The pair finished one-two in last week’s heat and are expected to feature again in the 400 metre decider.

Expect Delay got the better of Lemon Tree Girl with 0.07 seconds separating them at the finish line.

The Peter Lagogiane-trained Expect Delay (22.62s) will start the Maitland Greyhound Club event from box six while Lemon Tree Girl (22.69s), prepared by Gary Wilson, has drawn the inside lane. 

Lining up in between will be other heat winners Mollie’s Star and Time Is Precious in boxes three and four respectively.

Grand Diddle and Wota Screamer have boxes two and five while beginning outside in seven and eight will be Country Serenade and Miss Uggboot.

The winner will score $1250.

The final, race eight on the card, jumps at 6.10pm.

In support races at the twilight meeting will be three heats of a fifth grade 450m series.

There will be 24 greyhounds vying for eight positions in next week’s decider with the top two from each preliminary race progressing automatically.

The final two places will be granted to the two fastest thirds.

Heat one gets proceedings underway at Maitland this afternoon with heats two and three to follow in races five (5.09pm) and six (5.29pm).

Abernethy trainer Wayne Atwill has two last-start winners going around in Rivergum Driver (race one, number five) and Fantasy Smile (race five, number seven).

Maitland Greyhound Club sponsorship and promotions manager Fred Robertson said he would save his best bet for the last race with La Grand Logie (race 10, number four).

First race jumps at 3.49pm.