Straight Shift has won a remarkable 16 from 19 starts over the Richmond 330m trip but trainer Jason MACKAY has declared the dog "going better than ever" as he returns to his favourite course on Wednesday afternoon.
Straight Shift, who has box two in the 330m Ladbrokes Free-For-All, has put together the amazing overall strike rate of 34 wins from 54 appearances but he is particularly partial to Wednesday's journey.
"Box two looks perfect and Richmond is his pet track,'' trainer Jason MACKAY said.
"He turned three in April but is going better than ever and when he won over 400m at LADBROKES GARDENS in a quick 22.53 last Friday his first split was 10.80.
"That is absolutely flying, they just don't run it.
"Straight Shift has earned nearly $66,000 which is fantastic money for a short course greyhound.
"A dog like Straight Shift would have been hard pressed earning more than $20,000 a few years back.''
MACKAY also has Impress Shades in Wednesday's Thank You Jane Mortimer Free-For-All over 535m along with She's Shrewd (box two) and Zipping Camilla (box six) in the 535m Thank You Maria Emblem 5th grade.
"Impress Shades is ideally drawn in box eight but wow, this field would do justice to a Richmond Derby or Richmond Oaks final,'' MACKAY said.
"My dog is up against Good Odds Cash, Bandit Ned, Ziggy Star and Lilly Banner so he can't afford to put a foot wrong.
"But Impress Shades clocked 30.42 when he won first-up at Richmond on June 18 and I think he can run 30.30 now so he is up to this hot class.''
Good Odds Cash looks the one to beat as her 30.34, posted when she won on August 7, is the fastest race time of any contestant in the race and she recorded a near record 29.51 winning the NSW Sprint title over 520m at Dapto last Thursday.
Good Odds Cash has a near perfect box seven draw as she is undefeated in three starts from the outside alleys, boxes seven and eight.
Tap Out Classy tackles a middle distance for the first time in Wednesday's Thank You William Pethybridge 618m Mixed Stakes with trainer Rod Metselaar believing the dog's chances hinge on him "finding the fence.''
Metselaar said: "Box six is no help because Tap Out Classy is a keen railer but if he can find the fence he should be hard to beat.
"The middle distance test is experimental but I think he will see it out so long as he doesn't have to work too hard getting across to the rails.
"Tap Out Classy has been running a strong 535m without a lot of previous work but he does go a lot better when he can get to the fence.''
Hot Styrene has won five of 13 races and although she has not raced at Richmond, trainer Allan Ivers has revealed she was educated on the Londonderry course.
"Hot Styrene is a very good beginner and should be hard to toss because she was broken in at Richmond,'' Ivers said.
"Her sister and kennelmate Wild Tradition, who has box two in race four, is better than her form suggests and she is well boxed and obviously was also educated at Richmond.
"Impress Raja, which I have in race nine, has won two from three races over Wednesday's 400m course and she is well drawn out in box seven.''
