The Wellington clubs come to town tonight and their meeting at Wanganui's Hatrick Raceway has attracted the nation's leading restricted age greyhounds as they chase down places in next Friday's New Zealand Futurity final at group 2 level.
Four 520-metre heats will decide the eight greyhounds who will return for that $12,000 event.
Included is the pin-up puppy of the moment, the Lisa Ahern-trained Bigtime Kinvara.
The Auckland Cup winner was in devastating form at the Manawatu Raceway on Monday when he demolished a quality field of Kiwi-bred greyhounds in a searing time.
His encounter against the recent New Zealand Oaks winner Jinjawinja in the last heat (race 10, 8.40pm) from the potent Dave and Jean Fahey kennels will be a cracker.
The first heat (race 7, 7.10pm) sees last Friday's slick Fahey-trained winner Inishrush leaping from the eight-trap.
The locals will be hoping for a repeat victory by local trainer Richard Waite as his charge Barry's Way takes his place in this field after his strong win here last week.
Next up (race 8, 7.40pm) sees the Fahey-trained Wellington Cup winner Know Peace returning to the scene of his triumph.
He has drawn ideally in the one-trap.
And two recent NZ Oaks finalists are likely to match their paws in the third heat (race 9, 8.10pm) - Darlyne Ottey (Ahern) and Rizta Night (Fahey's) are the class acts in this heat.
Go the red dogsThe chant of "Go the Red Dog" will be heard on the nation's greyhound tracks during May because every win secured by a greyhound wearing the red vest will see $100 being donated by Greyhound Racing New Zealand to the seeing-eye guide dogs in training programme run by the Royal Foundation of the Blind.
"With close to 40 meetings and more than 400 races to be run during the campaign, we're hoping red dogs come through to win often and raise plenty of money for the Foundation's guide dog services," said GRNZ chairman, Wanganui's John McArthur.
The Foundation's Paul Metcalf commented: "We are grateful to Greyhound Racing New Zealand for partnering with us on this excellent fundraising initiative.
"Funds raised will go to our programme for guide dogs, which ultimately provide independence, confidence and companionship to many blind and partially sighted New Zealanders."
After Wednesday's Wanganui meeting, the tally of red-vested winners stood at 16. The promotion runs to June 3 with the proceeds handed over on the June 10 Plasterboard Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar finals day.