Shima Shine was runner-up to Good Odds Harada in last year's TAB Million Dollar Chase but is a better dog in 2020 according to owner David Gleeson.
Shima Shine looks to have the best semi-final draw of the top Chase candidates, coming up with box one in Wentworth Park's fourth semi-final on Friday night.
Shima Shine went into the 2019 final with nine wins from 11 starts but at 23 months of age was by far the youngest finalist.
Gleeson is naturally delighted his Andrea Dailly-trained dog has drawn box one, saying: "Shima Shine has had awful boxes for most of his career.
"He has drawn between four and eight in 25 of his 35 races and Saturday will be just the third time he has had box one.
"Shima Shine is a big, strong dog who will make full use of the rails and if he lands on his feet he will lead all the way.
"Reason I believe he is better now than last year is that in August he won at Sandown in near record time of 28.95, posting a sizzling first split of 4.93.''
Trainer Frank Hurst concedes last year's Chase winner Good Odds Harada may now not be as quick for the first 200m but reckons his dog is stronger at the finish of 520m as he prepares for the sixth Chase semi-final.
"Like all of us mate as we get older, he has lost a some of his early dash but he is making up for that at the end of his races,'' Hurst said.
"Good Odds Harada pulled up well after overcoming an early check and then running down Wallbanger, a strong dog, at Wentworth Park last Saturday so is raring to go.
"And I'm rapt seeing him in box two, he is suited from an inside alley.''
Simon Told Helen's trainer David Burnett believes his Victorian champion will need to lead to win.
"I'm not too worried about box four because I expect Simon Told Helen to be the pacemaker but I just hope Good Odds Harada isn't sitting on his tail on the back straight,'' Burnett said.
"Simon Told Helen ran quick splits of 5.49 and 13.78 before clocking 30s in his recent Wenty trial and you can forget the fact that he didn't break any records when he won the Temora regional final of the Chase last month.
"Simon Told Helen has always been a much better greyhound on a two-turn course like Wentworth Park, and until he won his regional heat and final the dog had not won on a horse-shoe shaped track like Temora.''
Queensland trainer Tom Tzouvelis was thrilled with Cooper Dooper's slick 29.85 at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and is happy with his box six draw in Friday's opening Chase semi.
"I sent Cooper Dooper down to Sydney trainer Darren Sultana for the Chase semis and he gave the dog a box-to-box hand-slip at Wenty four nights before trialling him over 520m on Saturday,'' Tzouvelis.
"Cooper Dooper likes to use a bit of the track so I don't mind seeing him out in box six.''
