Trainer Ron Marsden concedes that having to scratch Hardaway Harada from Saturday night's Ladbrokes Odds Boost Free-For-All at Bulli will help favourite Straight Shift but he is banking on Hardaway Titan, his other entry, toppling the hotpot.
Hardaway Harada had drawn box seven and with Straight Shift in eight the withdrawal of Marsden's dog will give the favourite more room to move.
"Hardaway Harada has torn a back muscle so I have no choice but to take him out, which is going to give Straight Shift the luxury of having a vacant box next to him,'' Marsden said.
"But providing he nails the start, Hardaway Titan should have enough early speed to be capable of holding Straight Shift out in the run to the first turn.
"Hardaway Titan has not raced for a month but there has been nothing seriously wrong, he just needed a break after another dog bit him in the catching pen following his most recent race when he finished second at Bulli.
"He is going well again and has been trialling nicely.''
Straight Shift has won two of his three races from box eight but trainer Peter Lagogiane said his dog is actually better suited from an inside draw.
"While his outside box record is good, Straight Shift is not a faultless beginner but accelerates rapidly when he hits the ground.
"But he has terrific pace and has won 12 of his 16 starts.''
Do You Dig, who has done most of his racing at Bathurst, will make his debut for Lagogiane from box five in heat four of the 400m Ladbrokes Super Series on Saturday night.
"I agreed to take him watching Do You Dig win over 307m in fast time at Bathurst on May 8,'' Lagogiane said.
"His owner Trent Anderson had been telling me the dog had a motor and after seeing him win at Bathurst I was most impressed.
"Do You Dig has been going along nicely since joining my team after that race on May 8.''
Lightning VISION has been placed in just one of three starts over the past two months but could be ready to bounce back into the winner's circle in Saturday night's 472m Ladbrokes Back Yourself Free-For-All.
"I have had a bit of trouble with him but I'm confident I have got Lightning VISION back to where he was,'' trainer Neil Staines said.
"In his past two trials the dog has been humming so I expect him to run a big race at Bulli.''
Cumbria Belle found plenty of early trouble when a beaten favourite at Bulli last week but is drawn to atone in the second heat of the 400m Ladbrokes Super Series.
Last Saturday Cumbria Belle, having her first start at Bulli, missed the jump from box five and was severely checked soon after, losing all chance.
She had won five of her previous seven starts and moves into box one on Saturday, while the highly talented Hartley Entry, who has box two, is likely to get wide and give Cumbria Belle plenty of room to move in the run to the first corner.
Trainer Steve Fitch is quietly confident Cumbria Belle will be vastly improved by last Saturday night's experience.
Safest wager on Saturday looks to be the noted "lid pinger'' Cape Fernando, seeking to maintain his unblemished Bulli record in heat one of the Ladbrokes Super Series.
The Sam Sultana-trained Cape Fernando has led all the way to win each of his three Bulli wins and his 22.33 personal best, posted on May 9, is the benchmark for Saturday's lineup.
