The Million Dollar Chase Regional Final box draw wasn’t an enjoyable experience for Raymond Smith, but the same can’t be said for David Pringle.
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Smith’s leading stayer, Little Digger, showed his class when winning last week’s prelude event but at the draw for the final he finished with box eight.
While it by no means rules Little Digger out at Dawson Park on Friday night, Smith has stated himself the Wentworth Park winner is a dog who much prefers a rails run.
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The one running along from the inside box will be Midnight Starlet, currently looked after by caretaker trainer David Pringle.
Pringle and his wife Danielle are based at Clergate, near Orange. Danielle bred and owns the greyhound and the pair saw Midnight Starlet finish fourth behind Little Digger in last week’s prelude.
“In her heat she had drawn poorly in box six and after being at the back of the field going through the pen she wound up just three lengths from the winner,'' Pringle told thedogs.com.au.
"Midnight Starlet still clocked fast time of 29.80 getting beaten and can go a lot quicker from box one.
"I think the result of Friday's race will hinge on whether Little Digger or Midnight Starlet gets the clearer run.''
Dubbo Greyhound Racing Club president Shayne Stiff agrees.
“Obviously the two ends (one and eight) hold it,” he said.
“Midnight Starlet has won from the inside and is the reigning Bill and Peg Miller Memorial crown holder but Little Digger is five-from-five at Dubbo and loves this joint.
“He (Little Digger) is good. And then we’ve got the two Nangar dogs and the two Keepings and the Bogan.
“Those two (favourites) wouldn’t want to do anything wrong because the others are hard to beat.”
Midnight Starlet has won both times she’s started from box one in her 17-start career.
Only seven runners will contest the $5000-to-the-winner final, where the first two past the post will advance to the semi-finals at Wentworth Park on October 12.
The winners of those eight semi-finals then get the chance to race for $1 million in the inaugural final, which is the richest greyhound race in the world.
Regardless of whether Midnight Starlet makes it that far or not, the bitch with six wins and six placings will be headed back to Victoria after Friday to link up with trainer Seona Thompson.
"Win or lose on Friday, Midnight Starlet goes back to Seona and if we are in the Chase semis at Wenty on October 12 she will bring her back to Sydney for those races,'' Pringle said.
The final is the seventh race on the card but it isn’t the only attraction at Dawson Park.
With the weather getting warmer and plenty of quality on show during the meeting, Stiff expects a bumper crowd.
The Ladbrokes Stakes (318m), the third event of the night, shapes as one of the best races of the nights with the likes of Madeline Keeping, Frosted, Katie Taro and Felony One all going ahead.
Caitlyn Keeping, a Group 2 winner from the kennels of Charmaine Roberts, will feature in a competitive Mathew Dickerson Stakes (400m).
Caitlyn Keeping hasn’t been at her best in the past two starts but Friday night is the perfect chance to get back to form in a race that also features kennelmate Bolt Keeping and the in-form Sageman, trained by Leighton Winter.
Racing starts at 6.52pm.