Zipping Edith overcame a slow start and a mid-race collision to post easily fastest time in Friday's Robert Smith Memorial heats but has drawn poorly in Saturday night's $20,000 to the winner final at LADBROKES GARDENS.
The John Finn-trained Zipping Edith made a stunning debut in her heat, coming from fourth leaving the catching pen and colliding on the back straight before running down home bend pacemaker Has Ability in 29.68.
Those figures were .13sec - around two lengths quicker - than Next fastest heat winner, the Sharon Grey-prepared What A Rush.
Minnie Finn, John Finn's wife, said: "Zipping Edith can go a fair bit quicker around The Gardens, she can run 29.30 there.
"But while she won from box six in her heat she has a tougher job to win the final from the same draw.
"Zipping Edith is not a good beginner and wants the fence so she will need luck from out there.''
In Saturday's Robert Smith Memorial John and Minnie Finn have also qualified with Sonia Keeping, who led until the last stride when second, beaten a half head, by Dennis Barnes' Nangar Luna in a 29.85 heat.
Sonia Keeping displayed brilliant early pace to cross from box six in her heat, but will need to step cleanly again after drawing box eight in the final.
Has Ability, the greyhound Zipping Edith overtook to win her heat, could be the improver in the Robert Smith Memorial despite drawing box four.
Has Ability, who was making his debut in last Friday's heats, is trained by 77-year-old Stuart Hazlett for long-time client Andrew Fenech.
"I have been training dogs for Andrew for well over 20 years,'' Hazlett said.
"Among the smart performers we have had are Black Target, who won a dozen races beginning with a maiden at the old MOSS VALE track in April, 1999, and Express Lee, a Lithgow 414m specialist in 2004.
"Has Ability might have some improvement in him because until last Friday's heats he had only had a box-to-box trial at The Gardens, he had not been over the full 515m trip.
"And he was froced wide and had to work a bit to get around the early leader Lochinvar Milan on the back straight.''
Next month's Temora GBOTA Ladbrokes Cup will be the richest event staged at the historic Riverina track, with the winner of the 457m March 12 final taking home $40,000.
Temora began with a grass surface in 1957 and was converted to loam in 2014.
