Shetland, who got his name through tipping the scales at a hefty 36kg-plus, has been unplaced in three Wentworth Park races but is set to break through at headquarters tonight.
Now trained by Peter Lagogiane, who won 2018's inaugural Million Dollar Chase with Mystic Riot, Shetland has won three of his past six provincial starts.
He will exit box one in tonight's Congratulations Lilly Banner Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and his trainer is pleased with that draw.
"It's about time he drew the rails and being in race four, a reasonably early event, will suit him,'' Lagogiane said.
"Shetland tends to play up in the kennels on race night and while he has been more calm since I have been placing him in a compression suit, I still like seeing him in an early race.
"When he won at his most recent start, over 472m at Bulli on July 7, Shetland clocked fastest time of the night of 26.38 and beat Darryl Thomas' very good sprinter Whitfield.
"I have been building Shetland up gradually for a return to Wentworth Park and believe he is now ready to step up to the 520m there.''
Although Shetland has not won from box one the dog has been placed in three of his four outings while wearing the red rug.
Boom sprinter Freakish Ethics has trialled extra well on the eve of his city debut tonight but trainer David Smith is disappointing at his dog drawing box seven in the Congratulations Playlist Stakes, another 520m fifth grade.
"I was hoping he would draw close to the rails,'' Smith said.
"Freakish Ethics trialled over 520m at Wenty after the final race last Saturday night and he clocked 30.02s.
"I was happy with that time because the dog had spent a lot of time sitting in my trailer so I did not expect him to go any quicker.''
Smith, who has been enjoying a tremendous run of success this year, has long rated Freakish Ethics as potentially the best sprinter he has trained but the dog has been able to race on just six occasions, resulting in four wins.
If Freakish Ethics begins cleanly he could get a "cart'' across courtesy of speedy Three Squares, who has box six and is a good railer.
But from his unsuitably wide draw Freakish Ethics is going to need to do everything right to beat the Jason Magri-trained Black Rampage, who has box five.
Black Rampage has had two runs following a spell of nearly six months for third placings at Wentworth Park on July 1 and last Wednesday.
Last week Black Rampage had box seven and was prominent all the way before finishing third to the highly promising Our Mate Koby.
At his previous outing Black Rampage came from box three when a luckless third to Ritza Fire and that dog proved the form by winning again at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Best bet tonight should be the George Borg-trained No More Partying, who has box six in the 520m Where Else But Wenty Free-For-All, 520m.
Borg has always preferred No More Partying being drawn wide and the dog made full use of box seven to win in his personal best time of 30.04 at Wentworth Park on July 1.
Last Saturday night No More Partying took the lead on the back straight and led to the home bend before being run down by Zipping Bram, a particularly powerful finisher, in a fast 29.91.
Although tonight's race is ranked as a Free-For-All, No More Partying's opposition is not as strong as the lineup he faced last Saturday.
Barry Gibbons, who trained his first group 1 winner when Lilly Banner led throughout in last Saturday's Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal at Wentworth Park, has that greyhound's litter sister Diamond Banner in tonight's 520m Happy Birthday Chonteal Stakes, a fifth grade.
Diamond Banner had no luck when a distant second to Bugatti In Motion at her Wentworth Park debut last Wednesday from box eight and will wear the pink rug again.
But Chrissie Banner, also trained by Gibbons and who made the early pace when second to Cumbria Lad at her first Wentworth Park outing last Saturday night, looks well positioned out wide in box six and could steal an early break over her more favoured kennelmate.
