She has not seen the track and is untried beyond 520m but dual Group race winner Nangar Lucy will carry most punters' hopes in Wednesday night's first heat of the 622m GRNSW Middle Distance Series at Richmond.
Nangar Lucy, who broke the race record winning this year's Group 1 Peter Mosman Opal at Wentworth Park and staged a remarkable performance to land the Group 2 Black Top at Ladbrokes Gardens, has box three on Wednesday night.
In the Black Top final Nangar Lucy gave Dapto Megastar winner Umberto four lengths' start at the half-way mark and despite being checked off heels in the straight, ran down the crack Victorian sprinter to score narrowly.
That powerhouse effort indicated Nangar Lucy could become a middle-distance sensation but trainer Dennis Barnes does not think his bitch is "over the line" on Wednesday.
Barnes said: "I have been wanting to step her up in distance and nominated her for a 605m race at Dubbo last Saturday night but they couldn't get a field.
"Nangar Lucy has always shown plenty of strength at the end of 515m and 520m and I hope she can run the 622m on Wednesday.
"But there is never a guarantee they can handle the extra distance when you step them up and on top of that she has never seen the Richmond track.''
Nangar Lucy and Dennis Barnes
Another newcomer to Richmond who has proved herself over a middle distance is Tiggerlong Ruby, who has box one in heat three of the GRNSW Middle Distance Series.
Tiggerlong Ruby left box seven four lengths behind the field before storming home to win over 520m at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
Kevin Keys, whose wife Margaret trains the greyhound, said: "Tiggerlong Ruby was runner-up twice over 600m at The Meadows before she entered our kennels and when her owner Michael Finn was training her she finished strongly for an impressive win over 590m at Temora.
"We're not concerned about her running the 622m but she has not trialed or raced at Richmond and her box manners are always a worry.
"But the rails draw is perfect, she won't need to look for the fence because she is already there.
"It all hinges on where she is in the early stages because she never begins well.''
Lithgow Road's fast finishing second behind Spring Meteor over 520m at Wentworth Park on December 2 points to her being hard to beat in heat two of the GRNSW Middle Distance Series.
Lithgow Road raced wide at Wentworth Park so looks well positioned in box six on Wednesday, and is proven over 622m, winning at Richmond in September when she defeated subsequent Wenty winner Glaski Poke.
The best bet on Wednesday should be Good Odds Cobber, who won first-up at Richmond last week in the best time of the night 29.65, and is being prepared for next month's Group 1 Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park.
Good Odds Cobber has box four in the Ladbrokes Odds Surge Stakes, a 520m fifth grade, but has the luxury of an empty box in five and wide runners Cheeky Cheeky and Emgrand Express in boxes six and seven.
Has Ability is down in class in the Steeline Riverstone Stakes, a first to fourth-grade 520m race, and trainer Stuart Hazlett rates him a good chance.
