Feature greyhound field a real head scratcher at Friday's Hatrick Raceway meeting

Hot racing action expected at Hatrick Raceway in Whanganui on Friday night.

It's a real head scratcher of field that will contest this evening's feature open class 520m event (race 9) which as expected is dominated by Lisa Cole-prepared greyhounds.

On the surface of it, last week's pace-making Waterloo Cup heat contender Big Time Brie should again set up the tempo and she is expected to finish off her effort stronger after she compounded during the run home to finish third.

The kennel puts down her defeat to missing her 520m race the previous Friday when the meeting was abandoned because of electrical problems with the lure motor.

Big Time Jackson is likely to enjoy returning to Hatrick after his recent Manawatū 457m assignments and he has drawn handily in trap-two.

Big Time Amie and Bigtime Rod make their return to open class racing after sound recent lower grade victories, while Big Time Izzy adds to the puzzle this field presents.

And that brings us to the Gary and Sandra Fredrickson-trained Miss Potential, who endured a luckless racing passage from trap-eight last week. She has talent, as seen by her recent Wanganui Cup third. However, she again has to overcome her trap-eight draw.

Cole's attention will switch to Sunday and the Manukau Stadium straight after tonight's racing. She treks north to Auckland with four finalists for the time-honoured $30,000 Waterloo Cup after qualifying kennel runners in three of the four heats held for this Group 1 527m event.

It's an intriguing field that has been assembled worthy of chasing after New Zealand's oldest racing trophy with the Waterloo Cup first being contested for in 1878 as a coursing event.

Nova Willow was bold in the manner that she strongly annexed the Manukau heat when she rushed home along the rail for Cole. She will exit from trap-eight and can feature at the business end providing she receives a clear early racing passage.

Potentially she can secure an early drag behind kennelmate Bigtime Cooper who is likely to jump onto the early pace from trap-seven and then attempt to stick it out during the run home when he tends to struggle.

He is likely to receive clear early air as last Friday's Hatrick 520m heat winner kennelmate Big Time Anton is expected to veer hard left when he hops away from the six-trap.

Big Time Harley completes Cole's representation and he can inject some spice into the race combos from his handy two-trap draw.

"All four of our runners are set and ready to race on Sunday. The way the draw has worked out suggests that Cooper can lead early and I expect Nova Willow to track him out and finish strongly.

"Harley can get some of it from his good draw," Brendon Cole said.