Giveaway greyhound Caddie's Girl won impressively at Gosford on Tuesday and should only need to begin cleanly to score her first Wentworth Park win on Saturday night.
Now owned and trained at Woodstock, near Cowra, by Steve Cleary, Caddie's Girl has box three in the Ladbrokes Communities Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Cleary, who trained the 2002 group one National Derby winner Medinah, said: "A mate of mine was training Caddie's Girl and didn't think she could run 520m.
"So he gave her to me and when I asked him what the set-up was, he declared she was a gift.
"I took her on the proviso she went back to him when she finished racing and she won over 388m at Gosford for me on February 4 in a nippy 22.09.
"When she ran fifth at WP on February 13 she had not previously seen the place, I had not trialled her there because I live five hours from the track.
"At her next race there a week later Caddie's Girl finished a good third before winning at Gosford over 515m on Tuesday night.
"She has been jumping well so I think she can run 29.85 or 29.90 on Saturday night, although if they go faster she'll get beaten.''
Square Up, who has won his past three Bulli 472m races in fast times, makes his WP debut in Saturday's NSW GBOTA Welcome Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
Square Up, who was bred by his owner-trainer Mark Forner, has box four, the draw he had when he led throughout to beat dual Wenty winner Epic Story in a quick 26.15 at Bulli on February 16.
Although Square Up has not raced at WP or competed in races longer than 472m, Forner is confident the dog will see out a solid 520m.
"He has had a few trials at Wenty over the past few weeks and he will be competitive,'' Forner said.
"But while Square Up needs more racing and still has to learn what it's all about, he is on the way.''
Embrace, winner of the 2022 group one Peter Mosman Opal at WP, will have her first race for 2025 in Saturday's top grade Ladbrokes Fast Withdrawals Masters Stakes, 520m.
Embrace has box one but trainer Craig Chappelow would have preferred her drawn in the middle or outside of the track.
"She has won three races from box one but she does like to run in the middle of the track,'' Chappelow said.
"Embrace is only racing until she comes in season because I am anxious to breed a litter of pups from her.''
But with 17 wins and over $250,000 in earnings, Embrace is far and away the class runner of Saturday's lineup and should go close to winning if she begins well.
Chappelow is more upbeat about the prospects of Euphoria, who has box two in the Saturday's one to three wins Ladbrokes Sports Bar 520m fifth grade.
Euphoria has been placed in seven of 15 WP appearances but has not gone as well as she has been over the past three weeks.
She was a luckless second, from box five, behind group one runner-up Taormina at WP on February 22 and then led all the way to win by eight lengths in a flying 29.57 over 520m at Dapto five nights later.
"Euphoria's past couple of runs have been great,'' Chappelow said.
"At WP she was a neck in front of Taormina going to the first turn but that greyhound held the inside running and Euphoria got a little bump before finishing four lengths behind the winner.
"I expected her to go well at Dapto because she had trialled 29.80 there as a maiden so I was naturally particularly pleased when she came out and clocked 29.57 in her race there.''
Best graded dog racing at WP on Saturday night looks to be Happy Bandit, who will be chasing his eighth 520m win at the track when he exits box one in the Lids Fly On Ladbrokes Live Stakes, a fifth grade event.
Happy Bandit had the reputation of being a moderate beginner until winning there from box two in 29.73 on February 22 and then leading all the way in a personal best 29.54 five nights later.
False Witness' sole WP win was from box seven in 29.97 last October but the dog should be good value from box one for new trainer Sam Sultana in Saturday's Sponsor a Race @ Wenty Stakes, a 520m fifth grade.
When False Witness led all the way at WP for owner-trainer Angela Della Bosca in October, he jumped smartly and quickly crossed to the rails, indicating he will handle his inside draw on Saturday.
