Sammy Ethan's purple patch of form will be put to the test at Wentworth Park on Thursday night when he contests a 520m race that is close to Group One quality.
The Mark Gatt-trained dog, chasing his fourth straight Wentworth Park win, has box two and is up against Gets Late Early (box three), Boston Banner (six), Sooty Keeping (seven), and the up-and-coming Zipping Chaplin, drawn in eight, in race eight, a top grade event.
"Gets Late Early, who has drawn three, wants to get up the track in the run to the first turn so Sammy Ethan should get his chance.
"When he was about to race I thought he was going to be top class but in his first six Wentworth Park wins his times only ranged from 29.84 to 30.07.
"He even convinced his owner, Johnny Fitzgerald, he was going to be no better than a good fifth grader but lately Sammy Ethan has stepped up and got down to 29.50 and 29.52.
"I believe he does go well from an outside or middle draw because he likes to come across his opponents in the run to the first bend but Thursday's box still looks close to ideal.''
Best boxed runner on Thursday night looks to be Aussie Ethics, who has box one in the Farrell's 4 x 2 Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Aussie Ethics, a good railer with abundant early pace, should get a clear run early courtesy of Unbothered and Kerry Keeping, who are likely to move wide and have drawn boxes two and three respectively.
Trainer David Smith said: "Aussie Ethics has been runner-up at his past three Wentworth Park starts and he went well when I gave him a box-to-box trial there on Monday night.
"Although he is perfectly drawn, my only concern is that in his three runs at Wentworth Park he has not been able to clock fast time, he hasn't broken 30 seconds.
"But when he recorded his personal best figures of 30.14 in finishing second, from box five, at his most recent start, he did not begin as fast as he can.
"He does muster pace quickly though so if he nails the start he could lead for a long way.''
"Glitzy Ethics doesn't have Aussie Ethics' early speed but while she is really a 600m bitch, she is faster than him overall,'' Smith said.
Somebody Like Me, who has box four with a vacant draw on his right, looks the one for Glitzy Ethics to beat.
Somebody Like Me was sent out a heavily backed $1.30 favourite when a desperately unlucky second behind his kennelmate Lady Divine at Wentworth Park last Thursday.
Lady Divine severely checked Somebody Like Me as she carved across to the rails in the run to the first turn.
Somebody Like Me is one of only two runners in Thursday's race to have got under 30sec at Wentworth Park, with his best time of 29.74 well inside Glitzy Ethics' fastest figures of 29.87.
Trainer Charlie Gatt does not believe Dynamic Noah can go much quicker than his personal best Wentworth Park time of 29.89 but is hoping the dog's good box manners will see him lead all the way on Thursday night.
Dynamic Noah has box three in the Equalizer @ Stud Stakes, a 520m fourth and fifth grade, but Gatt will be hoping Brooklyn Brute does not sit just behind his dog in the middle stages.
Gatt conceded: "Brooklyn Brute ran 29.48 when he won at Wentworth Park last Thursday and Dynamic Noah can't run anywhere near that quick.''
Although Dynamic Noah has won three races at Wentworth Park, Gatt rates his kennelmate, Angelo, who has box seven in the 520m fifth grade Ladbrokes Sports Bar Stake, as a faster animal.
"Angelo's best time in two Wentworth Park races is only 30.15 but on the lure I believe he can go a bit quicker than that,'' Gatt said.
"On Thursday he has box seven but he will run straight from the boxes to the first bend and won't cross towards the rails until he reaches the corner.''
Jason Magri has two strong chances in Thursday's NSW GBOTA Welcome Maiden, 520m, but leans towards Zipping Koster (box seven) as a better prospect than her litter sister Zipping Upton (box eight).
"Zipping Koster wants to run in the middle of the track so she is boxed nicely,'' Magri said.
"Since her first-up second at Wentworth Park on November 14 Zipping Koster has had a couple of trials and has gone good.''
Zipping Koster and Zipping Upton are owned by Fiona and Marty Hallinan, who raced their dam Zipping Niseko, winner of the 720m Wentworth Park Gold Cup in 2021.
