Normally a greyhound that has won seven of his last eight starts and then draws box 1 for his next race will start favourite.
Throw in the fact that the greyhound in question, Russle Up, is trained out of Linda Britton's kennels and you're got a certainty, right?
Not when the race is the $210,000 Sky Channel Perth Cup final (530m), WA’' richest greyhound race, which is run at Cannington this Saturday night.
An elite field of greyhounds has assembled for this race including the likes of Mantra Lad and Miss Slick.
Victorian sensation Mantra Lad came within a whisker of breaking the Cannington track record in last weekend's heats while Miss Slick is a WA Oaks winner with over $200,000 in stakemoney to her name.
Compared to opposition such as this Russle Up is undoubtedly an 'underdog' a fact that Britton readily acknowledges.
"Competing against these greyhounds in this final is a huge step up for my boy," the state's top trainer conceded.
Even so Russle Up's performances leading up to this event provide plenty of encouragement.
After some impressive runs in country and provincial class races over December and January Russle Up endured a short layoff to overcome a wrist injury.
Since returning to the track at the start of the month the greyhound has been hard to fault with two eye-catching victories at Cannington including a personal best run of 30.22 to claim his Perth Cup heat.
"In his heat was the first time that he's really jumped quickly and landed on the lure," Britton said.
"He's back to full fitness and he’s doing everything right."
Britton is well aware of the benefit of the rails alley in the Perth Cup.
"That's an advantage to any greyhound in any race so it gives us a chance," she said.
Although Britton has won the Perth Cup on two previous occasions, in 1992 with Wynlee Supreme and 1999 with Bliss Bale, she remains as motivated as ever for Saturday's big race.
"You don't forget those previous wins but you're always striving for the next one," she said.
“Just to get through to the final is great and it gives you a good vibe around the kennel.”
Whether Russle Up is good enough to bring home a third trophy remains to be seen but either way the greyhound looks to have many wins ahead of him.
"He’s got the potential to be my fastest greyhound but he'll need to 'begin' all the time to be in that league."
Britton also has a runner in the other big race on Saturday with Western Land a realistic chance to knock-off the favourite Vintage Octane in the Sky Channel Galaxy (715m).
