Lack of race fitness almost certainly contributed to Jousting Sticks' defeat at Wentworth Park last Saturday and trainer Michael Clayton believes his bitch will strip fitter there on Thursday night.
Jousting Sticks has box eight in the 720m Ladbrokes Odds Surge Mixed Stakes, the draw she had when she led until the home bend when second over the same course on Saturday.
Clayton said today: "Jousting Sticks was sixth in a very strong Dapto 600m race on January 30 and then finished third in a 603m event at Nowra on February 3.
"But after that, I was unable to secure another start for her until she was drawn in that 720m race at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
"She made all the running but through being unable to get enough racing she tired in the straight and was beaten just under two lengths.
"On Thursday Jousting Sticks has box eight again and if she goes to the front I expect her to get to the line more strongly.''
If Thursday night's Gosford to Wenty Final was held at Ladbrokes Gardens Miss Mila would be a red hot favourite but trainer Jeff Eaton concedes his bitch has not yet brought her Newcastle form to town.
Miss Mila was a luckless fourth in her heat at Gosford on February 11 and last Saturday railed superbly from box one to lead from the first turn before winning in a nippy 29.58 at The Gardens.
Miss Mila has also won at The Gardens in a fast 29.47 and Jeff Eaton said: "She is yet to produce that sort of form at Wentworth Park although she has run three placings there.
"But box one on Thursday is ideal, the draw is the thing with her because she is such a fantastic railer.''
And while Miss Mila is a renowned The Gardens specialist, her best Wentworth Park figures of 30.01, posted from box six, remain quicker than any of the times recorded at headquarters by her rivals on Thursday.
Jo John John is the only starter in Thursday's Ladbrokes Blackbook Masters Stakes to have won twice at Wentworth Park and trainer Wayne Dargan believes he is capable of getting close to his best Wenty figures of 30.07 on Thursday night.
Dargan, a cultural advisor at a children's hospital, trains greyhounds as a hobby and named his dog after his great friends, Richmond trainer John Grief and his mother Joanne Zammit.
"Jo John John's weight soared to 33.4kg when he finished seventh over 600m at Dapto at his last start on January 23 but I put that down to a different supply of meat,'' Dargan said.
"That has been sorted out and so long as Jo John John can find the rails on Thursday he should be hard to beat.
"In his favour is that he just loves Wenty Park.
"He was never educated or trialled there before he first raced at the track but for some reason that is by far his favourite course.
"Jo John John tends to be a bit lazy going around the first turn but he really puts in down the back straight.''
With a Wentworth Park tally of two wins and three placings from 10 appearances, Jo John John boasts the best record of the six runners engaged on Thursday night.
Reborn Hostility was impressive in scoring first-up at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and the Tess Simmons-trained bitch could easily make it four wins on the bounce in Thursday's The Lids Fly On Ladbrokes Live Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Reborn Hostility railed well when she ran down the speedy Paw Vera to win at Wentworth Park in 30.02 but while she will exit box eight this week she has decent form from wide draws.
When she led from the first bend to win over 520m at Richmond in a best time of the meeting 29.71 on Feburary 5, she ran in a straight line from box six to the first corner and stayed off the track until she cleared her rivals.
Reborn Hostility is unbeaten in two 520m tests since winning twice over 320m at Richmond on December 27 and February 5.
