The Michelle Sultana-trained Drink Shoeys will be the best bet of the day when he contests the $7000-to-the-winner Ladbrokes Maitland Future Stars Maiden Final over 400 metres at Maitland Showground on Thursday afternoon.
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Sultana will be hoping her young charge can deliver the goods on Thursday and follow in the footsteps of the past two Future Stars winners - Good Odds Harada and Sky Wave - which both went on to contest the final of the world's richest greyhound race, the Million Dollar Chase, at Wentworth Park a year later.
Maitland Greyhounds manager Tony Edmunds said the Maitland Future Stars had proven to be a great introduction to racing for the stars of the sport.
"Last year's winner Good Odds Harada capped a whirlwind 12 months with victory in the Million Dollar Chase final at Wentworth Park last Friday night after his second placing in the National Sprint final in Western Australia in August," Edmunds said.
Last year's winner Good Odds Harada capped a whirlwind 12 months with victory in the Million Dollar Chase final at Wentworth Park last Friday night
- Tony Edmunds
"Our 2017 winner, Sky Wave, went on to be free-for-all class at Wentworth Park and was third in the inaugural Million Dollar Chase last year, which just goes to show the calibre of greyhounds the Future Stars attracts."
Edmunds said there was no doubt punters would send Drink Shoeys, the son of SH Avatar and Silver Bullet, to the boxes as a red-hot favourite after he clocked a best-of-day 22.36 seconds to win the last of four heats with sensational first and second section splits of 5.24s and 15.82s - times that put him four lengths clear of his nearest rival.
He said if Drink Shoeys reproduced his first and second section splits from last week he was likely to lead the field into the first turn and it would take a mighty performance from one of his rivals to run him down.
Tamworth trainer Tony Atkins has two runners through to the final with heat two winner Georgie Brann (22.97s) and heat four runner-up Hari Brann (22.64s) while Londonderry trainers Frank and Tracey Hurst, who won this race last year with Good Odds Harada, have three runners in the final with heat three winner Good Odds Armani (22.91s), heat one runner-up Good Odds Diana (322.9s) and heat three runner-up Winking Nick (23.10s).
Tamworth trainer Ray Aslin won the first heat after Shadow Chief led throughout in 22.84s.
The only local to make it through to the final was Williamtown trainer Gary Robertson after Little Miss Aria (23.09s) finished second in the second heat after leading for most of the way.
The box draw for the final is Winking Nick 1, Shadow Chief 2, Good Odds Armani 3, Little Miss Aria 4, Good Odds Diana 5, Drink Shoeys 6, Georgie Brann 7, Hari Brann 8. Fabulous Time and My Sapphire are reserves.
