Well, what a great card we have tonight if my old nemesis Lil Risky can only go to Monmore tonight as a reserve! Admittedly if I was ever asked to be a reserve I’d have gone and hid in my bed in the kennels but surely this was a mistake by the RM at Monmore; if not I am literally dogfounded. Anyway, I promise not to mention his omission anymore (well maybe once!) in this dog blog and more importantly, try and find some winners for the Lolly faithful this evening. Here are my thoughts on the racing:

19:40 – 480m

Just when I had made my peace with the RM he throws in this conundrum to kick start the night with! A very intriguing puppy race with the very promising, unbeaten ex-Irish import Melodys Midnight taking his first look at the track; as a puppy the fact he has not been round is of extreme concern and he is best swerved on this occassion. Lemon Pluto is shaping into a decent sort but his litter-brother is struggling to get his head in-front in graded class at Hall Green and so he looks plenty short enough at the prices (again he has not had a sighter of the Wolverhampton circuit). A dog that knows this track well and is on a four-time at his home track is Sidelight who looks far too overpriced given his scintillating form in graded fare. Of course, it is a step up for him tonight and he struggled on his travels but he beat Final McCoy round here in his last race (who bolted clear to win a festival dogs tournament against some very useful sorts earlier in the year) and that scalp for Sidelight looks like it could kickstart his open racing career tonight.

20:00 – 416m

This peculiar distance is all about the trapping as the boxes are virtually on the bend and the dog who leads up normally poaches a winning advantage. I, of course, would have walked this contest and so would Lil Risky (there’s my one mention!) but the dog fancied to lead them up and make-all is the well-drawn Fridays Dynamo. He has shown good two-bend speed recently and if he breaks he should have a clear run round the first two bends. Black Silver knows this C&D well but has only 1 win in his last 11 starts so is not one to have confidence in, even if he looks well-drawn being in red and next to the mid-moving Gilbeyhall Ned. Ned is not out of this either if he pings from an unfamiliar location but Fridays Dynamo would have probably given Lil Risky a race (oh dear that’s two!) and should beat these.

20:15 – 480m

Derby second Farloe Ironman is struggling to reproduce that form and having not had a look at the track, is worth taking on with the locally trained Whittle Murtagh. Ironman undoubtedly has great early but so does Kim Billingham’s charge and just that extra little bit of course knowledge could sway it in favour of Murtagh tonight. Another aspect to factor in is that all 5 of the inside dogs will be diving for the rails here so trap 1 is perhaps the best place to be if there is scrimmaging and he manages to hold his pitch. Graigues Orchard is poorly drawn and has a bad performance in him and Fifis Legend thrives in lesser classes to this.

20:35 – 684m

This race looks more certain than me getting incredibly excited when the postman delivers the mail (nothing’s ever for me sadly). Ballyard Buddy is the St. Leger favourite and for good reason following his last exertions in front of the Sky cameras with a superb battling performance and should celebrate his sixth win in a row with a less demanding assignment here. Farloe Elektra (litter-sister to Farloe Ironman) undoubtedly has pace and could slip clear but Buddy is a very powerful dog who looks as though he could chase down anything over this trip at the moment. Balmi Blue definitely gets the trip but seems to lack gears and Bower Hawk is respected although his age is starting to show.

20:50 – 480m

It’s a good job that I can go back and edit my dog blog as if I thought the last was an absolute certainty, this looks even moreso (insert witty postman anecdote here). The scintillating early-pace of Droopys Loner is a joy to watch and with the withdrawal of Rockburst Pearl, Loner can sprint clear of these and not be for catching. Sharies Miller flew from the traps in the heats which she will need to repeat but even that was not good enough as Loner extended a huge lead down the back-straight. Admittedly, Miller stayed on gamely to only lose by 3/4 length but Loner is super-consistent and at least a repeat of her victory margin in the heats looks the call here.

21:10 – 630m

This final looks a lot harder to call with cases to be made for all the runners. These traps are on the other side of the track to the 416m boxes but they are still close to the bend and trapping for these six-benders is quite pivotal in many of these affairs. It is an intriguing puzzle to find a six-bender who traps and most of these seem to have similar sort of pace over the first two bends so it is worth siding with the best drawn of the dogs here in Granard Bound. Ballymac Wander has more scope than these but could be squeezed as Mark My Words can ping from this red box (as he did in the August Festival Stayers over C&D) and Ding Hero is likely to turn left from the orange box which could hinder Wander’s ability to lead. The fact Wander lost to Coolavanny Fairy who is a decent bitch on the bunny over 575m at Romford but nothing to write home about (if you did write about her could you send it to me please?) shows she is vulnerable. Granard is Bound to gain an early advantage here (I write all my own material if you were wondering!) and he could just about hold on against these stronger types. This should be fascinating.

21:25 – 480m

Newinn Rocket is starting to find his paws again after a dip in form following his Puppy Derby success over C&D but his record from the red box is one that I’m sure he howls in horror about. Aero Tobias is often caught sleeping in the boxes (maybe there’s a mini-sofa in there) which could prove his downfall but one dog that has caught the eye over recent weeks is Tyrur Willyjoe. He came from Ireland with some useful form on the Emerald Isle but took a few races to get settled into the climate of the er-glorious British summer, but now seems to have realised the game doesn’t change just because he’s in a different country. He showed good early in the heats and if Tobias is caught snoring and Rocket fails to shake-off his trap one hoodoo, Willyjoe can prove too much out wide.

21:45 – 835m

The finale of the night has the feel that it will be one to savour with these marathon performers beating one and another in different formations each time they go to the boxes! There is no doubt that if the pace is ferocious as they battle out in front this would pave the way for a strong-running sort such as Storm Pockets and that very well might be the case, but the value (and dogs and humans alike enjoy a bit of value!) is to side with the ever-game, honest Aero Gaga. He is always worth a doggie treat as he is a tremendously consistent sort who produces valiant performances time and again in front of the Sky cameras and he should turn handy enough to Blonde Reagan and prove too strong for him once in contention. Of course, Reagan’s time was the fastest of the round but the fact Wallis has admitted he “has to lead” is a worry with Pantone Ava drawn next to him, and if she can bustle him up a bit, Gaga will have the run of the rails and will attempt to hold off Pockets when her inevitable challenge comes. He did just that in the Ted Hegarty Marathon last Decemeber in Ireland and a similar scenario could pan out tonight: he just looks too big! Lottes Girl is of course a danger but if anyone could predict what she is likely to do in a race then I’m sure they could make a claim to be the next Dr Doolittle!

So there are a dog’s thoughts on the racing tonight and as ever, please comment or tweet me (or even better send me a letter!) if you agree or disagree with a canine’s perspective. Two of the races look a certainty to me but that is almost never the case in greyhound racing (unless I was running of course) and the only certainty about dogs at the moment is that I will receive no letters from my beloved postman tomorrow. Sad times I know but I’m sure I’ll get over it in time.

I’m over it.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

An incredibly competitive card awaits us in front of the Sky cameras tonight and there are many opinions on all of the races which should make some fascinating viewing. One aspect that has not seemingly had a mention is that my Geordie colleagues inform me that the going has been favouring the outside at Newcastle for a while now and so that is worth holding in consideration when watching the first few races tonight. Today on the BAGS card there were two trap 1 winners but both were sent off at big prices which suggests that the locals are savvy to the problems that inside favouring dogs seem to be encountering. That’s why I always took the middle ground apart from when I used to get carried away and nearly run off the track around the second bend: I still won though! Anyway enough reminiscing about my career, let’s focus on the dogs running tonight and we start with another ground old campaigner like myself:

19:40 – 480m

Boher Paddy has always been a dog blessed with pace and determination and enters as a veteran for the first time this evening. In this five-dog affair the danger was perhaps the dog that was withdrawn (Manilla Flash) who has been known to trailblaze from the front but without him in the race it is hard to envisage anything else than a facile success for Lister’s stalwart. Graysland Bubba might provide some sort of a race but Paddy could arguably lead these and that would indeed be game over from the first bend. He never quite achieved his Category One success but he can demonstrate why he was feared by so many as a serious contender in any race throughout his career tonight. You won’t get rich backing him though!

20:00 – 290m

My old adversary Lil Risky cost me a few of my beloved doggie treats last week when missing the break (I’m sure he did it to spite me!) and he lines up against some very formidable speedy types tonight. Indeed, I would have had my work cut out to beat all of these but the one sprinter that stands out due to his track experience is Jumeirah Dubai. He has seen the traps and track recently (a very good 17.04 run would probably win this if he were to repeat) and although Risky started his career around here, that was a year-and-a-half ago and us greyhounds don’t have that good a memory! Drumcove Lad undoubtedly has pace but has had his fair share of injury problems and those looked like there were hindering him in his last start. There is no doubt that some will fancy Swabys Tony at a fancy price as he has pace but he doesn’t win as many as he should, hence the price. The other interesting runner is Drumnsa Major who is improving but may get squeezed by Risky and the rails-moving Lad which will set the race up for Dubai: that’s the theory anyway!

20:15 – 480m

Regular readers of this dog blog will know I have made a point of suggesting that Alien Planet has been overrated a lot this year, largely down to his surprise success against very useful pups on Derby final night. Well now the dog has come of age and although I still think I was right to a certain extent (I’m a stubborn old dog!), an unfamiliar draw cannot be the sole reason for this dog being 9/4 surely! He looks good to me. Lemon Velvet is no doubt a very speedy bitch with a good set of formlines from Ireland but Alien Planet oozes class and anything like a level break will see him surge clear on the dash for the turn and cut in to more familiar territory. Droopys Hope is also a nice sort who competed at the highest level as a pup when winning the Gymcrack but Planet looks a step up even from that class. Where are my doggie treats because they are going on him!

20:35 – 670m

A slight class drop for Mill Whiskers can see him demonstrate his pace here out wide and if the going is as I’ve been informed, he looks a good thing for this race. There are doubts about his temperament and consistency at times but he has enough class to see off the interesting youngster Lookoutforflash and the hugely unlucky Shambo Shine who was clear in her last race at Henlow before it was voided. Those two could provide a challenge but Kelly Macari’s charge could turn into something a bit special over a stayers trip if he can gain some consistency.

20:50 – 480m

So here I am banging on about the going and I fancy the inside two here! Us dogs can be fickle you know! Brunswick Jenny was superb last week when leading and can do it from both ways but I have a soft spot for Bansha Mo and if she can break slightly better she can get to the front and show her class. Mo has not quite hit the heights of her form when she burst onto the scene pre-season but she seems to have a tinge of class against other bitches and can show that tonight.

21:10 – 670m

The Great North Run final looks set-up to be a cracker! As I begin to salivate thinking about crackers I might also be doing so because it is almost impossible to call this race due to the quality of the field and connotations that could occur. Therefore, the Lolly way is to go for the value and that looks to me that it belongs to the paws of Derrane Jake. The others prominent in the betting, Welton Arthur and Ballyard Buddy, have lots of claims for this title but there are question marks about them. Arthur was disqualified earlier in the year and whilst many felt this was harsh (particularly Elaine Parker!), he did move his head slightly towards his fellow competitor and so he must be very careful not to repeat such antics if bad thoughts come into his head: that is too big a doubt for me against this class of opponent. Ballyard Buddy on the other hand has been running these Newcastle bends very wide and whilst he might improve for the run and arguably should do, he may just be carrying a little niggle as he appears to be checking when turning. Therefore, the mesmeric run from Derrane Jake in the Semi-Finals shows that this dog is full of running and whilst Arthur could be away-and-gone, Jake could follow him and give him a race this time. A great race in prospect.

21:25 – 480m

Another superb final with some very promising puppies taking to the stage but the one with the most top level experience, Killieford Deal, also is the one for me to take this race from out wide. He has not been trapping particularly well of late but he is undoubtedly very useful from the front and the back and his wise old head on young shoulders should be enough to win this. Jaytee Hellcat is well-drawn and very pacey but runs the bends a bit erratically which should give Deal enough time to get competitive and assert. Another useful prospect is Express Flame but Hellcat showed he had more pace than him in the Semi-Final and it is hard to see a reversal of that form. Indeed, Lemon Pluto beat Deal in the Semis but it was a good run from Lister’s charge to just qualify and if he traps anywhere near to the level he is capable, then I will be dining on many a treat tonight!

21:45 – 480m

The All England Cup final provides us with a stellar cast and the money for Mags Gamble is a plunge as big as that Austrian sky-diver’s the other day! 3/1 was undoubtedly too big on William’s charge who has progressed significantly since his win in the Monmore Gold Cup and he definitely loves it round here (9 wins from 10 starts). Another though, who has taken to the track like a duck to the water on top of the Polish pitch last night, is Bubbly Phoenix and he can prove the market-doubters wrong by holding his position at the first bend next to the fast up Denwill Star and unleash his pace on the back-straight. He is six from six since his return from injury and showed on Derby final night that he was capable of winning the premier competition in England; this type of galloping circuit arguably suits his style better though! Times can often be misleading and their is perhaps too much being read into Gamble running 10 spots quicker than Phoenix and so I think the class of the latter will come through tonight. Gamble is extremely talented but Phoenix seems to be a bit special and he hopefully will show that tonight. This is not to discount the other runners, however, as Skywalker Louie will always give his best and Whittle Murtagh is building a superb profile; you feel they will have to produce a career best to even be competitive though. Tudor Prince is worth a mention as he has a good make-up but despite reaching many finals over the years, he struggles to win at the highest level.

So there are a dog’s thoughts on the proceedings tonight in what promises to be a memorable evening. As ever please tweet or comment if you have anything to say about the dog blog and I’ll try to type as fast as I can with my increasingly agile paws as they become used to keyboards. One thing is for sure, the night will be more exciting than watching a referee throw a ball around a sodden pitch last night. Do they have a roof at Newcastle? Let’s hope it doesn’t rain….

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

Well a lot has been made this week about the quality on show in front of the Sky cameras tonight and whilst the card does seem to be lacking strength in depth, I think people are missing the point that should be made about this evening: have you seen the final? I have only been on this planet for five years but I cannot recall a better field for a final than this one; it is saying something that the Kent Derby winner, Ballycowen Dave, is an easy 25/1 shot for this extraordinary race! Anyway, before dissecting that mouthwatering affair, there are the supporting races and the quirkiness of Henlow means it is always a place to make money as many of the dogs are completely confused by the third bend (if it can even be called that!). Here are a dog’s thoughts on the racing:

7:40 – 460m

The youngsters kick us off and a trial round the track will have been absolutely essential for them to experience the unfamiliarity of the bends that they will not have encountered before. This also means that Killieford Khali can be expected to improve on his decent trial performance and confirm that he comes from a pretty special litter. Lister’s pup was sent off as favourite against his litter-brother Killieford Deal (who is second favourite for the Northern Puppy Derby) in his first race in a P1 at Shawfield and this is a testament to the fact that the kennel expect big things from this lightly-raced puppy. Islas Scolari moved very well in his trial with a good sectional to the bend so Khali may be faced with the task of picking him up, but he should be able to achieve this as Scolari undoubtedly has pace, but seems very green and has yet to win in his fledgling career. Severn Bolt produced a shock in the Romford Puppy Cup in one of the rounds but looks held by the market principals.

8:00 – 428m

Whilst watching RPGTV on Thursday, I saw a very surprising drift in the market for Boher Chieftain over this C&D that I could not ignore so I had a doggie treat on him at 5/1. He then proceeded to drift further like someone in the paddock had confirmed he was in fact the first greyhound in history to lose a leg on his way to the track; he duly proved the doubters wrong by producing a track-record performance over this relatively new distance. Although it was a win, I was still cursing the fact I had missed out on an extra doggie treat by not getting the 6/1 but I was pretty full by then anyway so I expect to eat some more on him tonight! He is a truly top-class dog who has been blighted by injuries in his career but he has a great draw to work from again tonight and can confirm superiority over Bush Standard. Standard fluffed the break from the red box on Thursday night and whilst he is more suited to his berth in three tonight, the class of Chieftain should prevail. Indeed, Standard faces the task of getting in front of the fast-away bitch Jennas Pony who although saves her best work for Romford, is going to be cutting in from five and has enough pace to hold Standard up sufficiently for another Chieftain win: watch the clock!

8:15 – 460m

This is a tough race to call and it would be no surprise to see Lister’s dog, Farloe Brainy, appreciate a seeming class drop and romp to victory. He has had a hard start to his career and my colleague may just have lost his confidence enough to allow the proven course and distance winner, Millridge Duke, to sneak in front and not be caught. Furthermore, Brainy will have to get round the pacy Ballymac Folly and it seems he will have to perhaps wait for another race to get his career back on track. It’s a very tentative recommendation of Duke here but if my paws could grasp a dart I would definitely be throwing it at the card on this one!

8:35 – 277m

Lil Risky is facing a losing streak that he hasn’t encountered since he used to line-up against yours truly and whilst he can be forgiven for losing to such a handsome, intelligent and pacy dog as myself so much (who’s modesty is arguably his best quality), he can win tonight around a venue he enjoys. He faces a task of clearing Big Local who is a powerful railing sprinter who must be respected, but he has not had a trial round here and that is a worry for his lid-pinging potential tonight. Risky has no questions to answer in terms of trapping ability round here and should be able to utilise the red box to poach an early-advantage that will be too much for these barring another miraculous back-to-front performance from Glanmire Phanter. That really was an extraordinary run from Phanter to pick up Risky at Yarmouth but he has subsequently been caught being more interested in the spectators on the sidelines than the hare in the Scurry Cup! Whilst us dogs do love humans, particularly at walk and dinner times, it must be worrying that he came to an abrupt halt having shown no signs of discomfort. A number of reasons have been suggested for his remarkable decision to stop at the sough but it must put serious questions onto Phanter’s temperament and any slight loss of concentration from him tonight will mean that he won’t be able to catch Risky this time.

8:50 – 460m

This looks a really exciting race with plenty of early pace and the question of if Droopys Reason is close enough to challenge the front-runners as he is a real joy to watch in full flow. The fact that sprinter Ballymac Jones is on Reason’s outside could halt his advances when he gets into top gear and so it is a call between the top and bottom for me here. Yeatsie Boy ran a blinder in the heats of the Henlow Derby and a similar performance could see him win this but he will need to be at his very best which is something that he was not in his Semi-Final effort. Even if he does ping the lids, the selection is Ballymac Denis who was a big money purchase for the Stuart Buckland kennel at Hall Green but this faith in him has been fully justified as the Hall Green sprint track-record holder has won many races around the country. His career included finishing fourth in the Henlow Derby last year to an imperious Taylors Sky and so there are no doubts Denis runs this track very well. He can handle the red box and has a good run to work from as he should lead Cash Game and the aformentioned Droopys Reason to turn at least with Jones and Boy and prove to speedy for those rivals; this is a dog with a 27:36 around this C&D which is the time Farloe Warhawk produced in his impressive Semi-Final win last week.

9:10 – 550m

Where have my darts gone? This is a very competitive affair and a case can be made for each of my colleagues but the most tentative of recommendations is to side with Ardmayle Player who ran very well in front here on Thursday. Westmead Aouita no doubt has pace and gets this trip but is not one to rely on to often to produce her best and Thurlesbeg Bound has similar consistency problems: either bringing their A-game would suffice. Another who should win more is Doonane Lad who is marked running on over 575m at Romford so definitely stays and won over the 460m trip before the Derby began; he would be a handful in front but he often has his own ideas about the game. Who said greyhounds should always run to form? I know I certainly made it easier for my followers.

9:25 – 842m

My most avid of dog blog readers will remember me discussing in great detail Powerfast Pigeon and her lack of form this year so I won’t bore you with the same character defamation but she has definitely lost her spark. If she hasn’t, she is far too good for these. I’m always a fan of a bitch in-form, however, and so I don’t think she can be trusted at odds-on so I looked elsewhere for value and stumbled across Hey Kiddo. Whilst he is taking a step up in class if Pigeon is half as good as she used to be, Kiddo has the essential good track knowledge and could get first run at the bunny which might be decisive. I apologise to Pigeon fanciers across the country if she obliges.

9:45 – 460m

So here is that final to savour. I will be lapping it up like I lap up milk and water but the race looks set-up for Farloe Warhawk to improve upon his already tremendous CV. He should be able to lead Be Real as he in fact led the sprinter Ballymac Jones last week and the fact that Taylors Sky has almost certainly become a more all-round performer (shall we open up the “Is he back?” debate), it should give Warhawk enough room to get to the front with Loughteen Blanco and power past the Classic winner. Blanco is running the track well and will take a lot of catching if leading but Warhawk’s beating of Ballymac Eske in the Puppy Derby final is looking more impressive by the day as Eske destroys good fields across the country and he can confirm that he is the one to beat for next year’s Derby. Another Farloe in Farloe Tango might have a word with me about that comment!

So there you go, it looks set for a good night’s racing with everyone eagerly anticipating the finale. As ever please tweet or comment if you have any opinions about my dog blog and as long as I am not on a walk or having a nap, I will happily respond. Speaking of naps, Risky looks a good thing.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy