Daniel Pell won heats of the 2022 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic with Red Reactor and Flight Risk but they had no luck in the final so the Victorian trainer will be seeking redemption with Neo Devere and Nigel Devere (pictured) in Saturday night's 2025 edition of the Group One event at Wentworth Park.
Nigel Devere, who has box three, and Neo Devere, drawn in five, were impressive runners-up in their heats last Saturday.
Having his first look at the track, Nigel Devere led hot favourite Robert Keeping to the first turn but ran off the course, allowing the Jason Magri-trained dog to hit the front going through the catching pen.
Neo Devere was checked at the first turn before coming from fifth on the back straight to beat all but Destroying, going under by four lengths.
"Nigel Devere is the quicker of my pair and he is the dog more likely to improve,'' Pell said.
"All but one of his previous 15 starts had been on big one-turn tracks and he had not seen Wentworth Park until last Saturday night.
"That's why he seemed to get lost when he hit the first bend."
"Neo Devere had contested a National Derby heat at the track in January but while he is not quite as good as his litter brother, he is smarter in a field.
"I would have preferred them drawn the other way around, and it was the same when I brought Red Reactor and Flight Risk to Sydney for this race in 2022.
"Flight Risk won his heat from Gatlin, but he was unsuitably drawn in three in the final and finished fifth to that greyhound.
"Red Reactor won his heat from box two but drew five in the final and finished a close third to Gatlin, beaten just under a length.''
Pell has a big night ahead as he owns the Anthony Azzopardi-trained Gambella, a leading prospect in the Group One Brisbane Cup at The Q.
Nowra trainer Steve Fitch's wretched luck in box draws came to an end when Cumbria Benny, his finalist in the Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic, came up with box one.
"I was still down at the kennels when the draw was made and a young punter in the crowd stepped up and drew the box on my behalf,'' Fitch said.
"When I arrived after the draw was done I found this young bloke and was so pleased I gave him a gift of $50.''
No wonder Fitch was delighted to discover the young stranger had pulled out the rails box for Cumbria Benny, as while the dog has not previously had box one, he has a perfect record from inside alleys.
In three appearances from boxes two and three, Cumbria Benny has won over 400m at Bulli in a blistering 22.13, 520m at Nowra in a slick 29.70 and in his Vic Peters heat when he clocked 29.71.
The other heat winners, Robert Keeping (29.60) and Destroying (29.67) have drawn poorly in the final, in boxes four and eight respectively.
Steve Fitch was hoping from box three or five with fastest heat winner Eriza Sparkles in Saturday's Group One Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal final but is satisfied with the exciting front-runner's box seven draw.
Jason Magri was delighted when his speedster Canya Sapphire drew box two in the Opal as she came from an unsuitable box eight when she chased Eriza Sparkles all the way in her heat.
"That was Canya Sapphire's first test beyond 500m since she raced at Dubbo on May 10 so she is not only better positioned in the final, but should strip fitter,'' Magri said.
If there is an upset in the Opal it is likely to come from Zipping Chetty, who was last on the back straight before finishing a distant second to Coast Rig in a 29.56 heat.
Zipping Chetty was slowly away from box six, was badly hampered at the first turn, and finished brilliantly over the final 150m.
After the race trainer Courtney Barnes declared: "Wow, that was an amazing run.''
Zipping Chetty should relish being drawn close to the fence in box three in Saturday's final.
Taormina has won eight races at Wentworth Park and two at Goulburn but trainer Jodie Lord is already setting her dashing front-running bitch for the Group One Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar series in early September.
Taormina, who has box six in Saturday night's top grade Mark Hughes Foundation Stakes at Wentworth Park, has not raced at Dapto.
Zadie Bale was unlucky not to win an all age fourth and fifth grade at Wentworth Park last Saturday when she finished third, less than a length behind the winner, Talk About Class.
Zadie Bale, who was fourth on the home bend, came with a late rush but collided half-way down the straight and with a clear passage almost certainly would have won.
The Ike McCordinale-trained bitch became eligible for Masters races in March and now boasts an impressive Wentworth Park tally of six wins and 10 placings from 30 appearances.
