TWO years ago hobby trainer Steve Fitch's bitch Cumbria Ninno was a $16 chance when an luckless second behind Lilly Banner in the group 1 Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal final and on Saturday he believes he has a great show with Cumbria Days, another outsider, in the corresponding group 1 for dogs, the Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic.
Fitch also had Cumbria Belle in the 2020 Peter Mosman Opal and on Saturday night he again has a second finalist, this time in the Vic Peters with Cumbria Kid.
Cumbria Kid has box six and Cumbria Days has drawn seven and Fitch believes of his two litter brothers, the greyhound wearing the black rug is his better chance.
"Cumbria Kid can get away better than he did in his Vic Peters heat and while he will go straight from the boxes, he will head for the rails at the first turn,'' Fitch said.
"I consider Cumbria Days has a near ideal draw because while he will also go straight he will run a nice line to the first turn but when he gets to that point at Wentworth Park he likes a bit of room so the box suits him.''
Melinda Finn, whose husband John trains Gatlin, believes their dog's rails draw puts him into the Vic Peters with a good chance.
Gatlin, a new addition to the Finn kennels, had box four when he chased home Victoria's Flight Risk in his heat and should relish the move to the rails.
"We gave Gatlin a box-to-box trial at Wentworth Park on Tuesday night and he went really well,'' Melinda Finn said.
"And before that, in a slip at Dapto, his sectional times were unbelievable.
"It's just that Gatlin has not yet reproduced the Dapto figures at Wentworth Park but hopefully he will do so on Saturday night.''
Victorian trainer Daniel Pell won heats of the Vic Peters with litter brothers Flight Risk (pictured) and Red Reactor, which he bred along with his mother Beverley.
"Flight Risk has drawn box three and Red Reactor five but I would have been much happier if their boxes had been reversed,'' Pell said.
"Flight Risk wants to get wide while Red Reactor is keen for the rails.
"In his heat Flight Risk pushed hard to get wide from box one but came away to win while Red Reactor finished fast from his suitable box two draw.
"If I trialled them together Red Reactor would beat Flight Risk so I'm hoping Red Reactor can work his way across to the rails without finding trouble.''
In Saturday night's Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal, the trainer of Lightnin' Ethics rates French Martini the bitch to beat while French Martini's trainer is equally frightened of Lightnin' Ethics.
Her trainer Peter Rodgers said: "I'm satisfied with box one for Lightnin' Ethics although she will take one step to the right when she comes out of the boxes.
"She is likely to jump with them and then drift up the track, but she has a great chance, although French Martini is all class.''
French Martini's trainer Peter Lagogiane said: "French Martini has won each of her two races from box seven, her draw on Saturday night, but I would have much preferred an inside alley.
"Lightnin' Ethics looks drawn to get a good run and will be hard to toss but no matter what happens I'm very proud of French Martini.
"She will be having only her 12th start yet she has already qualified for a group one, a group two and a group three final, an outstanding effort in such a short career.''
