Edge Gambler's early speed and suitable box eight draw give her a great chance of giving local trainer Pat Lavis his first group winner in over half a century in Friday's $25,000 to the winner Group Three Charcoal Inn Casino Cup.
Edge Gambler led throughout to win her 484m heat in 27.69, figures bettered by fastest qualifier Dino Way (27.46), Magistrate (27.47) and Gypsy Joker (27.60).
But Edge Gambler clocked the quickest early sectional times and that, combined with her favourable draw, has given Lavis some confidence.
"She has a pretty good record from boxes seven and eight but the 484m of the Cup is as far as she wants to go,'' Lavis said.
"Edge Gambler not only has to be the pacemaker to win, but she needs to be three lengths clear of her rivals by the second split.
"If she isn't, she's got no hope.
"Edge Gambler is over four years old but has been lightly raced and will make a very good brood bitch.
"She comes from a terrific dam line and is a pleasure to train, she does not have a single bad trait and her temperament is such I could lead her around on a piece of cotton.
"Since I started training in 1972 I have won lots of heats and finals and dozens of doubles and trebles but have not had a dog good enough to win a group race like the Casino Cup.''
Lavis was laid up in hospital for last week's heats and paid tribute to his kennel hands for getting Edge Gambler to the track last week in such fine fettle.
Mick Lalicz, trainer of fastest Charcoal Inn Casino Cup heat winner Dino Way, concedes he would have preferred his dog to be drawn out wide, but insists he has "as good a chance at any finalist.''
Dino Way, who raced three wide all the way before winning his heat, has drawn box two.
"Although his record from inside boxes isn't too flash Dino Way is a far better dog now than he was 20 starts ago,'' Lalicz said.
"He was field shy early in his career but has now developed into a real race dog.
"Dino Way has won the Grafton Cup and was a finalist in the recent group one Ipswich Gold Cup so is a pretty classy dog.
"The Queenlander Magistrate is going to be hard to beat on Friday but I think if Dino Way is within a length of him by the half-way mark he is capable of running him down.
"But don't forget, Casino is a tricky track and anything can happen there.''
