Both Bowers Ace is reputed to be hard to beat in the card game euchre and part-owner Denis Donoghue is hoping his greyhound named after the "top hand" will come up trumps at Richmond on Wednesday night.
Both Bowers Ace, a son of Flying Ricciardo and Donoghue's former champion stayer Poco Dorado, has box seven in the Ladbrokes Hub Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
"Apparently if you are playing euchre and you are dealt both bowers ace it is a virtually unbeatable hand so we named the dog accordingly,'' Donoghue said.
Both Bowers Ace, who does not turn two until February, is highly promising and has had three wins and seven placings from 10 starts.
The Melinda Finn-trained dog had no luck when a strong finishing third over 520m at Wentworth Park last Friday night.
After being moderately away, Both Bowers Ace moved to the centre of the track and ran home strongly from fifth in the early stages.
He had box two at Wentworth Park but looks far better positioned in box seven at Richmond.
Both Bowers Ace was unplaced over 401m at Richmond at his sole appearance from box seven but he is suited drawn wide because he has recorded two wins and a placing from three starts out of box eight.
Copious boasts the fastest Richmond 622m time in Wednesday's GRNSW Middle Distance Series and trainer Justin King is satisfied with the dog's box six draw.
Copious has clocked a flying 35.69 over the Richmond 622m trip with Glaski Poke, who has recorded 35.71, his only rival to have got under the 36sec mark.
What A Regret boasts the good record of five wins and nine placings from 16 starts, but trainer George Borg is concerned about how the dog will handle box one in Wednesday night's Happy Birthday Andrew Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
What A Regret finished fourth from box one at Wentworth Park on October 20 and wanted to get wide when a strong finishing second, from box two, there last Friday.
"Although this is What A Regret's first race over 520m at Richmond he had a post-to-post hand slip a long while back so he has gone through the corner,'' George Borg said.
"So while the 520m won't be a problem I would have preferred to see him drawn away from the rails, in the middle or on the outside.
"Eye Roll Sloy, who has box two, is usually a good beginner and she has plenty of early pace so I'm worried she might chop What A Regret off in the early stages.''
Wednesday's meeting features a $6200 to the winner GRNSW Stayers Series event over 722m and while she has not previously tackled this trip the Jason Fletcher-trained Fantastic Iris looks the one to beat.
She is a superb railer and although she has box four, box three is vacant and Fantastic Iris looks to have the pace to be prominent in the early stages.
Fantastic Iris finished powerfully to win running away over 622m at Richmond on September 29 and was far from disgraced when fourth in a tougher event over that trip at the Londonderry circuit on October 18.
