He just needed a bit of luck.

Now Thomas has his fingers crossed for more good fortune in the $150,000 final at Sandown on Friday night.

Line Of Quality, a notoriously slow starter, was gifted a saloon passage from the back of the field in his heat last Friday night after an early scrimmage opened up an inside run.

The Kinloch Brae-All Quality dog did the rest, quickly looming up to the leaders before taking over and powering to an almost nine-length win. It was a 12^th victory in 21 starts for Line Of Quality, which won at Maitland in preparation for the trip to Victoria.

From box seven in the final, Line Of Quality was a $7 TAB chance on Thursday.

Thomas said the draw was not important to Line Of Quality, which he expected to be at the rear of the field again in the early stages.

However, he believed there was enough early speed in the race, and the potential for collisions, to set it up again for his dog to storm home.

"The box draw has fallen I believe in favour of the favourite, Mepunga Ruby," Thomas said of the $2.15 top elect from the three box.

"I think it will get a really good run, but other than that, there's a bit of pace in it.

"The red [Untapped], if it goes anything like last week, it will lead for sure.

"It wants to get to the centre of the track and if it happens to do anything wrong, it could cause a bit of carnage at the first corner.

"We're hopeful for some more good luck. If we don't get it, so what? We're in probably the most prestigious staying race there is.

"We're there with a chance. He showed what he can do, so it will be nice to be competitive and win, or get a place, but we're just grateful to be there.

"A few people wrote him off, and I half wrote him off last week, but I always backed his ability. That's why I was there.

"We had a bit of luck, but I have a saying, we have plenty of bad luck so we're entitled to some good luck."

At The Gardens, Swan Bay trainer Alan Ivers' Battling Mavis will shoot for four straight wins when she jumps from box one in the $5000-to-the-winner GRNSW Distance Series (715m) race.

Battling Mavis will face stiff opposition from Ice Cream Story, which has box three for her debut at the track.

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