Sunburnt Highway's trainer Judith Richardson concedes he is "a little bit below being an absolute top notcher'' but the dog has earned nearly $103,000 in prizemoney and is tipped to notch his 13th Wentworth Park win on Saturday night.
Sunburnt Highway lines up for his 58th Wentworth Park appearance in the first Golden Easter Egg Prelude and a win will lift his tally at headquarters to 13 wins and 17 placings.
Richardson's greyhound looks ideally placed in box one as he has won six of his 13 races wearing the red rug and boasts a personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.79, just .06sec slower than the 29.73 recorded by Sunrise Flame, one of his opponents on Saturday.
But Sunrise Flame is a "desperate'' railer and has drawn the "wrong side of the track'' in box eight.
Judith Richardson said: "My husband John and I have been studying video replays of what Sunburnt Highway's rivals do in the early stages of their races and our dog looks to have a really good draw,'' Richardson said.
"He needs to come out cleanly so John has been giving him plenty of box practice this week hoping to ensure he does just that.
"If Sunburnt Highway gets room to move at the first corner he should be hard to beat.
"He has been racing with renewed confidence, something he lost for a while through being knocked around after drawing wide boxes.''
Royal Emgrand will be racing to earn a "ticket'' in the Sandown Launching Pad heats on March 26 when he tackles Saturday night's ninth event, a 520m fifth grade.
Connections must buy an entry ticket to get a chance at the $150,000 Launching Pad final on April 9 and Royal Emgrand's trainer Luke Azzopardi believes the roomy Sandown track will suit his dog.
"Royal Emgrand loves Richmond and greyhounds which go well there are invariably suited at Sandown,'' Azzopardi said.
"Royal Emgrand won from box eight in 29.92 at Wentworth Park on February 19 but he won despite the wide draw, not because of it.
"He badly wants an inside alley because his first sections are not quick enough for him to win from box eight when he is up against good dogs.
"Royal Emgrand had box eight again when he finished fifth to Kid Candle at Wentworth Park last Saturday and I thought his run was enormous.
"He got carried off the track at the first turn and I reckon that at one stage he was giving the leaders 10 lengths' start before he wound up just over five lengths from the winner.
"Royal Emgrand could be capable of clocking 29.80 around Wentworth Park if he doesn't get touched but on Saturday he does have a promising rival in Drink Shoeys, trained by Michelle Sultana.
"Drink Shoeys has box seven but I have a big opinion of that dog, who has won four from five at Maitland and Bulli and who has good early pace.''
Bumpy Black, who had recorded five wins and a second from six provincial races before finishing sixth at his Wentworth Park debut on February 19, gets his chance after drawing box one in Saturday's second Golden Easter Egg Prelude, over 520m.
Bumpy Black had not been tested beyond 384m prior to last week's race but showed good early dash before fading to finish sixth, beaten just over four lengths in a smart 30.02.
He should be improved by that experience and is perfectly drawn on Saturday, with his early brilliance likely to enable him to "steal'' a winning break on the back straight.
Best Bet Sunburnt Highway (race 5)
Best Value Royal Emgrand (race 9)
Quaddie race 5 - 1, 2
Race 6 - 7, 3, 2
Race 7 - 1, 8, 4
Race 8 - 1, 2, 3
$20 for 37.03%
