Early speed wins big races so it is hard to go past the Kristy Sultana-trained Flying Ricciardo in Friday night's TAB Million Dollar Chase.
Although favourite Shadow Mist clocked an opening section of 5.40 in his all-the-way heat win from box six, Flying Ricciardo has got under 5.50 in each of his four Wentworth Park outings.
At his Wenty debut on August 8 Flying Ricciardo reeled off a first split of 5.43 before winning in 29.96 and recorded 5.40 on his way to his 29.73 victory on August 13.
Before winning in 29.74 on September 30 Flying Ricciardo recorded an initial section of 5.44 and clocked 5.43 in last week's 29.71 semi-final win.
Shadow Mist has posted reliably quick first splits too, recording 5.42 and 5.47 in solo trials at WP before last Friday's win, but can he show the same zip from box one as he did when he "came out running'' in his semi?
If there was any doubt about his tenacity Flying Ricciardo's grit was there for all to see last Friday when he prevailed by a nose after a neck-and-neck battle with outstanding Victorian Faithy Bale from start to finish.
Tommy Shelby's 29.58 win in the fastest of the eight semi-finals was a remarkable performance as he collided with Hammer Down when the lids lifted.
But the WA star is a keen railer and will need to "ping the lids'' if he is to get across from box eight in the final.
Tommy Shelby has won three of his four races from box eight but as a leading Sydney trainer pointed out to me this week: "It's one thing to do that in races in Perth but it's likely to be a different proposition in a Million Dollar Chase final.''
Sunset Bourbski was beaten just under four lengths by Here's Tears in her heat but part-owner Ross Davidson believes she can reverse the placings in Friday night's final of the group 1 Sydney Cup.
Here's Tears took the lead at the catching pen before winning his heat in 42.16, fastest of the three 720m qualifiers, while Sunset Bourbski came from fourth on the back straight.
"Sunset Bourbski was having her first race since winning over 725m at The Meadows on September 16 and in hindsight she might have needed the run,'' Davidson said of his Andrea Dailly-trained star.
"In her final trial before the Cup heats Sunset Bourbski clocked 30.64 over 545m at Ballarat, which is not far outside the record, while her run home time was a virtually unheard of 14.16.
"She was kept wide all the way around in her heat yet her run home time last Friday was actually better than when she won in 42.20 over 720m at Wenty in June.
"Sunset Bourbski has the perfect draw on Friday and we don't need any good luck, we just don't want any of the bad kind.''
Sunburnt Highway looks the dog to beat in Friday night's other $100,000 to the winner event, the Masters Meteor, although his heat time of 29.91 was matched by his arch rival Nangar Kash.
"Sunburnt Highway has box five but he always goes straight after he jumps from the boxes so it never really matters what box he draws,'' trainer Judith Richardson said.
"I would dearly love to win this race, not for the money, but as reward for the time and dedication my husband John has devoted to our greyhounds for the past 50 years.''
Nangar Kash seems well placed in box seven but after the draw trainer Mick Hardman declared: "My dog badly needed to be boxed inside Sunburnt Highway.''
