Casual Glance enters a Million Dollar Chase semi-final on Friday night at Wentworth Park off an injury setback but Greta trainers Michael and Michelle Lill are just glad to be there.
A $3.60 hope for semi-final seven of eight from box six, Casual Glance looks the Hunter's best chance of a win to make the $1 million-to-the-victor final. However, he suffered an offside hind spike wound when qualifying with third in the Maitland regional final on September 5.
"We're just happy to be there because we had box one last time in the semis but we had to scratch him because he did a pin muscle," Michael said. "He's missed a bit of work, but he'll acquit himself well and I think he's in a winnable race."
Fat Boy's Dream (Mark Davidson) is also in that semi. Other Hunter hopes are Vamoose (Susan Smith) and Scramjet (Ron Asquith) in the third semi.
Lill was glad to have "dodged a couple of big ones" in drawing the opposition he has in the seventh semi-final.
"If he lobs on the bunny, which we know he can do, he's got to be a great chance. And wouldn't it be amazing, a little kennel like us making the big one. It's what dreams are made of," he said.
"He's got a decent record from out there [in six], he's used to drawing bad boxes. He's won five from nine in the six."