Glaski Poke was robbed of a shot at winning a big race when she was the only nomination for the 720m Chairman's Cup last Saturday but gets a well deserved chance at scoring her second long distance win at Wentworth Park this Saturday night.
When Glaski Poke was the sole entry for the annual Chairman's Cup the race had to be abandoned, much to the disappointment of her owner-trainer John Woods.
Instead he was forced to send her around in an unsuitable 520m event where Glaski Poke was a strong finishing third behind Poco Rico and Infrared Rays.
But Woods, a 27-year-old primary school teacher, gets a crack at a consolation prize with Glaski Poke drawing box one in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes, a 720m fourth and fifth grade.
At her most recent Wentworth Park 720m test Glaski Poke was a fading fifth in a heat of the Group One Sydney Cup on October 6, chasing home subsequent Topgun winner Ritza Piper, Zipping Kansas and top Melbourne stayers Zoha Bale and Locked On Scotch.
Saturday's race represents a massive plunge in class for Glaski Poke, who has had seven wins and 16 placings from 32 starts.
Woods said: "She is ideally drawn on Saturday night, especially with Hank The Tank, who is not usually too quick early, drawn alongside her.
"Glaski Poke pulled up perfectly after her third placing over 520m last week and should be hard to beat on Saturday.
"From the rails draw I'm hoping she can lead around the first turn and be tough to run down.''
And the name? "I enjoy the occasional game of poker and a glaski poke represents the way you cut the cards,'' Woods said.
Glaski Poke before her race last Saturday
Totally Emgrand was beaten nearly three lengths by Sammy Ethan in his heat but box one gives him a chance of turning the tables in Saturday night's NSW GBOTA Maiden Final, 520m.
In the October 10 heat, Sammy Ethan came out running from box three and led throughout in a slick 29.86, while Totally Emgrand, who had box six, chased him all the way.
Totally Emgrand was keen to cross to the rails in that race so trainer Luke Azzopardi is naturally happy with his dog's rails draw in the final.
"He went good last week and if he repeats that run Totally Emgrand will be hard to beat on Saturday,'' Azzopardi said.
"But if Mark Gatt's dog Sammy Ethan goes straight to the front like he did in his heat we probably can't beat him.''
Totally Emgrand seems set to get the run of the race as Zipping Pikachu, who has drawn box three, was very slowly away when fourth in the other heat, won by Archer Fly High in 30.41.
Punters can expect to see plenty of red at Wentworth Park on Saturday night as three other greyhounds, Lady Divine in race three, Nangar Jim (race six) and Palawa King in race eight, have outstanding prospects after drawing box one.
Lady Divine had box one when she won on debut at Wentworth Park in July, 2022, while Palawa King's five races wearing the red rug have resulted in two wins and three placings.
Nangar Jim took his tally from box eight to four wins from five appearances when he led all the way at his Wentworth Park debut last Saturday, clocking a flying 29.76, but Joe McFadyen's brilliant front-runner posted a fast 22.23 when he wore the red rug to victory over 400m at Maitland on July 31.
