Peter Lagogiane won Million Dollar Chase finals with Mystic Riot and Handsome Prince and while he rates French Martini, his finalist at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, as far more talented, he concedes she will need luck in running to win.
"Mystic Riot and Handsome Prince had box seven when they won their finals but French Martini would have been better off drawn near the rails,'' Lagogiane said.
"French Martini has drawn seven and she does not have the brilliant speed out of the boxes Mystic Riot and Handsome Prince had, she takes 10 metres to hit her straps.
"But Gatlin and Hold Me Up, in boxes five and six, go to the fence so they could help French Martini get a clear run.
"He's On Fire, in box two, is the X-factor because if he comes out like he did in his semi-final he will be the pacemaker and could prevent Gatlin reaching the lead.''
Victorian trainer Brendan Pursell wanted box one or eight with McInerney and is upbeat about his dog's prospects from the rails trap.
McInerney clocked 29.86 when third, beaten a length, at his Wentworth Park debut in Good Odds Cash's National Sprint Championship before coming from last and recording 29.81 when second to Zipping Alabama at con September 10.
He produced his personal best Wenty figures of 29.68 when he came from fourth early to win his MDC semi-final by three lengths and Pursell said: "He has definitely taken a liking to Wentworth Park.''
McInerney uses a bit of the track but Pursell agrees the dog, who has won three from eight races wearing the red rug, looks suited from the inside in a race so crammed with talent.
Wentworth Park 720m record holder Super Estrella will be long odds-on to take out Saturday's $100,000 to the winner Sydney Cup after drawing ideally in box one.
But trainer Jason Magri believes Zipping Kansas is capable of causing an upset "providing he begins cleanly.''
Super Estrella won her Cup heat after leading all the way in 41.42 with Zipping Kansas leading throughout in 41.48.
"I think my dog is well drawn in box seven and if he comes out like he did in his heat he should put pressure on Super Estrella,'' Magri said.
"But Kansas sometimes decided to come out last and if he does that he is no hope.''
Well Grounded only finished third in Cumbria Dreaming's heat of the Masters Meteor but trainer Jeff Britton expects him to improve in Saturday night's $100,000 to the winner final.
"Well Grounded is not as quick as fastest heat winner Gypsy Yankee but he has drawn better,'' Britton said.
"My dog has gone from box six in his heat to box three in the final and when he contested his heat he had never seen Wenty before.
"That's why he missed the corner and while I would have liked to have given him another look at Wenty that wasn't possible.''
Veteran of the field is Zest To Excel, who came from sixth on the back straight to finish second, from box seven, in Providence Bale's heat.
She has box one in the final and trainer Allen Williams said: "She turns six in March but is going terrific and is ideally drawn.
"Zest To Excel was beaten less than a length when second in the 2020 group 2 Richmond Oaks final and is going just as good now, so if she can hold the rails at the first turn she will be hard to toss.''
