Tommy Shelby is all the rage for the second semi-final of the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg but trainer Steve Withers insists his champion cannot afford to dwell at the start of the 520m Wentworth Park race.
Tommy Shelby will exit box one for only the fifth time in 43 starts but has won his past three races from boxes five, four and seven.
"The draw is good but there is a tonne of early speed in this race,'' Withers said.
"Run Baba Run, who has box five, goes fast early and likes to rail, while the two NSW greyhounds Zulu Warlord and On The The Rocks, in boxes six and eight, have blistering early pace.
"Tommy Shelby cannot afford to put a foot wrong because if you miss the kick from any box at this level you are in trouble.
"I'm terribly disappointed at the prospect of missing the Perth Cup at Cannington, because that is my home town and while it is not worth as much money as the Easter Egg, I desperately wanted Tommy to be part of that series.
"That's why if Tommy Shelby happens to miss qualifying for the Easter Egg final on Saturday week, it won't be the end of the world for us because he can then tackle the Perth Cup heats on April 10.''
Fernando Bluey, trained by teenager Kayla Cottrell, and the John Finn-prepared Zipping Kygios, have boxes five and four respectively in the first semi-final and dominate discussions.
Cottrell's father Dave Knocker, also a successful trainer, is happy with box five for his daughter's dog.
"Many years ago I was at Wentworth Park and the late great trainer Robert Smith took me down to stand on the first turn and look up the home straight towards the starting boxes,'' Knocker said.
"He showed me why boxes four, five and six can be an advantage, because they were in a direct line to the bend.
"Fernando Bluey pulled up 100 per cent after his heat win and Kayla and I think he is well drawn.''
Wow has a tricky box two draw in the third semi but after his 29.38 heat win, when he began midfield from box six, he looks the winner.
Lakeview Walter had trialled at Wentworth Park before making the pace when run down by Zipping Kyrgios in his heat, and after clocking 29.58 in defeat, looms as the danger to Karina Britton's champion.
Flying Ricciardo selects himself in the fourth semi, as he chases his ninth win in 10 Wentworth Park starts and goes into box eight as the fastest 29.22 heat winner.
Winlock On Top loves a wide alley and from box seven looks the perfect quinella choice.
Saturday's card also features three heats of Group 1 Association Cup, with Victoria's Fernando Cazz and Northern Rivers dog Burnt Ends tipped to battle out the second run-off.
Knocker said: "We trialled the greyhound over 650m at Shepparton and she was three lengths off the track record.
"In a box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park her splits were 5.54, just under 14s and then 18.02.
"One can't be sure a greyhound will get 720m first up but Fernando Cazz can run a middle distance on her ear so is going to be in it for a long way.''
NSW's top stayer Stanley Road has again drawn poorly in box six in heat one but is impossible to go past, although rival Let's See's third, two lengths behind him at Wentworth Park last week, was an outstanding effort.
In heat three Queenslander Maggie Moo Moo could spring a surprise from box seven.
