Fan favourite Sunburnt Highway faces perhaps his toughest task in his bid to notch his 30th Wentworth Park win when he takes on crack Queenslander Boscono in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Easy Form Masters over 520m.
Sunburnt Highway, virtually invincible since turning four last August and becoming eligible for veteran races, goes into Saturday's race boasting 29 wins and 23 placings from 87 Wentworth Park appearances.
His past three wins have been in 29.82, 29.90 and 29.87 and he has won two of his nine starts from box three, his draw on Saturday.
But while Boscono took 30.06 to win on a relatively slow track at Wentworth Park last Saturday, the Robert Ayres-trained bitch had not previously raced, or even trialled, at headquarters.
"I had promised myself that if Lucky Lance qualified for this Sunday's Chief Havoc final I would bring Boscono back to Wenty because I stop over at Newcastle on the way down.
"If Boscono jumps as well as she did at her first Wenty start last week she will be very hard to beat on Saturday.''
Boscono relishes a wide draw and last Saturday recorded her fourth win in nine appearances from box seven, while she has won two from four out of box eight, her draw this week.
Last Saturday night's most remarkable performance was the second placing posted by Royal Emgrand, who was beaten three lengths in a fast 29.88 by Bones McCoy.
This week Royal Emgrand has box two in the 520m Get Your Greyhound On Stakes, a 520m third and fourth grade.
The Luke Azzopardi-trained dog exited box seven last Saturday and after a slow start, was caught outside odds-on favourite Wow at the first turn.
When Wow ran off the track and collided with Royal Emgrand, Azzopardi's dog almost fell and was giving pacemaker Bones McCoy a dozen lengths start on the back straight.
Royal Emgrand had box seven last week and Luke Azzopardi is relieved to see his dog in box two on Saturday.
''He is far better suited boxed near the rails,'' Azzopardi said.
"Royal Emgrand's run last week was fantastic but when you come out slowly it makes it hard, you can't afford to give good dogs like Bones McCoy a big start.
"Just the same, from box two this week I'll be filthy if Royal Emgrand doesn't win.
"He certainly took no harm from last week's race because he hasn't stopped tearing around at home, it's nearly impossible to stop him running.''
Ultimate Coat's third placing on debut at Wentworth Park last Saturday was also an outstanding effort and trainer Michael Hardman believes he can make amends in this week's GOTY Awards Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
"I was super impressed with his third from box six last week because he missed the kick before showing good track sense to get into the position he did on the back straight,'' Hardman said.
"Ultimate Coat was being prepared for the group 3 Magic Maiden earlier this year and had half a dozen trials around Wenty but I wasn't totally happy with him so turned him out.
"He is now showing the talent I knew he had and before last week I slipped him from the catching pen at Wenty and he clocked 15.12, which is top grade time.''
