Any prospect Chance Model had in the Nowra Puppy Classic heats on April 16 ended when she came out 10 lengths behind the field but a slick subsequent trial suggests she will atone at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night.
Chance Model has box one in race nine, a 520m fifth grade, and she goes into the race as Wentworth Park's fastest winner with a time of 29.72.
The Steve Fairbairn-trained bitch clocked those figures when she led all the way from box five on April 5 before "bombing" the start at Nowra.
Fairbairn said: "We still don't know what happened at Nowra and she has never done that before so I think maybe she sat down in the boxes at the wrong moment.
"But Chance Model is going as good as she has ever gone and I took her to Wenty on May 9 and she flew in a post-to-post hand-slip.
"I'm convinced Wentworth Park is her track because she can always get down to around 24 seconds flat in post- to- post slips there and that is flying.''
Trainer Billy Dance was as surprised as the punters when his bitch Ibrox Wildfire recorded a near record 5.29 first split in her all-the-way win in top grade at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
"Ibrox Wildfire is not long back after splitting the webbing on a foot and then bruising a muscle so she wasn't rock hard fit last Saturday,'' Dance said.
"I had trialled her at Wentworth Park four nights previous and she clocked a nippy 5.41 first split but I never dreamed she could get down to 5.29 on Saturday.
"After Ibrox Wildfire had run fast early splits it looked like Len Me Dad was going to beat her half-way down the straight.
"But Ibrox Wildfire is a real race dog and she kicked on the line to hang on and win.''
No greyhound is more deserving of winning at Wentworth Park on Wednesday than Screaming Jet, who has box four in race eight, a 520m fifth grade.
The Andy Lord-trained dog began brilliantly from box one last Wednesday and ran his rivals off their legs, looking set for an easy win until the lure stopped half-way down the straight.
The event was declared no race but Screaming Jet had been set to run fast time so he should only need to get away cleanly to lead throughout in this week's easier race.
Screaming Jet
Screaming Jet's kennelmate Purring Along was a certainty beaten when second to Velocity Stevie at Wentworth Park last Wednesday and should break through for her first win at headquarters in this week's third event, a 520m fifth grade.
Purring Along has been placed in four of six Wentworth Park appearances and although she has box four she should relish having a vacant box on her outside.
Nangar Pearl, a new addition to the JODIE and Andy Lord team, should land her fifth successive win when she exits box eight in Wednesday's fifth race, a 520m fifth grade.
Nangar Pearl showed dazzling early pace to lead throughout from box one over 400m at Dubbo on March 11 and again a week later but had handled box eight superbly in an all-the-way win over 516m at Dawson Park on November 26.
That Dubbo win last year was in the fastest time of the night and while Lidsdale Road is a worthy opponent on Wednesday, that talented Garry Coles-trained greyhound has box two and might be better suited drawn wide.
