Victorian-trained greyhounds have won six of the 11 Summer Distance Plates held since 2014 and Canya Amy looks certain to become another southern state finalist after drawing box one in heat two of the 720m event at Wentworth Park on Thursday night.
Dyna Willow and Space Star won the 2014 and '15 Plate finals, while Dublin Bull (2017), Fanta Bale (2018), True Detective (2020) and Mepunga Ruby (2022) continued the run of success for Victorian trainers.
Mepunga Ruby's 41.64 remains the race record while Queensland-trained Valpolicella was the 2024 winner in 41.82.
Canya Amy, trained by Matt Lanigan, will contest what appears to be the easier of Thursday's two heats, while her kennelmate Canya Vivi has also drawn box one, in heat one.
"When Canya Amy finished third to Late Night News over 720m at WP on December 21 she had endured an horrendous car trip and I reckon she was as stressed out as we were as drivers,'' trainer Matt Lanigan said.
"She has her favourite box on Thursday and she did clock 41.67 from this box at Wenty in October when she finished third to Exploded.
"I think Canya Amy is going just as well now and while she only ran fifth at Horsham at her most recent start on December 31 that was over 485m which is too short for her, she was only in that because there were no longer races available.
"My other Plate runner Canya Vivi is not up to group two class but I entered her when I discovered they were short of nominations for the heats.
"Canya Vivi is a true stayer and is well drawn but has not seen WP and has the job ahead.''
Jodie Lord is giving her up-and-coming middle distance star siblings Law Book and King Tide their first 720m tests in the Plate heats.
Lord's husband Andy said: "We are confident they will both get 720m but they could need a couple of runs before they run quick times and get down to 41.80 or so.
He has box eight on Thursday, the draw he had when he clocked his personal best WP 720m figures of 41.72 on December 14.
Unleash In Miami, who was a finalist in the group two Bendigo Cup in October, makes his WP debut in race four, a 520m fifth grade, after scoring a win and a second for new trainer Peter Sims over 457m at Temora last month.
Sims has a high opinion of Unleash ln Miami but warns that the dog has "drawn the wrong side of the track.''
Unleash In Miami has box one and Sims said: "He will definitely want to get wide so I would have preferred him in box seven or eight.
"He ran sizzling time in a short course slip at his first look at Wentworth Park and while 520m will be as far as he wants to go at this stage, he does have explosive pace.
"And even though all his Victorian form has been on one-turn tracks I believe he will adapt and become even better around two bends.''
Best bet on Thursday should be the Jason Magri-trained Zipping Hasler, ideally positioned in box one in race 10, a 520m fifth grade.
Zipping Hasler had box five and was checked at the first turn when a fast finishing 30.04 winner from Instant Offer and Young Star at WP last Thursday and should go faster from the rails alley.
Ritza Wotton has not won at WP in over three months but has been unlucky with two seconds and two fourths in four subsequent races there and should only need a clear run from box four to win Thursday's fifth race, a 520m fifth grade.
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