A tricky card to call tonight live on Sky which is a credit to Sheffield for managing to attract high-class performers in the majority of the televised races. I’ve had a paws for thought and decided that we should expect the unexpected; with so many evenly matched dog this dog blog will try and find where the value is and look for the prices that do not seem to reflect the dog’s chances. It’s tough to call so stakes should be limited, but I’ll give you the best perspective from a dog’s eyes for you – here it goes!

7.40 – 500m

We kick off proceedings with a race that will not take a great deal of winning but the standout recommendation comes in the form of Lionhearted Andy who will hopefully live up to his name and attack the first bend before stringing them out. Lethal Roy rates as the main danger but his win over Farloe Wolverine at long-odds last month is perhaps being overrated as that is his only open race win to date. If Roy encounters any scrimmaging from the rest of the evenly-matched field then Andy’s sprinting pace should suffice as he seems to just about get this distance (see my dog blog on ‘Staying Sprinters’ that further justifies this!).

8.00 – 660m

So pick the bones out of this one! In trap 1 we have the ever-game Swabys Princess, in the blue box 2011 Stayer of the Year Blonde Fletch who has question marks about stamina these days and in 3 the mercurial but talented track-specialist Welton Arthur. Any of those could win but they all have questions to answer from their latest efforts whereas Mill Whiskers is being underrated at 11/2 in this line-up and could be away-and-gone while the three market leaders battle it out. Princess is 0 from 8 from the red box and has no track experience, Fletch is desperately looking for the line as his aging legs catch up with him and Welton Arthur seems to show glimpses of having other things on his mind than the hare and so faith in his temperament is minimal in the Lolly household these days. A very difficult race to call as there are so many connotations, but the price on Whiskers looks on the large side.

8.15 – 500m

Local knowledge is often a key factor round Sheffield and on that basis, Kowloon Conner for the in-form Draper Kennel can assert off the second bend and account for another local in the form of Eques. There has been interest in Watch Kitty and her formline of accounting for Killieford Deal reads well in the context of his impressive win in the Puppy Classic since, but she has had only one look round here and Conner’s experience of this Northern track can win me a few doggie treats tonight!

8.35 – 480m

Wow, some very nice bitches in this race are getting me a bit hot under my dog collar! The more I look at them, I just cannot separate Slick Sian and Bansha Mo so preference is for the former who has the draw inside, is much the larger price and led Ayamzaman at Romford in her last race which is no mean feat! Yes, this selection contradicts my earlier comment of needing track experience around here but Sian is worth taking on at 7/2 to beat or follow Jennas Pony to the bend and end Mo’s unbeaten record round here (2 from 2). Indeed, Mo has been slightly disappointing since her return following a supremely impressive run of results at the start of the year but for all of her achievements in that spell, Sian can match them; Sian beat Derby Champion Blonde Snapper at his beloved Romford (where he won the Golden Sprint prior to his Wimbledon success) and her efforts in her last race suggest to me that she will be really up for this!

8.50 – 500m

This seems a straight tussle between track-specialist Fire Height Spec and Lister’s improving Hather George. The vote is with Spec who has lost only once over C&D including beating one of tonight’s Steel City Cup finalists in Boher Paddy and I appear not to be alone in this thinking as all of the 2/1 offered disappeared faster than I could run a sprint (and that was fast, believe me ;))

9.10 – 720m

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more difficult, along comes a short marathon race with some quality in-form dogs opposing each other. Where do I start? Aero Gaga is a dog who I never seem to catch right as one minute I think he is a short eight-bend performer before he bolts up at Wimbledon over a longish 894m last week: the latest thought on him is that he needs longer than this. Magna Sparrow is underestimated at your peril round here and is a nice sort and Ballyard Buddy can proudly claim he is Cock O’ The North (a title I am very much jealous of) and is a worthy favourite for this race as he’s in the form of his life. Speaking of being in the form of their lives, Blonde Reagan fulfils that criteria as well and his explosive early pace can pinch a decisive lead if he gets the boxes at Sheffield. It is also to note that Buddy has never won over more than 672m so backers of him should be cautious of that fact.

9.25 – 480m

It’s fair to say I’ve had to look at this race numerous times due to the numbers of withdrawals, replacements, non-replacements and dog knows what else but I think I have finally got to grips with who is running and not running and I have come to a conclusion. Farloe Spitfire would have won all of the races. Yah Muppet is a concern (I’m pretty sure he is running!?) but is terribly inconsistent which can also be said for Delwood Roko who now has a good run (I think?). Spitfire just seems to have a tinge more class than these and if he pings as he normally does, the verdict is he will be far too strong for the field.

9.45 – 500m

Will anyone dispute Boher Paddy from winning his first Category One event before turning 4? I certainly won’t as he is a truly brilliant dog who thoroughly deserves the success. Desperately unlucky in the Quarter-Final of the Derby when drawn in the black box against speedy types inside of him as he plunged for the rails at the first bend to meet a wall of traffic; every greyhound follower could see it coming a mile-off and it was sad to see as he had been at his imperious best throughout the tournament to that point. This evening, however, he has been given a superb draw (he told me to say about time!) next to the tardy starter Meadow Bank Owl and track-stalwart but perhaps outclassed Skywalker Louie and so Paddy can assert on the rails which is a position he rarely loses from if he gets on the inside. Of course, it is wrong to dismiss Slick Santiago who is a dog that seems to have had more injuries than Michael Owen and Owen Hargreaves put together. Allsop, however, is confident that he is now at peak fitness and he has not let his trainer down with impressive back-to-back victories for the first time in his career during the competition. Indeed his time was faster than Paddy’s in the Semis, but Paddy had a nightmare draw (surprise!) to overcome and also to account for his kennelmate Hather George which he did so magnificently so expect that form to be reversed tonight if Paddy gets his expected clear run.

So there you go! Whether any of those thoughts actually come to fruition is a totally different story on a fascinating card but it should make for great racing tonight. Please comment or tweet me if you agree/disagree or if you are just becoming weary of my dog puns and I’ll happily respond. One final thought – every dog has it’s day, come on Paddy!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy