King Of Gods' trainer Dave Irwin was doubtful whether his dog could beat Crackerjack Ralf in heat four of the National Derby on Saturday night but the Victorian visitor now won't be making the trip to Wentworth Park.
Jordan Cooper, trainer of the outstanding Crackerjack Ralf said: "I drove all the way from Melbourne to Sydney to trial him at Wentworth Park on Monday night and he went shocking.
"When he trialled so poorly I knew something was wrong and sure enough, he had gone amiss during the gallop.''
Crackerjack Ralf has won eight of 11 starts and Dave Irwin was understandably far from confident about beating him with King Of Gods.
Irwin's greyhound, who won in a smart 29.64 from box five at Wentworth Park for previous trainer Jason Mackay on November 8, has box three on Saturday and will relish now having two empty boxes on his outside.
King Of Gods won a heat of the Queensland Derby for Irwin at Ladbrokes Q2 on January 1 before finishing fifth, from box five, in the final a week later.
"He had no luck in the final, he got put out of the race early when another dog ran out and collided with him a couple of times,'' Irwin said.
"Obviously with Crackerjack Ralf out King Of Gods' task is a lot easier but he is still no certainty.
"King Of Gods can be a bad baginner at times and also tends to be slightly clumsy."
Jodie and Andy Lord are seldom without a big race finalist at Wentworth Park and are upbeat about their bitch She's Fearless, a daughter of their great bitch She's A Pearl, drawing box eight in Saturday's third heat of the National Futurity.
She's Fearless, who has won her past two starts over 440m at Goulburn in the fastest times of the day, has won three of her four races while wearing the pink rug and clocked her best Wentworth Park figures of 29.63 from box eight last July.
Andy Lord said: "She's Fearless could not have a better draw but her new kennel mate Distinction is probably just as quick.
"Leading Victorian trainer Jason Thompson sent Distinction to Jodie and I for the Futurity series and Distinction has box one.
"She is undefeated in three starts from boxes one and two but She's Fearless has the advantage of having had five races at Wentworth Park while Distinction has not previously seen the track.''
Distinction, who will be chasing her eighth win in 11 starts on Saturday, has clocked a fast 29.32 at Sandown and came from box one when she clocked a quick 24.96 over 450m at Shepparton in November.
Consigliere has won just once in four Wentworth Park appearances but co-trainer Andy Lord is confident he can win Saturday's fifth National Derby heat.
"He is flying at the moment and is a lot better than his Wenty form indicates,'' Lord said.
While the four Futurity and five Derby heats are the highlights of Saturday's card, there is a mouth-watering clash awaiting racegoers in the Summer Carnival top grade race over 520m.
Jungle Johnny, currently NSW's top 520m greyhound, will chase his eighth Wentworth Park win in 16 starts when he exits box eight against Taormina, a winner of 17 from 34 Wenty outings.
Jungle Johnny's only win from box eight was over 600m at The Gardens while Taormina recorded a sizzling 29.44 winning from box five at Wentworth Park in April last year.
While the race is widely regarded as a match-in-two, the in-form Blazing Fire, who has box seven, could cause an upset.
The Jeff Eaton-trained dogs recorded a flying 24.89 over 450m at Maitland on January 5 and wore the black rug when he posted his fastest Wentworth Park figures of 29.52 on December 27.
