Good Odds Cobber's trainer Frank Hurst by-passed Saturday night's Group 3 Christmas Gift at Wentworth Park to race at Richmond and should be rewarded with a win in Wednesday night's Bistro Open For Dinner Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Good Odds Cobber, who is being prepared for the heats of the group one Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park on January 13, makes his Richmond debut from box six.
"He has not raced at Richmond but while he has not been trialled over the 520m he knows his way around the track, he has had slips there, so the track won't be a problem,'' Hurst said.
"I think Good Odds Cobber is the best dog in this field so with any luck he should win, although Luke Azzopardi's bitch Freydis, who is drawn outside him in box seven, goes well at Richmond.
"I nominated Good Odds Cobber for this race in preference to the group race at Wentworth Park on Saturday simply to maximise his fifth-grade opportunities.''
Good Odds Cobber is among the most exciting prospects in training and goes into Wednesday night's race with eight wins from 11 starts, his two most recent successes being over 472m at Bulli in a fast 26.23 and in a flying 29.68 over 520m at Wentworth Park.
Wide runners have always been able to win from inside boxes when they jump smartly and the Minnie Finn-trained Gets Late Early looks set to again overcome her aversion to hugging the fence by scoring in the red rug at Richmond on Wednesday night.
In Richmond 520m races Gets Late Early has had two wins and three seconds from boxes one and two and will be a hot favourite in Wednesday's Flying Ricciardo At Stud Stakes fifth grade.
Gets Late Early has jumped in front in each of her past five Richmond appearances and it would be fitting for her to continue on her winning way on Wednesday as she is a daughter of Flying Ricciardo.
Trainer Minnie Finn said: "I can't believe how Gets Late Early keeps drawing inside boxes.
"When she jumps she heads for the outside fence so you would think she is desperate for a wide box.
"But she keeps winning or running second so I can't complain.''
Secret Emgrand has box one in Wednesday's Steeline Riverstone Stakes, another 520m fifth grade, and he is "desperate" for the rails according to trainer Andrew Bell.
"He should only have to get away cleanly and do what he has been doing at his past few starts to win,'' Bell said.
"His past few runs have pleased me, but none more than his second placing behind Craig Chappelow's good bitch Overflow Jill at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
"Secret Emgrand found a bit of early trouble from his box six draw but rattled home to get within a length of Overflow Jill.
"My dog clocked 30.06 getting beaten and that was an excellent time considering the race was delayed and held following that huge storm which hit Sydney.''
Connections have been disappointed in Zipping Griswold but the two-year-old gets his chance to break through for a win in Wednesday's Ladbroke It! Maiden, 520m.
Zipping Griswold, trained by crack trainer Minnie Finn's daughter-in-law Courtney Barnes, has box eight for the first time in his short career.
Zipping Griswold has been placed in three of five races and has been runner-up twice from three Richmond appearances.
But he is a wide runner and should make full use of box eight, especially as his best Richmond 520m time of 30.13 is superior to the figures posted by any of his rivals on Wednesday.
