Wow's 8¼ length winning romp in easily the fastest of the four semi-finals has him set to be an odds-on favourite in Saturday night's $250,000 to the winner Group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.
Because Wow had a reputation as being a wide runner, he blew in the betting in his semi-final but Karina Britton's champion made light of his supposedly "unsuitable'' box two draw to lead throughout.
He covered the 520m in 29.45s, posting splits of 5.39, 13.66 and 17.73 before running home in 11.72 to defeat Baroque Knight by 8¼ lengths.
“I couldn’t believe he jumped in front,” said his trainer Karina Britton. “He just seems to make his own luck. He just has a will to win.”
Devel Sixteen, trained at Lara, Victoria, by Jessica Sharp, was second fastest qualifier, leading throughout in her semi in 29.54, with splits of 5.45, 13.756, 17.81 and an 11.73 run home.
Before the race Sharp's husband Jason said he did not believe box five would worry Devel Sixteen, provided she was "left alone'' in the run to the first corner.
That race provided the upset of the night when Flying Ricciardo, previously a foolproof beginner, went down on his nose as he exited box eight and was never better than third, winding up in fourth spot.
Mark Moroney's Fire On Ice began brilliantly in the second semi-final and after being headed by Zulu Warlord in the middle stages, regained the lead approaching the home bend to win in 29.65.
Fire On Ice's first split was 5.37 while she ran home in 11.75.
Peter Lagogiane, who has trained two of the three Million Dollar Chase winners, won the opening semi-final with Vicki's Queen, who led all the way to beat Zipping Kyrgios by just over a length in 29.66.
Vicki's Queen's splits were 5.46, 13.97 and 18.04 but her run home was the fastest of the four semi-final winners at 11.62.
Vicki's Queen has drawn box two in the Easter Egg final and Lagogiane is happy with the draw, commenting: "I think she is capable of beating Farmor Beach, who has box one, to the first corner and Wow, while he is a great dog, has drawn three and by using a bit of the track should give my bitch room to move.
"I've always thought Vicki's Queen would make a top notch middle distance bitch and her run home Time in her Egg semi-final indicates she will get more than 520m.''
WA champion Tommy Shelby, who ran home strongly to cut Zulu Warlord out of second placing behind Fire On Ice, drew box eight in the final.
Trainer Steve Withers was not impressed, quipping: "It could be worse, he could have box nine.''
Zipping Kyrgios has box seven and Melinda Finn, whose husband John trains the greyhound, was reasonably pleased with the draw.
She said: "The worry is that if Tommy Shelby jumps fast from box eight he might chop Zipping Kyrgios off, but apart from that he is not badly drawn because Devel Sixteen in five and Fire On Ice in box six should give him a cart across.''
Australia's top stayer Stanley Road set the Time standard in the heats of the Group 1 Association Cup, coming from seventh early and fifth on the back straight to win his heat running away in 41.93.
Stanley Road, who is best suited from an inside box, has had boxes six and eight in each of his past four consecutive wins, and has drawn seven in Saturday's final.
Trainer Mark Gatt was hoping for box two but bookmaker Mark Merlino, who has been fielding at Wentworth Park for four decades, said: "Stanley Road is a winner, he really wants to win.
"Early in his career he badly wanted an inside box but nowadays he will weave in and out during a race if needed.''
Best boxed Association Cup finalist is Prim And Proper, who drew one after leading throughout in her heat in 42.15.
"She has a great draw but obviously will need to come out quickly again, like she did in her heat,'' trainer David Smith said.
Victorian trainer Keith Hellmuth was hoping for an outside box with Burn Time, who won his Cup heat in 42.11, but he came up with box two.
"He had not seen Wentworth Park before his heat win but Burn Time is a funny dog, he usually runs his best races at his first look at a track,'' Hellmuth said.
"And because he is a wide runner I would rather have seen him get box eight in the final.''
Box draw the listed Ultra Sense final is 1 Cumbria Dreaming 2 Kotoni Banner 3 Bit Flash 4 Redshift Seven 5 Papi Go Fast 6 Jax Kade 7 Rose Of Lachlan 8 Tradie's Mate with reserves Simply Smudge and Sarita.
