Mallee Magic can overcome inside box in SA Sprint Championship
It is not often when you hear of trainers wanting to trade their No.2 box for an outside lane.
But this is the position Lisa and Tony Rasmussen find themselves in before the $21,000 SA Sprint Championship at Angle Park on Thursday night.
Mallee Magic drew the coveted two box for the Listed 530m feature and – with a personal best of 29.97 seconds over that distance – is a $4.40 winning chance with betting sites.
Kennelmate Miss Scallywag will start from the six lane and is a $19 outsider, one outside Came And Went, who is the $2.15 favourite for Ben Rawlings.
Despite her key chance Mallee Magic drawing a box you certainly wouldn't sneeze at, Lisa Rasmussen said she would have preferred to have the numbers switched.
“With the other finalist Miss Scallywag, we would've loved if they were drawn the opposite way around,” she told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“We would've been pretty happy with that. But it wasn't to be.
“She loves the inside and he loves the outside.”
The draw gods weren't on the side of the Rasmussens on this occasion.
But that's not to say Mallee Magic will let down punters who might view his $4.40 winning odds as good value.
“I'm pretty confident, but I'd be happier if he drew wide,” Rasmussen said.
“He's got to step out well to be a chance.”
Rasmussen has also been happy with Mallee Magic's recent form, beating Came And Went in a time of 30.67 seconds from his preferred eight box in the third SA Sprint Championship heat last week.
“It has (been good form). He made the Adelaide Cup final and he was the quickest in the heats,” she said.
“And in our opinion if he was a half a length quicker to the corner he would've got to where he wanted to be (in the final).
“And he would've won. But that's greyhound racing.”
Despite her $19 odds, Rasmussen believes Miss Scallywag has the talent to have a bright future.
But she needs to run out of her skin from box six on Thursday night.
“She needs to come out the quickest she ever has,” Rasmussen said.
“But there's a lot of speed in the race, so it'll be a bit hard for her out there.
“We've got a bit of an opinion on her because she can run.
“She just hasn't had any luck whatsoever.”
Rasmussen was happy with Miss Scallywag's fifth place in the fourth Laurels Classic heat at Sandown on December 8.
“We did take her to the Laurels, and she missed the kick in her heat,” she said of the chaser with seven wins from 31 starts, and by Fernando Bale out of Nicky Neo.
“But we were really happy with her run because she made up a lot of ground after that.
“She's a lovely bitch and she's from a really good litter.
“We started her sister's career here, Jackpot Joan.
“And she's got really good owners.”
Mallee Magic Odd's In Race 8 At Angle Park
Race 8 – 
Mallee Magic (2)
Form: 121721 | Career: 52: 23-6-6 | Trainer: Tony Rasmussen