.84.
Fantastic Gigi ran home in 11.89, compared with Ritza Donald's 12.02, but early speed is an advantage, especially in maiden races.
JODIE Lord could land a winning treble on Friday as she has Canya Lilly looking hard to toss from box two in the 520m Wollondilly Electrical Christmas Stakes and El Rapido making her long-distance debut in race four, a 720m fourth and fifth grade.
Canya Lilly has registered two wins, three seconds and a third from her past six Wentworth Park starts, and was desperately unlucky when second, beaten four lengths, behind Kipling in a 520m fifth grade last Friday.
Canya Lilly began smartly from box two but while disputing the lead approaching the first turn, she was badly checked and pushed back to fourth position on the back straight.
She rattled home along the rails and looks well positioned on Friday as Love The Lovely, box one, is usually tardy at the start.
"Canya Lilly is getting stronger all the time and from box two she might be able to go straight to the front on Friday,'' trainer JODIE Lord said.
"If she does that she will be awfully hard to run down.''
Lord conceded that El Rapido is an unknown quantity over 720m in the fourth race, but added: "From day one I have expected her to develop into a stayer.
"On her Dapto 600m form El Rapido will run out the distance but you never know how strong they are at the end of 720m until you put them over it.
"When she won over 600m at Dapto at her most recent start, El Rapido came from last in the early stages so the indication is she will stay.''
Veteran Ebby Ripper is likely to be sent out favourite but if there is an upset it could come from Smokey Retreat, who will be lining up for his 100th race.
Smokey Retreat was a conspicuous last when he left the starting boxes before running on soundly to finish third to Dreamin' Is Free and China O'Brien in a slightly harder race over 720m at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
Smokey Retreat had box six in that race but is far better suited in box one, as he has worn the red rug in 14 races for three wins and six placings.
But trainer Andrew Bell does not expect Smokey Retreat to jump any faster from box one on Friday.
"He has been last out of the boxes in each of his 99 races so I don't expect it to be any different this week,'' Bell said.
Smart short course bitch Isla's Ivy is out to enhance her good Wentworth Park 280m record for Bell in race nine, a fourth and fifth grade.
Isla's Ivy has had a win, three seconds and a third from 10 starts over Friday's 280m journey and Bell considers her well positioned in box seven.
"She has often drawn rails boxes but she doesn't like the inside, out wide is where Isla's Ivy likes to be,'' Bell said.
Another Storm, who showed good mid-race speed before tiring into fifth position at his Wentworth Park debut last Saturday, could be an improver in Friday's Ladbrokes Live Streaming Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Ken Wright, whose wife Mary trains Another Storm, said: "I was a bit disappointed with his fifth last week because he had clocked a very smart 24.30 in a post-to-post hand-slip at Wenty prior to that race.
"But Another Storm has a good turn of pace and from box eight on Friday he should run straight from the start to the first turn and be in with a chance.''
Best Bet Canya Lilly (race 6)
Best Value Another Storm (race 2)
Quaddie race 5 - 2, 1, 7
Race 6 - 2, 3, 1
Race 7 - 4, 3
Race 8 - 7, 1, 2
$20 for 37.03%
