Jungle Johnny has won four of his seven assignments from box eight and trainer Mark Gatt is confident his Wentworth Park track record holder can enhance that tally in Thursday night's NSW National Sprint Championship final there.
After breaking the Wentworth Park 520m record on March 5 and again on July 18, Jungle Johnny overcame a slow start to win from box eight in fast time on August 1 before again coming from behind to win his Championship heat from box two in a handy 29.57 last Saturday.
Mark Gatt said: "I think Jungle Johnny will get a good run down the outside of his rivals in the run to the first turn.
"Ascend Fern in box five has pace and runs straight but I believe Magic Bandit in box six and Galba Model in seven are likely to head for the rails and could stop him from worrying Jungle Johnny.
"The way they are boxed Jungle Johnny should have a Kingsford Smith Airport wide runway in front of him when he comes out of the boxes.
"My brother Daniel Gatt's bitch Reborn Hostility is also ideally positioned in box one.
"She doesn't have early pace but will keep poking up along the inside and will be there at the finish, especially if they do anything wrong up front.''
Neil Staines is the only trainer with two NSW National Sprint finalists, Bandit Lynne in box two and Galba Model in box seven.
Bandit Lynne recorded easily the fastest initial and second splits in last week's heats and Staines expects her to make the pace again.
"She has a great draw and that should enable her to go to the front again,'' Staines said.
"But it depends where Jungle Johnny is in the early stages because while they say you can't label a dog a champion too soon, he is not far off being just that, he is a super greyhound.
"Bandit Lynne's kennelmate Galba Model is a railer but she does take a step to the right when the boxes open so could get in Johnny's way for a stride or two.''
In last week's heats Bandit Lynne led until half-way down the straight before finishing third, beaten a half head and a half length by Jungle Johnny and Reborn Hostility.
As the wild card qualifier Magpie Hector is assured of a place in the grand final of the National Distance Championship and only has to "go around" in Thursday night's NSW final over 720m at Wentworth Park.
Magpie Hector has not raced since winning a group three final at The Meadows on July 25 but trainer Jack Smith last week took him to Sandown, the venue for the Championship grand final, for a trial on the track.
Magpie Hector has box eight on Thursday night and while he has won six of eight starts from boxes one and two he boasts an impressive box eight record of five wins from nine appearances.
"Because Magpie Hector is a slow beginner he is always riding for a bit of luck early,'' Smith said.
"But so long as nothing on his inside runs him off the track at the first turn he should be okay.''
Magpie Hector's 41.51, recorded from box eight on April 11, is the fastest 720m time posted by any of the eight runners on Thursday night.
The best drawn finalist is Zipping Mooney, who has clocked 41.68 from box six but should relish having box one on Thursday.
Zipping Mooney has not won over 720m but has been placed in five of eight attempts and has the early speed to be the pacemaker.
Leading trainer Minnie Finn, whose daughter-in-law Courtney Barnes trains Zipping Mooney, said: "Zipping Mooney plays up in the boxes so has been missing the start lately.
"She is not a dyed-in-the-wool stayer so needs to jump well and be the early leader to have any hope.
"But even if she does lead two or three of the 'back markers' probably have the strength to run her down if they secure clear runs.''
Best value bet on Thursday should be the Minnie Finn-trained Winsome Storm, who produced a whirlwind finish to run down Zipping Aladdin at Wentworth Park last Saturday.
Winsome Storm had box seven last week but is far better positioned in box one in Thursday's third race, a 520m fourth and fifth grade.
It is hard to go past Zipping Sako, who has box one in race 10, a 520m fifth grade, as the best bet on the card.
Zipping Sako clocked a slick 29.54 winning from the rails draw at WP on July 30 and none of his rivals on Thursday has come close to those figures.
