That performance saw the TAB bookies promote Kilchurn ($2.40) to favouritism, replacing the pre-series favourite Dyna Vikkers ($3), who qualified for Sunday after dashing home late after a traffic impeded passage to claim second in the 520m Addington Waterloo Cup heat.
Kilchurn has drawn ideally in trap-two for Sunday's assignment.
Victory on Sunday will not only provide Kilchurn with his second Group 1 title, but it will secure a prized place in a heat of the world's richest greyhound race, the A$600,000 ($679,000) Melbourne Cup.
The Sandown Park club in Melbourne has entered an agreement with the Auckland club to provide the Waterloo Cup winner, which is New Zealand's oldest racing trophy after first being contested in 1878, with the guaranteed Melbourne Cup heat field placement.
A win in that heat sees that winner going directly into the rich November 20 Melbourne Cup final.
"He is a really strong dog now compared to a year ago," said Hodgson.
"My confidence for Sunday has grown since he pulled up really great and getting the two-trap to race from.
"He has a strong will to win and I believe he is now at the prime of his career."
Hodgson's charge heads into Sunday with an imposing winning strike rate of 22 victories from his 29 career races.
Aside from Dyna Vikkers, the other sound prospects for Sunday include both of the northern heat winners.
Spanish Fancy ($6) dashed along the rail to win the Auckland 527m heat.
She was wearing the red racing vest then and she will be wearing that prized vest again on Sunday for her trainer Denis Schofield.
Steve Clark has prepared the last two Waterloo Cup winners.
On this occasion Clark will place Spud Missile ($9) into the seven-trap after he easily accounted for his Cambridge 457m heat rivals.
