Wiradjuri Jack was by far the slowest heat winner but trainer Neil Staines believes box one gives him a real chance of taking out Friday's $40,000 to the winner Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup final.
In last Friday's heats Wiradjuri Jack flashed home along the rails to edge out Father Rick in a photo finish, covering the 440m in 25.01.
Jason Fletcher's Goulburn Southern Stars winner Aston Barak set the time standard with a blistering all-the-way heat win in 24.49, while former track record holder Mellcat Big Boy caught prolific big race finalist Yuko Girl on the line in 24.65.
Agland Luai took the lead at the first turn to easily win his heat in 24.68 from the fast-finishing Victorian Ferdinand Boy.
But while his time was slow Wiradjuri Jack would have been unlucky to lose as he was skittled at the first turn and came from fourth at the top of the straight to snatch victory.
"I was really pleased when he jumped away well in his heat and got into a good position but I don't know if he caught the leader too quickly and got onto its heels but he nearly tripped,'' Staines said.
"If a dog like Aston Barak goes straight to the lead again in the final we can't beat him, but Wiradjuri Jack can run much faster time than he did last Friday.
"He has won in 24.80 and clocked 24.59 when he finished second to Father Rick over 440m at Goulburn the week before the Cup heats.
"Because I grew up and came from Condobolin">Condo">Condobolin, I used to give a lot of my dogs the "Odnoc" prefix, "Condo" backwards, but when I applied for Odnoc Jack with his dog I was knocked back,'' Staines said.
"I was told I could no longer use Odnoc because it wasn't in the dictionary, so because I wanted to name the dog after my grandson Jack, I reverted to the Wiradjuri prefix.
"The indigenous Wiradjuri people came from places like Trangie and Condobolin so that's how he got his name.''
Indigenous trainer Charlie Lamb won 13 races a decade ago with Wiradjuri Girl, explaining at the time: "I came from Trangie and that was the name of my people out west.''
Ferdinand Boy has won seven of 13 appearances from the outside alley and boasts a remarkable 50 per cent winning strike rate of 46 wins from 92 starts.
He missed the jump when a fast finishing distant second in Agland Luai's heat but trainer David Geall believes there is every chance Ferdinand Boy will dwell at the start again.
"Although he turns four in January, he hasn't lost any of his speed and ability, the only thing he has lost is his ability to get away smartly,'' Geall said.
"For the past few months Ferdinand Boy has consistently jumped slowly so I doubt it will be any different next Friday in the final.
"But he is well boxed, he likes it out there, so if they do anything wrong in front of him he is in with a chance.''
Geall knows what it takes to win a Goulburn Cup as he took out the 2019 final in 24.84 with Emerald Rainbow.
