Albert’s Memory will be at double figure odds but if he happens to take out Wednesday night's Grafton Cup it will be the most popular win at the track's 2024 winter carnival.
Trained by 76-year-old Reg Gardoll, Albert's Memory stormed home to win his heat in 25.29, while the fastest qualifier is Heidi's McGraw, who covered the 450m in 25.23.
The aptly-named Albert's Memory is raced by a syndicate of friends of the late Daryl "Albert" Gleeson, who started attending Grafton greyhounds at the age of 10 and did not miss a carnival until 2021 when he passed away, aged 53, after a battle with blood cancer.
His brother Peter Gleeson, who hosts the daily drive segment on high rating Brisbane news and talk radio station 4BC, said: "If Albert's Memory wins they will tear the joint down.
"He has become a real people's dog at Grafton, and every time he races there a cheer squad of around 30 are there urging him on.
"When Daryl died, half a dozen of his mates, headed by syndicate manager Tony Everingham, decided to buy a puppy and name it after their close friend.
"Daryl, who was always known as Albert, managed to get to Grafton to watch the first trials on the new track, and passed away soon after.''
Albert's Memory is a Grafton specialist and 13 of his 16 wins, which have earned his connections $80,000, have been at his namesake's favourite track.
Trainer Reg Gardoll concedes he would have preferred Albert's Memory drawn wide on Wednesday.
"He won his heat from the extreme outside and he is a real box eight bandit,'' Gardoll said.
"But he won't do anything stupid from the inside and I'm hoping the finalists in boxes one and three, Marlee Star and Fifty Short, who have good early pace, get out of his way quickly and give him a crack at them in the run home.
"Albert's Memory is as strong as a bull at the end of 450m so his chances depend on how close he can be to the pacemakers in the middle stages.''
Another outsider with a great chance in Wednesday's Cup final is Fifty Short, trained at Geelong, Victoria, by 78-year-old Kevin "Jimmy" Turner.
Fifty Short was run down in his heat and beaten a lemgth in 25.24 by final favourite Field Day but can improve next Wednesday.
"It has taken Fifty Short a while to get used to the starting boxes at Grafton so he is capable of beginning faster in the final,'' Turner said.
"I bought Fifty Short as a puppy for $4000 and reared him myself.
"He is a nice dog but not as good as the best one I've had in my 55 years in the sport.
"That would definitely be Bounding Billy, who won 32 of 75 races between 2007 and 2009 and made an Australian Cup final.
"I've been coming to this Grafton carnival for the past 26 years and have got to say the new track there is superb.''
