Barcia Blue Boy could not have been more impressive in his win on debut at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but trainer Peter Lagogiane concedes his dog will need to do everything right when he exits box five there on Saturday.
Barcia Blue Boy won a fifth grade last week, dwelling at box rise but zooming to the lead within a few strides to win in a brilliant 29.80, and meets the same class in the Ladbrokes Back Yourself Stakes.
He had box two and posted smart splits of 5.47, 13.80 and 17.90 but Lagogiane is wary of Fast Eddie Cargo, who has box four against Barcia Blue Boy and who has won 14 of 30 country starts.
Fast Eddie Cargo jumped well from box eight and led throughout over 516m at Dubbo on October 31, recording a fast 29.63 and racing a bit wide.
"Barcia Blue Boy might need to either beat Fast Eddie Cargo out of the boxes or to miss the kick a fraction and slip in behind him approaching the first turn,'' Lagogiane said.
"Barcia Blue Boy is a real quick animal and his owner Dawn Garrett bought him because he is closely related to my group winner and track record holder Beast Unleashed.
"From the get-go Barcia Blue Boy was running times equivalent to what Beast Unleashed used to clock at the same stage, so I have always had a big opinion of him.
"Barcia Blue Boy fractured a metacarpal bone early in his career but if he holds together he could go all the way.''
Funky Portelli produced her best Wentworth Park performance when a distant second to Zipping Moose in a slick 30.10 last Saturday and meets weaker opposition in Saturday's 520m Ladbrokes Switch Stakes.
Last week the Noelene Holloway-trained bitch began smartly but was beaten for early pace and dropped back to fourth on the back straight, before getting to the finish strongly.
"I bought her when she was a 20 month old maiden and she won over 515m at Gosford for me in 29.69 in March,'' Holloway said.
"After that Funky Portelli got into a fight with another of my dogs and that seemed to make her timid.
"Judging by her latest Wenty run she has regained that confidence and box six is not bad for her because I prefer to see her drawn wide.''
Funky Portelli's rivals include the Robyn Goodwin-trained Innocent, who has won three provincial races but has not won beyond 440m.
"The 520m won't worry him, he will run that on his ear,'' Goodwin's husband Glen said.
"Innocent has had a couple of trials at WP but we would be a lot more confident if he had drawn near the rails rather than out in box seven.
"He lacks early speed and wants to get to the fence but if he gets a crack at them he will be thereabouts at the finish.''
Temper Tears makes his debut for in-form trainer Mick Hardman in Saturday night's Happy 50th Johnny Shahoud Stakes at Wentworth Park and has drawn ideally in box one.
"When he finished second, from a wide draw at his last Wentworth Park 720m start, Temper Tears wanted to find the rails so I'm rapt he has drawn box one on Saturday,'' Hardman said.
"I have only had the dog for three weeks and at his only trial for me he clocked a moderate 30.50 over 520m at Wentworth Park the night I picked him up.
"But he is obviously better suited over Saturday's longer trip.''
