Jodie Lord won the 2020 Young Star final with Rapallo (pictured) and Midnight Spritz should establish herself as the trainer's top 2023 candidate by winning at Wentworth Park on Wednesday night.
Heats of the Young Star, for greyhounds whelped on or after April 1, 2021, will be held on October 7, with the $25,000 to the winner final at Wentworth Park on October 13.
Midnight Spritz, who has had a smart 29.82 win and a second in her two Wenty appearances, has box two in Wednesday's Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Midnight Spritz had box five when she trailed pacemaker Potent Cartier in the early stages before railing through to the lead on the back and then drawing away to win by four lengths at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night.
This week's opposition does not appear to be any stronger and from her better draw Midnight Spritz appeals as the best bet of the night.
Charlm Outlaw has had a win and a second from two starts out of box seven so should be suited by that draw in the Wednesday night's Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Charlm Outlaw had box four when he led throughout in a fast 29.73 at Wentworth Park last Wednesday night and trainer Richard Muscat believes a contributing factor to that was that his dog had "room to move" early.
"I don't really care where he draws because he usually runs straight,'' Muscat said.
"But Charlm Outlaw does like to be left alone in the first 10 metres and although he had box four last week, he had two empty boxes on his outside.
"Having that extra room to move helped him big time.''
To The Beat was beaten nearly eight lengths by Charlm Outlaw when he finished fourth to Muscat's greyhound at Wentworth Park last week but trainer Justin King thinks his dog was unlucky not to finish "a lot closer.''
King, who has To The Beat in box one in Wednesday night's #getyourgreyhoundon Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, said: "My dog had box eight and was 'decked' by a wide runner going through the catching pen.
"The winner ran 29.73 so I'm not saying To The Beat was going to win, but he should have got a lot closer and possibly finished second.
"When he was last in work I preferred seeing To The Beat drawn wide but he is a far better dog this preparation and seems more tractable.''
Superstar Ethics was backed from $4 to $1.80 when runner-up on debut in a maiden race at Wentworth Park on September 6 on the strength of a succession of sizzling trials.
But after bungling the start from box five, Superstar Ethics got onto the heels of the leader, Queen Baroque, on the back straight, and finished second, beaten three lengths in 29.93.
Trainer Peter Rodgers said: "Superstar Ethics has always been a fast dog but he had never been out of the starting boxes until his race a fortnight ago.
"He should be improved and he pulled up well as the only reason he wasn't back in at Wentworth Park last Wednesday was that there wasn't a maiden race programmed.''
King Of Tulsa "made" the race for the $1.15 favourite One Hot Bandit at Wentworth Park last Wednesday when he drew box seven and "crashed" hard left as the boxes opened.
That gave One Hot Bandit, positioned outside King Of Tulsa in box eight, a perfect passage down the outside of the track and allowed the hotpot to sit behind tearaway leader Shanghai Suzie at the first turn before dashing clear approaching the home bend.
Despite veering left at box rise last week, King Of Tulsa still managed to finish third and cover the 520m in a slick 29.82 and should only need to nail the start to give Wednesday's race a shake.
When he had box one at Wentworth Park on August 2 King Of Tulsa clocked 29.98 in finishing second behind Tulsa King, while he covered the 472m at Bulli on May 23 in a sizzling 26.32 while wearing the red rug.
