Crack sprinter Wow races at Bulli for the first time in nearly a year on Wednesday night but Ruth Matic has no concerns about the dog's long absence when he returns in the 472m Ladbrokes Split Multi Stakes.
Wow was a certainty beaten when second over 520m at Nowra on August 16 after stringing together five consecutive wins at that course and at Goulburn.
"At his last start at Nowra Wow's feet hardly touched the ground for the first 50m and he recovered really well after being fourth on the back straight,'' said Ruth Matic, whose daughter Danielle trains the white and brindle dog.
"When a dog dwells at the start like Wow did at Nowra they sometimes get a split at the first turn but last time out that didn't happen for him.
"He began his career at Bulli and had a lot of education and several trials there before he started racing.''
Wow had six of his first seven races at Bulli, winning four, while he has won four of his six starts from box six, his draw on Wednesday.
Hardaway Ranger bungled the start from box eight when second as an odds-on favourite over 297m at Dapto on August 19 and trainer Ron Marsden is relieved his dog has box one in Wednesday's 400m Punters Love Bulli Free-For-All.
"He has won from wide draws but I would prefer to see him on the rails 100 per cent of the time,'' Marsden said.
"Hardaway Ranger tends to jump much better from inside boxes so box one is ideal.''
On Wednesday Hardaway Ranger is chasing his 16th win in 30 starts and with his in-form rivals drawn wide should only need to step away cleanly to lead throughout.
Mr Ibrox handled box eight perfectly when he won over 618m at Richmond last Wednesday and looks suited from the same position in Wednesday's Southern Engine Reconditioning Stakes over 590m.
At Richmond the Ian Forno-trained greyhound was third to the catching pen before switching to the outside and sweeping around the leaders to hit the front leaving the back straight.
He came away to win by four lengths in a tidy 35.81 and meets similar class on Wednesday.
At his sole appearance over the Bulli 590m trip on April 27 Mr Ibrox had box four and was third early and second in the middle stages before finishing a close second.
Marsden also has Sandave Diamond pursuing his seventh win in a dozen appearances in Wednesday's Ladbrokes Easy Form Stakes but concedes his dog could be outpaced in the early stages of the 472m race.
"His past two wins have been over 515m at Gosford and 520m at Dapto and I am in the process of building his conditioning up to longer distances,'' Marsden said.
"Sandave Diamond's brothers and sisters have been winning over middle distances so although from box four he might find some of the dogs drawn on his inside too nippy early, he will be running on at the finish.''
Marsden was referring to Lock Master and Outlaw Ethics, who have boxes one and three respectively and who have won in fast times at Bulli at their latest outings.
But the value in the race could come from Soul To Squeeze, having his first start over 472m but who has posted recent 400m Bulli wins in a fast 22.60 and 22.40 and who was far from disgraced when second over 520m at Dapto last Saturday night.
Soul To Squeeze was beaten just under a length by the Michelle Sultana-trained Drink Long Necks in a nippy 29.98 and has always been more at home on the roomy Bulli circuit than the tighter Dapto course.
