Good Odds Harada has "the worst possible draw'' in Friday night's Bathurst Cup final according to trainer Frank Hurst but the Million Dollar Chase winner's tenacity and class still make him the dog to beat.
In Monday's heats Good Odds Harada found early trouble from box one but after being third on the back straight, pushed through along the rails to hit the front and win comfortably in 29.71, fastest qualifying time.
Victoria's Shima Breeze led throughout from box one to win her heat in 29.85 while track specialist Solar Sky, a litter sister to Good Odds Harada, led all the way in 29.96.
"Good Odds Harada has box six in the final but the dogs positioned each side of him have made the draw the worst possible,'' Hurst said.
"Solar Sky, who has box five, goes right when she comes out and I'm told Shima Breeze, who has drawn seven, makes a beeline for the rails whenever she races.
"But Good Odds Harada is the best dog so you can't discard his chances.
"He is a fantastic Chaser, he just never stops trying.''
Box draw for the 520m Cup is 1 Fernando Porche 2 Nangar Diva 3 Djay Holden 4 Slingshot Hammer 5 Solar Sky 6 Good Odds Harada 7 Shima Breeze 8 Awesome Fusion with reserves Winlock Ramirez and Final Verdict.
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PAUL Roach, whose dog Fernando Porche has come up with the prized rails trap in Friday's Bathurst Cup, will be chasing a rare double after winning the recent Orange Cup at the same track.
"I won the Orange Cup with Still Blue, who was first reserve but secured a start from box one, the same draw Fernando Porche got,'' Roach said.
"The Bathurst Cup field is a lot stronger than the Orange Cup lineup but Fernando Porche gets his chance from his perfect draw.
"He has had the rails alley four times for two wins and a second and is as fast as Still Blue.
"While Still Blue's early sectional times are a bit quicker, there is nothing between her and Fernando Porche over 520m.''
Roach, who has held a trainer's licence since 1976, was runner-up in a Bathurst Cup in the mid 1980s with Rockless River.
"He had won a heat of the Grafton Maiden Classic but ran into the great Brother Fox in the final,'' Roach recalled.
"Rockless River was a handy dog and while he finished second in a Bathurst Cup, the race holds far more prestige and is worth a lot more money these days.''
Roach considers Nangar Diva, a close second in Solar Sky's heat after exiting box eight, one of the hardest to beat in the final.
"Nangar Diva has box two and she looks well drawn,'' Roach said.
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CHANGER's Chance followed a track record breaking victory over 330m at Temora with a brilliant win in a heat of the 307m Bill Kennerson Memorial at Bathurst on Monday.
Changer's Chance, trained at Wallandbeen, near Cootamundra, by Jack and Lorraine Roy, is owned by St George Dragons fan Michael Hugo.
"Michael wanted to name the dog after his football hero, the great Graeme 'Changa' Langlands, but had no luck spelling the name,'' Jack Roy quipped.
Changer's Chance led throughout in his heat of the Bill Kennerson, stopping the clock at 17.68, quickest qualifying time and just .32sec outside the track record set by Entrust in January, 2012.
Entrust was trained by Good Odds Harada's conditioner Frank Hurst.
