"I would like to see Shaynee sit on Bronskie Beat's tail, then use her strength to bring it home strongly. She came through last week brilliantly," he said about last season's Wanganui Stayers (Group 2) winner.
The Lisa Cole-prepared Bronskie Beat set up the pace in the other heat prior to severely cramping a few strides short of the judge, clinging on for his 44.96s heat win.
"He tied up shocking late – he struggles to run the 755m trip out strongly. He goes super-fast early and we're hoping he build a big early lead and then hang on. He has suffered no ill effects from his heat run," Brendon Cole said.
Arch Lawrence provides two of his home bred stayers, while he also bred, and part owns, Shaynee. Her litter sister Little Teegs is likely to relish drawing closer to the rail (three) after she kicked on stoutly for her heat fourth to Bronskie Beat when racing from the eight-trap.
Baily's Nice will have derived benefit from his bold 7.5 length heat track debut second to Shaynee. He was sighted doing his best work at the business end.
"Little Teegs will be a different dog if she finds the rail. Bailey's Nice came home nicely after getting an interrupted early passage. They are both spot on for Friday and I can't split them," Lawrence said.
Illustrating the depth of this field is the presence of three Dave and Jean Fahey-prepared stayers. Competitive races can be expected from Student Loan, Gem and Mr. Blackjack.
Federal Morgan switched on the turbo chargers when he rocketed to his 29.58s Adept Accountants Wanganui Classic (race 9) 520m heat win for Cole.
The scary aspect this evening for his rivals is that heat gallop was his track debut assignment. Put simply, a clean break from his trickier eight-trap draw this evening is likely to see a repeat dose being served up.
"He owns the X factor – very capable of burning at both ends of his races. If he comes out running, then yes, the others can't match his pace," said Cole, whose kennels provide another five finalists.
The current Wanganui Cup title holder Big Time Lanato took out the other heat in a more "sedate" 30.27s. She led throughout in her heat and she must apply the same tactics from trap-six.
Big Time Brie set up the initial pace prior to being gunned down by Federal Morgan when finishing 1.5 lengths astern of him. Drawing the two trap can see her applying early pressure.
"The draws has may it harder to assess our other chances. The first turn is likely to determine how their races will unfold. All of our runners are ready to go," said Cole who suggested the kennel value contender could be the trap-one drawn Bigtime Brody.
"His draw is ideal for him."
* The Wanganui Jockey Club's race meeting on Friday, February 19, will proceed under Covid-19 alert level 1 restrictions and will be open to the public. Racing is from noon to 5.06pm with 10 races, followed by the greyhound racing at Hatrick Raceway from 4.41pm.
