No worries for Idolize despite Golden Easter Egg box draw

Peter Presutto and Idolize

It will be a fascinating match-up featuring two of the fancies – and to make things interesting for the punters, they have drawn boxes four and five.

But veteran trainer is not too worried about his star two-year-old – a $5.50 chance with – drawing box four for the $338,000 Golden Easter Egg Final (520m) at on Saturday night.

In a twist for the big crowd of punters expected, Idolize will line up alongside the $1.95 favourite, She's A Pearl, who drew box five for .

Of course, Presutto would have loved his bitch to draw box one.

But Idolize ran a first sectional of 5.36 seconds, a blink of an eyelid behind She's A Pearl's 5.35 seconds during the semi-finals last Saturday night.

Idolize went on to run an impressive time of 29.63 seconds, behind She's A Pearl's incredible 29.46 seconds.

If Presutto's young gun can run a similar first sectional in Saturday night's feature, it should not matter that she'll be starting from the middle of the field.

“I'm less worried with her. You always want to draw one, but she puts herself in great positions,” Presutto told AustralianRacingGreyhound.com.

“She ran (5.36 seconds in her first sectional). She seems to jump well from any box.”

If Idolize overcomes early congestion in the race on Saturday night, it won't be the first time she will beat adversity.

She comfortably won the $100,000 Final (520m) by four 4.25 lengths and in a time of 29.80 seconds on January 22, but was hit by a health setback soon afterwards.

“Since the Futurity she's had issues with her blood,” Presutto said.

“Her counts have been low, so we've been working on her with the vet.

“He's been telling me ‘just keep running her' because it isn't really affecting her.

“So if we can get the counts up it will improve her running.”

And there's no doubt Idolize's times have improved every week.

She ran a time of 29.82 to win the Golden Easter Egg fifth heat by three-quarters of a length over Lord's three-year-old bitch , with last Saturday night's performance a decent jump in form.

“Her 520m (heat) was probably what she needed, which is why she's probably run better (in Saturday night's semi-final),” Presutto said.

“Given that's under her belt, I'd like to think hopefully she can run better (in the Golden Easter Egg final) as well.

“Her hormones were playing up. With females you have to take the good with the bad.

“She's working through it in herself. Her body's getting back to normal now.

“It's taken her a few weeks, but that's probably the first sign I've seen of the strength that she's got coming back.

“She went really well (on Saturday night).”

With Idolize, Presutto knew he had a very early on.

It has been a rapid progression since she won her first race – a $2,005 maiden on August 24 last year.

“She's 25 months old. What she's done since September, you can only dream of things like that,” he said.

“What she's done in five months – you're rapt. She just keeps stepping up to the plate.

“At 12-and-a-half months, she was running as fast as race dogs at that age.

“She was performing at that age against real top dogs. I think she's getting better with maturity.”

Presutto believes Idolize has as much courage as she does natural talent.

“She's got a big heart. She just chases so well and begins so well,” he said.

“I've been in this for 38 years, but I know how hard it is to get something to have what it takes.

“I've got quick dogs at home – probably quicker. But they haven't got what she's got.

“They just lack the X-factor that she's got. And that's the difference.

“We saw it from day one.”

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