Wagga then Wentworth Park as Shannon Ellis prepares for a big two days of racing

Ellis will take two dogs to the 11-race TAB meeting at Wagga Showground, in what will kick off a couple of big days for the trainer and breeder.

After Wagga on Thursday, Ellis will be represented by two dogs, Keenando and With Confidence, in the semi-finals of the Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park on Friday night.

Keenando will go up against series favourite Shima Shine in his semi, while With Confidence is drawn alongside the Wagga-owned Tiggerlong Tonk in the last of the semi-finals.

For Ellis it is a big thrill to have two dogs running in semi-finals of the million dollar feature.

"That's right, I'm just a casual bloke out here that likes to muck around with a few dogs and ended up breeding a couple of handy ones. It's a huge thrill," Ellis said.

"To save me travelling with them, I usually send them to Victoria, the good ones I get, but because of COVID they had to come back for this race, which forced me to take them, which I'm not complaining about."

Ellis ended up sending With Confidence to Collector trainer Andrew Mulrine with a plan to target the Nowra heat.

"I had three dogs in the heats and I didn't want them all racing against each other but then Wagga struggled to get some nominations so I ended up getting him to come back this way and he got through," Ellis explained.

"I'm happy to have him in there. I would have liked him to have drawn closer to the rails, it's going to be tough from where he's drawn (box six) but if he doesn't win it, I'd like to see Tonk go through."

Keenando qualified by running third at the Temora regional final. He has drawn box seven and comes up against Shima Shine, who has won 19 of his 20 starts, including his last four straight.

"(Keenando) always had ability as a dog but we couldn't have drawn a harder dog to race against. I've drawn the favourite of the whole series and it's got the one box," Ellis lamented.

"It will be hard to beat but I'm confident my dog will run well. I'm hoping he can run top three and then I've got the option of nominating him for the consolation there next week. It's worth good prizemoney.

"Top three would be a good result for me."

At Wagga on Thursday, Ellis will race the well-bred Aurora Blue for the first time in the M Williams Painting and Decor Maiden (320m).

She has drawn box three but Ellis concedes it is no easy task first-up.

"It's probably one of the toughest maiden fields I've seen at Wagga for a good couple of months," he said.

"There's five first starters in there, and a couple of very well bred ones, in some good hands as well. I can't tip her, she goes good herself, but it's going to be a tough little race."

Ellis will also be represented by Slingshot Reaper from box eight in the P G Hartley Building NG1-4 (400m).

"He's going good at the moment, that dog. I got him from a friend in Victoria and he came here with 12 wins so he's racing the best dogs here at the moment but he goes well," he said.

"He was a little unlucky last week, the favourite just nabbed him on the line. Anything can happen and I expect him to run well (on Thursday).

"Eight will suit him down to the ground. He should hopefully put himself into the race by the bottom corner. I expect him to run well again."

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