FORBES trainer Jack Smith won the 2019 Vic Peters Classic with Feral Franky and next Saturday night he will have the two favoured finalists for the bitches' Group one equivalent, the Peter Mosman Opal, with Miss Mcgraw (pictured above, left) and Bella Una (right).
Miss Mcgraw's all-the-way heat win in 29.63 on Saturday night was the quickest of the three Mosman Opal heats while Bella Una's 29.73 all-the-way romp was clearly second fastest time.
Bella Una, a daughter of Smith's Vic Peters winner Feral Franky, has drawn box one in Saturday night's $75,000 to the winner final while Miss Mcgraw will exit box two.
"Bella Una is ideally boxed because she is a good railer with plenty of early pace and as Miss Mcgraw uses a bit of the track, she should give her kennelmate plenty of room in the run to the first turn,'' Smith said.
"I would have preferred to see Miss Mcgraw drawn wide but at least she is boxed outside Bella Una so they should not worry each other.''
In the heats Miss Mcgraw, a model of consistency, followed her 12 lengths Dubbo 516 win on June 25 in a scorching 29.40 by posting smart splits of 5.41 and 13.79 before running home in 11.72, stopping the clock after 520m at 29.63.
Bella Una jumped in front from box five and reeled off early sections of 5.49 and 13.85, running home in 11.78 on her way to her 29.73 win.
The third heat was taken out by the Joe McFadyen-trained Nangar Luna, who came from third early and second on the back straight to win in 30.07.
John Finn trained the 2022 Vic Peters Classic winner Gatlin and the Cranebrook trainer will be long odds-on to complete the double after his dog Zipping Remus clocked fastest time in Saturday night's heats.
Zipping Remus came off box eight and led all the way in a flying 29.50, recording splits of 5.43 and 13.74 before running home in 11.71.
The dog then ensured he would start a red hot favourite in next Saturday night's $75,000 to the winner final when he drew box one.
Tarawi Tiger came from fourth on the home bend to win his heat in 29.90 while Calypso Rogue led throughout in 29.94, so Zipping Remus has "plenty" on his rivals in Saturday's final.
His toughest rival looms as the former Victorian Al's Entity, who was beaten just under a length by Tarawi Tiger in his heat but looked set to win until he ran off the track and collided at the top of the straight.
Al's Entity, who trialled solo at Wentworth Park in a sizzling 29.50 on June 24, had box one in his Classic heat but trainer Michelle Sultana was hoping for box eight in the final.
When Al's Entity drew box seven Sultana was all smiles, remkaring: "He is well boxed, we wanted him drawn wide.''
Calypso Rogue will be among the outsiders for the Vic Peters Classic but nobody was more excited at his dog's heat win as a $23 longshot than his trainer Harry Norman.
"I've been training for 44 years and Calypso Rogue will be my first starter in a group one final,'' a beaming Norman said on Saturday night.
"Although Calypso Rogue had not raced at WP before the Classic heats, I brought him to Wenty three weeks straight for trials.
"At his first look he clocked 24.50 in a post-to-post slip, then improved plenty of clock 24.20 before I gave him a box-to-box hit-out and he went well again.
"He had box seven in his heat win and I was hoping for box eight in the final, and that's what he drew, so he is in with a chance.''
Calypso Rogue after winning his Ladbrokes Vic Peters Heat
