Leading Victorian trainer Anthony Azzopardi is remaining optimistic about favourite Caishen's claims in Monday night's $40,000-to-the-winner Launceston Cup final at Mowbray.
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But that optimism did waiver slightly when the 14-time winning son of Fernando Bale and Ready To Riot drew box 8 for the group 2 decider.
The extreme draw is considered something of a graveyard at the tricky Launceston circuit.
"It's not a good draw at all but I still think he's good enough to overcome it," Azzopardi said.
Six heats of the Launceston Cup were run last Monday night with Caishen clearly setting the time standard with an emphatic 29.41 display.
Carving out electrifying sectionals of 4.93s and 17.35s up the back, the recent Paws Of Thunder placegetter cemented favouritism for the final with a commanding 8-3/4 length win.
"We sent him over on the plane to trial and in all my time as a trainer I've never had a better traveller," Azzopardi said.
"We put him in the crate and he went to sleep. He left Melbourne weighing 28.4kg and arrived in Tassie at 28.4kg."
Caishen returned home after his heat and was flown back to Tasmania on Saturday.
"The travel doesn't worry me at all - he'll be fine," Azzopardi said.
Caishen, a litter-brother to Melbourne Cup winner Whiskey Riot, is the lone interstate runner in the final.
The remaining heats were won by the Ted Medhurst-trained duo Connected and Mr. Camacho in 29.70 and 30.04; the Ben Englund-trained Wynburn Lethal in 29.66; Paul Hili's Nitro Sambar in 29.61 and Anthony Bullock's Outlaw Teddy in 29.86.
LATEST BETTING
2.00 Caishen
3.00 Connected
5.00 Nitro Sambar
14.00 Buckle Up Azona
14.00 Wynburn Lethal
21.00 Outlaw Teddy
41.00 Twisted Reality
41.00 Mister Comacho
STOP LINE No. 1
Devonport Chase winner Stop Line was named Tasmanian greyhound of the year for 2019 at the annual awards dinner in Launceston on Saturday night.
The other finalists were Launceston Cup and State Sprint Championship winner Hello Rhonda and Raging Ralston who won 17 of his 25 starts during the calendar year.
Stop Line won 20 races for trainer Jillian Stamford and owners Debbie Cannan and Rodney Stamford.
Bridwood Marshall won the award for most consistent greyhound and his trainer Anthony Bullock took out his 11th premiership in the past 12 years.
