Chance Model may have been unlucky to lose last week's $8000 to the winner Dogs Only Final at Wentworth Park yet trainer Steve Fairbairn believes his greyhound will strip fitter at headquarters this Saturday night.
Chance Model had box four in last Saturday's final but was hampered when taking the lead from early pacemaker Key Van at the first bend.
After retaining the advantage to the home bend, Chance Model was caught on the line and beaten a neck by Screaming Jet in a nippy 30.04.
Chance Model will exit box one in this Saturday's Ladbrokes Blended Bets Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and trainer Steve Fairbairn declared: "I am over the moon seeing him in box one.
"I thought his run last week was terrific, especially as it was his first race in 10 days and I've no doubt the short turn around to this Saturday's race will do Chance Model the world of good.''
Key Van, the greyhound who beat Chance Model and Screaming Jet for early pace last week, gets his chance to score his first Wentworth Park win in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Sport Bet Bar Open Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Key Van made the pace at his Wentworth Park debut when second, beaten four lengths, by Screaming Jet in 29.91 on May 17 and was again the early front-runner when beaten a length into third place by that dog and Chance Model in 30.04 last week.
Key Van's trainer Lindsay Davis said: "My dog had his first look at Wentworth Park in a 520m trial before his first race there and he clocked 30.20.
"In his two races there he has recorded 30.22 and 30.12 but his early splits have been smart every time.
"Key Van seems to have really taken a shine to Wentworth Park and I love the way he continually gets out of the boxes all right.''
Wagga trainer Peter Sims admits to being "mystified'' by former WA dog Rampani's inability to win at Wentworth Park but is hoping the dog can run up to his trial form and take out Saturday night's MDC Winner McInerney At Stud Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Rampani has been placed in two of his three Wentworth Park appearances but Sims said: "I can't understand why he isn't winning races at Wenty.
"Rampani is a seriously fast animal and in a slip at Wagga he ran 24.60, faster time than the best ever figures of 24.66 posted by my good greyhound Second Exit, who won 22 races and over $136,000.
"In his first look at Wentworth Park Rampani went post-to-post in 23.96, and that's airborne.
"He likes to get a couple of dogs off the fence so box six on Saturday night might by okay for him.''
My Hepburn clocked 30.07 in a trial at her first visit to Wentworth Park and the Hunter Valley-trained bitch improved to lead throughout in 29.97 at her race debut there last Saturday night.
My Hepburn, who is trained by Susan Smith, has box three in this Saturday's Happy Birthday Glen Pearce Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, and looks hard to beat again.
"My Hepburn is from the first litter whelped by my bitch My Sapphire, who broke down and was retired when she was just two-and-a-half years old after winning 14 of 34 races,'' Smith said.
"But she is very well bred, as she is a sister to Blue Bronte and Laurie's Flyer.''
