Million Dollar Chase winning trainer Peter Lagogiane believes the box draw gives his bitch Sneaky Marquee the edge on her kennelmate Princess Riot in Saturday night's GBOTA Welcome Stakes at Wentworth Park.
Sneaky Marquee, chasing her third consecutive Wentworth Park win, has box one, while the brilliant front-runner Princess Riot has drawn eight.
"Princess Riot needs an inside box and has to lead to win so from box eight she is going to have her work cut out getting across to the front,'' Lagogiane said.
"Sneaky Marquee reached the group 1 National Futurity final in January and is going even better now.
"She is all class and is so strong I expect her to develop into a good middle distance performer.
"I only nominated Sneaky Marquee and Princess Riot for Wentworth Park because they did not trial fast enough when I took them to LADBROKES GARDENS for a look at the track from a Black Top viewpoint.
"When I saw the high calibre of dogs in Friday's Black Top heats I'm glad I stayed in Sydney.''
Sneaky Marquee led throughout at Wentworth Park on August 8, posting slick splits of 5.49 and 13.94 in recording 30.05 and took the lead at the catching pen when winning in 29.95 five nights later, posting a second split of 14.00 but running home in a smart 11.85.
Old Mate Koby had been unbeaten in three Wentworth Park races before finishing down the course there on August 5 but trainer Mick Blissett believes the dog can atone in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Switch Stakes.
"He drew box eight at his last run and missed the kick something shocking, before wanting to shift across to the fence,'' Blissett said.
"Then he didn't seem to know what to do, probably because he had never been back in the field in his life.
"After the race Old Mate Koby came down with a touch of tonsillitis but he is 100 per cent again now and raring to go.''
Old Mate Koby's five wins have been from boxes two, three, four and five and the dog has drawn four on Saturday.
With slow beginners Armed Assassin (box four) and Hampshire (six) drawn alongside him, Old Mate Koby should get a clear run to the first turn, where his task will be heading off the speedy wide runner High Expectation, who has box one.
Simply Smudge, one of the most exciting young prospects in training, will exit box eight at Wentworth Park for the first time in Saturday's Million Dollar Chase Coming Soon Stakes but trainer Peter Rodgers is unconcerned at the wide draw.
Simply Smudge was second, from box one, at Wentworth Park on July 4 before a great third, when a $101 outsider from box six, in Playlist's Vic Peters Classic final on July 11.
The dog began only fairly from box five before displaying great acceleration through the centre of the field to lead going through the pen and coming away to win by five lengths on August 13.
"Box eight on Saturday won't worry him at all,'' trainer Peter Rodgers said.
"If you have a look at how Simply Smudge handled box seven when he won over 400m at Richmond in the best time of the meeting on August 2 the draw shouldn't be a problem.
"At Richmond he was on a bend start and there were a couple of speedy greyhounds drawn inside him and who kept him wide early but he got to the lead without much trouble.''
Saturday's best bet should be Wow, who is desperate for an outside box and has drawn seven in the expertlongshot.com Stakes.
Wow finished sixth in top grade at his most recent Wentworth Park outing on August 8 so should relish the massive drop to fifth grade this week.
The dog raced wide when a good second from box three as a $1.80 hotpot at Wentworth Park on June 24.
Wow was beaten a length in a fast 29.84 making his personal time of 29.92 the quickest in Saturday night's lineup.
