Zipping Megatron was a beaten $1.55 hotpot in his heat but the Jason Magri-trained newcomer will start favourite for the October 13 final of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase Maiden at Wentworth Park.
Zipping Megatron has drawn box one in the $15,000 to the winner run-off and punters are certain to excuse the 22-month-old youngster's costly heat defeat.
Punters who snapped up the short odds were left stunned on Wednesday night when Zipping Megatron completely bungled the start and was a dozen lengths behind the pacemaker Tootsie Tears at the first turn.
Magri's youngster finished brilliantly but went under by one-and-a-half lengths to Tootsie Tears, who covered the 520m in 29.94.
After the race, Magri said: "I'm devastated because Zipping Megatron has never done that in any of the trials I have given him.
"He had trialled as fast as 29.55 at Wenty which is why he was such a short-priced favourite.''
Magri, who trained Zipping Megatron's dam Zipping Mitzy to win 13 of just 25 races, was hoping for an inside draw in the final and got his wish when his promising youngster came with the rails box.
Fastest winner of the six high-quality heats was the Subawa Ngurah-trained Silent Accord, who led throughout in 29.76.
Boom unraced youngster Fire Lighter missed a place in his heat but his litter siblings and Michael Ivers-trained kennelmates Tootsie Tears and Battle Tears won their heats in 29.94 and 30.12 respectively.
Tootsie Tears raced wide from box six but led throughout while Battle Tears disputed the early lead with hot favourite Spring General before drawing clear on the back straight to win comfortably.
Superstar Ethics, who had been a luckless placegetter in each of two previous Wentworth Park starts, overcame an early collision to win his heat by nearly eight lengths in a slick 29.99.
Finn's pair are offspring of his former champion stayer Poco Dorado but after Ain't Waiting drew box seven and Binalong Time came up with box five in the final his wife Melinda said: "They will find it tough from out there.''
While Zipping Bentley came from fourth at the first turn to score an easy heat win in 30.01 from box eight, trainer Michael Hardman was jubilant when his dog drew two in the final.
"Zipping Bentley is only a baby, he doesn't turn two until March, so I was rapt in his run,'' Hardman said.
"And even though he won his heat from the outside I wanted him as close to the rails as possible in the final.
"He has a good chance but I know how quick Zipping Megatron is and all things being equal, my dog is going to find it hard to beat him on October 13.''
