NSW's top stayer Cawbourne Magic ran down crack Victorian long distance greyhound Mepunga Ruby in the CHRIStmas Cheer at Wentworth Park on December 17 and is set to repeat that victory when the pair meet in Friday night's top grade 720m event at headquarters.
Cawbourne Magic had box eight when he came from fourth on the back straight to edge out Mepunga Ruby in the $25,000 to the winner 720m Cheer after the Victorian had been second at that point before dashing clear on the home turn.
On Friday Cawbourne Magic, who has won four of his eight races from box one, will wear the red rug while Mepunga Ruby moves from box three to seven.
"Silver Luck, another of our dogs, could make the race for Cawbourne Magic because he has box eight and will carve across hard towards the rails when the boxes open,'' trainer Jodie Lord said.
Lord has three of the six starters in Friday's seventh race with her talented Tiger Jack resuming from a spell in box two.
Tiger Jack has won just once in 10 Wentworth Park 720m appearances but has covered the distance in
Cawbourne Magic looms as Friday night's best bet while his kennelmate Came And Went appeals as a great value wager from box one in the Ladbroke It! Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Came And Went won 22 races in SA before being joining Jodie Lord's kennels in November and has had no luck when fifth in harder races at Wentworth Park on December 10 and 14.
"Since his last run Came And Went has been trialling well on our straight track,'' Lord's husband Andy said.
"He is well drawn on Friday but unless he does something special Came And Went will probably go back to SA after this race.
"Because he has won so many races in weaker company over there, Came And Went is harshly graded against the better class he is competing against in NSW.''
Zambora Ted's 29.98 was fastest time in the heats of the Incapacitated At Stud Cup but the box draw for Friday night's final favours Gozo King, who qualified in 30.04 from box eight.
Gozo King has again drawn the extreme outside and boasts a personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.80, while Zambora Ted has box four, with enthusiastic railer On The Bus drawn outside him in box five.
Former Victorian Cawbourne Roses came from last in a four dog field to win her heat in 30.15 and trainer CHRIS O'Brien is delighted she has drawn box one in the final.
"Cawbourne Roses is really a middle-distance bitch because she is so slow early,'' O'Brien said.
"She needed to draw the rails to have any hope in the final because in the heat she was suited by having only three dogs ahead of her on the back straight.
"Cawbourne Roses needs to be no worse than third or fourth in the middle stages to have a chance in the final.''
Nangar Molly, another new addition to O'Brien's kennels, won over an unsuitable 400m at Bulli in a slick 22.48 on Monday and will relish the 520m of Friday night's sixth event, a fourth and fifth grade.
"I had intended stepping Nangar Molly up to a middle distance but when she went so well at Bulli I threw her into this meeting at Wenty,'' O'Brien said.
"Nangar Molly has a reputation of being better suited drawn wide but her record from inside boxes is pretty good and she looks well positioned.''
Her toughest rival looms as Falcon Fly, whose trainer Geoff Curtale prepared Nangar Molly for each of her five Wentworth Park wins.
Falcon Fly drops in class after a fading third behind Angel Glow and Zipping Alabama in the fastest time of the night at Wentworth Park on CHRIStmas Eve and is boxed nicely in five as he likes to run in the centre of the track.
