Diesel, who's taken two wins and two podium placements in their last four starts, enters the 318m Zipping Garth Stud as a comfortable favourite.

"He's the standout of my dogs of course, he's been going really great at the moment and coming out of box three will do him good," Ashman said.

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"He really likes the rails, he's really been excelling there, I think he's got a fairly good chance in that race."

"There's a few coming up thereabouts, but I think Diesel's definitely putting together a few good runs."

A number of other dogs will also contest races at the Saturday evening meeting, with Yanderra Rip and Winlock Bluey both also likely contenders in their chosen events.

"They're a new dog in the kennel, Yanderra Rip, but they're going really well, they've been trialling well and even through a bit of bad luck too; his first start for me he fell, but he came second last week from out wide, it's not a great box for him, but I think he'll keep showing his improvements," Ashman said.

In that race, Springvale trainer Kylie Mcdonald and her runner Fusion Spy are the favourites, with Ashman's offering right behind in the bookies eyes, while Winlock Bluey shapes as the $2.9 favourite in their event.

"Winlock Bluey, they're probably suited out there in box eight, I always had him pegged as an inside dog, but he's not in the middle to get touched or squashed and he's coming into a bit of form with the third and first recently," Ashman said.

The chance to keep racing, and a trip to Dubbo, is a welcome diversion for Ashman and her other team-members, who despite approaching racing with the humble attitude of a hobbyist has quickly become a consistent performing trainer with a number of big local wins to her credit.

"It was pretty tough for a while there with COVID restrictions, when it came in that only trainers could go, it was really hard for us, because my husband is only a handler, but he's very involved in all of it," Ashman said.

"That was probably the hardest point for us, to put the work in and not be able to go and watch the race."

"Once the handlers were allowed back and everyone was sticking to the rules it became a lot easier, but we just stuck to racing around here, didn't go too far or travel where we weren't allowed to travel."

"We were very fortunate to have the racing keep going, that would have been devastating for a lot of trainers if it had ceased," Ashman said.

"There's a lot of people out there who do this thing a lot bigger than me who would have been hurt very badly by that outcome."

Racing begins on Saturday evening at 7.13pm at Dawson park.

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