An intriguing renewal of the Trainers Championship awaits us tonight with the gamble on Charlie Lister gaining momentum throughout the week. It is not a forgone conclusion, however, for the Yarmouth specialist and anything can happen in this slightly revised format for this year; Nick Savva’s remarkable victory last year shows that it is possible for any of the trainers to have a good run and claim the title. It is a shame that Barrie Draper has been forced to effectively bring a reserve squad due to a congested racing schedule, but even though he is the most unlikely to take the honours, he should not be ruled out completely. Lister does have some plot draws for his high class ensemble of my colleagues, hence the gamble, and without further ado let’s look at the racing and find some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Puppies

The first of Lister’s well-drawn dogs is arguably the best drawn dog on the card due to his running nature and we should see Golden Wonder in full flight tonight from his beloved rails. Glenpadden Post lost his way and fancied a table for one in the restaurant in a trial so will probably give him room and almost inevitably hinder the rails favouring Garryglass Rodge who has a terrible draw. Islas Scolari has pace but looks a natural for further and Cluxtons Free could be anything, but the Monmore Puppy Derby winner was probably flattered by his draw in the final of that competition, especially considering Golden’s not so wonderful sequence of draws in that very tournament. Lister can get off to a winning start here.

19:49 – Standard

This is poised to be a great race. Kowloon Conner has just about enough early to make the corner, probably with Hather George, but then it is questionable whether either will be able to hold Droopys Reason or Jaytee Hellcat. Preference is for the latter who is turning into a really likeable sort, as he showed by gamely staying on in the wake of Ballymac Eske’s ridiculous pace in the Juvenile; he can win tonight with a similar performance. Reason also faces a tough draw to get to the rails and may have to contend with Daddy Knowsbest, who seems to have forgotten the idea of the game. If Knowsbest turns up he will make odds of 14/1 this morning look very big but his brief hurdling career suggests connections are running out of options for him as his jumping left a lot to be desired. Who invented these hurdles for us to jump over anyway?

20:04 – Bitches

Bridge Ruth is beginning to show the form that made her into a heroine in Ireland and in this classy bitches race, it is still hard to oppose her. Express Flame has shown she has a great heart but needs to sort her trapping out (maybe I should give her some private tuition, there’s a thought) but she could be faced with Jaytee Jules moving across her today to deny Flame a run. It has taken time with Ruth but she seems to have settled from her dog lag or whatever it was, and is worth keeping on side from here on in.

20:19 – Stayers

The prices for this race perturb me. In a pretty similar fashion to how loud noises perturb me, these prices scream out at me at being off the mark. Fear Emoski put in a tremendous trial, without question, and looks like she is a natural for the distance but a maiden bitch can surely not be as short as she is in this highly competitive race. The bookmakers are slowly realising the state of play with Blonde Reagan now and quotes of 3/1 are about right for his unfortunately erratic performances these days, if he turns up he will beat anything over this distance but it is hard to justify backing him with confidence at just 3/1. Bubbly Swallow is still a bitch without a distance but will not need a second invitation and she looks big, although her draw is of concern. Yet one dog who is nowhere near the price he should be is Farloe Kyle. He should not be 12/1 in any race over this distance. Yes, he is a dog that arguably needs to lead. Yes, he is known for throwing in an absolute shocker. But if he gets on the bunny tonight which is a realistic possibility with Emoski not being a prolific trapper and Reagan missing the break almost religiously these days, Kyle could lead these. If he does he will not relinquish his lead easily and I for one, will have a doggie treat on the 12/1 with that lad called Brokes.

20:34 – Sprint

Another race tonight that is all about the draw. Farloe Barracuda is not known as the best traveller and he certainly will not enjoy his work in East Anglia tonight when he realises Lil Risky is on his inside. These two could cause chaos for each other. The fact that the red box for this trip is the worst statistically in the country (0 wins from the last 29 races) does not bode well for my arch nemesis and it is wise to go for another of these sprinters. I’ll quite happily take the 6/1 on the Scurry Cup winner in Drumna Ice. He has not run since December but he has ran well fresh before and is as fast as Risky and Barracuda in my eyes, and they are the eyes of a sprinter. He will have to outtrap Dreams of Glory who is a live outsider also, but he would prefer to be in 6 and seems to need just slightly further (like the 305m at Nottingham and perhaps the 400m at Romford would suit) as his trapping is not blistering. Drumna Ice can remind these dogs and people alike who he is tonight.

20:49 – Stayers

How far is this colleague of mine going to be clear after the first 4 bends? A question that seems to have been answered nationwide as ‘a very long way’ by him being backed like he can’t lose tonight. Farloe Tango only has to confirm Lister’s belief that “he will stay” and that will be that; if he does then what a prospect we have in this division after he goes for his very realistic chance of winning the English Derby. Questions of whether he will get distracted seem a bit harsh on him to me. He stopped at Coventry where he fell in a race there previously and so understandably, has not been round the track since and he looks as genuine as they come to me. This is a dog that overtook Ballymac Eske at Wimbledon over 4 bends. People that saw last week’s coverage will struggle to comprehend that. When looking at the competition that will arguably not be able to see the hare for a vast majority of this race, the ensemble is one of dogs and bitches that are questionable in their efforts when they don’t lead. Good luck to them doing that tonight.

21:04 – Dogs

Huge early in this race could set this up for a dog staying on at the end. Couple this with Loughteen Blanco not being entirely comfortable wide on the bends meaning that his early battle with Ayamzaman could end in trouble for both of them at the first bend, could make this race into a scrappy affair. Regular readers of my dog blog will know my thoughts on Alien Planet being overrated and whilst if he wins the Derby, I will have a considerable amount of egg on my face (which I will of course lick off with huge joy), he could set up the race for the finisher in the field, Teejays Bluehawk. He looks big to me at 8/1 in a potentially scrappy affair and whilst he is being kept at this distance for a Derby campaign (of which he could go very deep into with his style), he is destined for a longer trip and all of that stamina can lead to him swooping late to pinch this off these early-paced merchants. Ballycowen Dave has been dismissed in the market but he has a good draw and should be feared if he flies round the outside of any trouble. Bluehawk is better value to capitalise though for me.

21:19 – Standard

Those who have gambled Lister will be relying on this progressive dog to bring it home for them and it is hard to envisage the race panning out any other way. Lemon Pluto should lead the whole way here. Guinness Dusty lacks a touch of top quality class but has pace and knows the track so could be a danger if he skips clear, especially drawn against a bitch that might as well be 500/1 unfortunately. Bubbly Lucky has been impressive at Hove but looks a sort that needs a galloping track and not the tight turns of Yarmouth, and it is ard to see how the 4 dog could live with Pluto’s early if they break on terms.

So here are the recommendations:

Farloe Kyle – 1 piece of bread @ 12/1

Teejays Bluehawk – 1 chewstick @ 8/1

As ever, please comment or tweet me and I’ll gladly answer any questions on what I have barked here. I have a gut instinct (and it’s not because it’s near feeding time) that we are going to see something a bitch special from Farloe Tango tonight; hopefully not a dance halfway round the track if he gets bored.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A welcome return for my colleagues to the Sky cameras this evening as the Juvenile and the final of the Springbok are shown live with a quality supporting card. I used to love having the cameras turn up to see my wins, I always tried to give a nose to the camera before the race to please my adoring fans: the Lolly Faithful. The racing looks highly competitive tonight and with competition normally comes some great value and the Lolly Faithful should be benefiting from it by 9:30p.m. tonight! Here are my thought’s on the card:

19:34 – 273m

Not the highest quality of sprints to get us going but there is definitely value in a dog to rediscover his old form, which would beat these. He once went off at 33/1 when he lost to me round Wimbledon but I’m pretty sure most dogs were priced at that when they raced against me so that should not be of concern tonight; the value is the well-drawn King Scotty to sweep round the outside and take this. Comeragh King is no doubt fast-up and with a clear run will be hard to beat but he is drawn next to the equally pacey Murlens Crash and so for me, these two could get in each other’s way and set it up for Scotty to take the debut race for the new coverage.

19:49 – 480m

A quality field of bitches here and believe me, I like a quality field of bitches. The concern for the favourite, Bridge Ruth, is she did not run Wimbledon well at all in the Oaks and looks like she prefers a galloping track: she is worth taking on at her price. Cases could be made for them all here really, but the value if I had to pick one would be for Jaytee Cuba who is showing signs of returning to form having ran well at the Spring Festival at Monmore. Hopefully tonight she will show why the Lolly Faithful backed her antepost for the Oaks last year, albeit ill-fatedly.

20:04 – 894m

This is a true marathon distance around Wimbledon and the danger of Buglys Billie turning anywhere close to a menacing position on the first circuit is a huge concern; she is a truly admirable bitch and seems to have forgotten her owners are retiring her when she comes into season. The best value on the card tonight though is in this race in the form of another bitch as it is hard to envisage how she does not lead by a long way after 6 bends and she definitely gets this stern trip. Backing Aero Rebel with some doggie treats will lead to us dining in style tonight. The 5/2 has gone as I fell asleep on the sofa this morning and missed it, but the 9/4 is still far too big for this in-form bitch. She sometimes does not take to a track well but she is proven around Wimbledon and that is good enough for me.

20:19 – 480mH

The Springbok Final is sadly lacking in the Lolly Faithful’s antepost selection, Droopys Lorenzo, but this is a decent ensemble of my colleagues this year and there are many ways the race can pan out. Druids Abouttime looks a big price given he is drawn next to two tardy starters but that also plays into the hands of Lenson Johnny, who can go some way to fulfilling his potential over the hurdles if he is to skip clear around the first bend today. Westmead Meteor has jumped well but my thoughts have not changed from what I barked in my antepost write-up for this competition (http://is.gd/eYSbu3) when I suggested he “jumps well but this is a dog who could not win an A1 at Hall Green; it is hard to envisage him competing no matter how well he goes over the sticks”. He could go on to prove me wrong and he was clearly value when he was backed pretty heavily antepost, but that value has now gone and he is plenty short enough, certainly considering that he may make a mistake over a hurdle as he has only been jumping for 5 weeks! Johnny can let his experience tell here.

20:34 – 273m

The quality for this sprint is better and yet there is a dog who is being underrated as a potential sprinting star of the future. He is worth backing today to out-trap my old nemesis Lil Risky as he did at Monmore in the Winter Festival over 416m: the value is with the lid-pinging Andlyns Asabat. Kim Billingham’s dog has put in a decent trial at Wimbledon and is one of the most reliable trappers I have seen over the past year; he will no doubt miss the break tonight as my colleagues can be pesky but he is value to beat Risky as he was in front of him for at least 273m at Monmore in December. Aero Joseph (ex-Millridge Blue) is useful without being spectacular and the same can apply for the dog on his immediate inside, Guinness Smokie, with those two likely to cause each other more problems than the judge at the winning line.

20:49 – 480m

It’s pretty obvious that whichever of my colleagues wins this race will be shortened for the Derby in May, which is a testament to the quality of this line-up. If Bubbly Phoenix was in his beloved stripes, then he would be well worthy of some of my doggie treats but those with a better memory than a dog’s (I had to watch the race again) will remember how he missed the break terribly from 5 in the Derby Semi-Final in May. If he comes away I think he has more overall pace than Loughteen Blanco but it is worth siding with Blanco on this occasion with the potential of Phoenix missing the break again too risky to go with him. Jolly Bullseye is no doubt pacey and is flying around Plough Lane, but has class questions to answer if Blanco leads him up.

21:04 – 687m

Well, Blonde Reagan has been throwing form students some curve balls recently and whilst he returns to his happiest of hunting grounds here (and hunting rabbits is what we are best at!), he cannot be trusted to rediscover his trapping boots at such a short price. He has created value in the market without question. That value for me comes in the form of Droopys Xavier who is developing into a classy sort, especially on the bunny, and he has the best of the draw to work on with Swift Signal and Bubbly Swallow both looking awkward from their berths. Xavier chased home Reagan twice in the St. Leger but not by a ridiculous distance and if he gets first run today, he is value to get one over the Stayer of the Year.

21:19 – 480m

If I had a hat, and believe me I would if my ears didn’t prick when I get excited and it falls off, I would be saying “hold onto your hats” in this race. This Juvenile is going to be a belter, almost regardless of the outcome. The least likely eventuality is Teejays Bluehawk swooping late but it is hard to envisage unless there is ridiculous trouble in front, and these two year olds are too classy to all get involved in a completely chaotic race. Alien Planet is not exactly ideally drawn in the red box and whilst Lister might find a yard or two more pace out of him, he was, and remains overrated in my eyes. Jaytee Hellcat has been flying around Wimbledon and arguably has the best draw considering Lenson Champ is looking outclassed realistically; Hellcat could set a serious bar for the others to aim at. Ballymac Eske is arguably the fastest dog in England when he has a solo but his performances around Wimbledon must be a concern to his backers and he may show why he is no value at all for the Derby at his current price; it goes without saying if he gets a clear run he will go at least close. The value, and surprisingly not favourite when all considered, is Farloe Warhawk who’s draw is not of as much concern as some circles are making out as Eske does not have his early and Hellcat will likely hold his position. Warhawk has shown his class on the bunny, from off-the-pace and generally his desire to win being one that should seriously worry my colleagues this evening. If he leads, which is very realistic, it will be all over bar me barking from my sofa.

So there are a dog’s thoughts on the proceedings. It should be a quality night’s entertainment to show that there is a place for dog racing on Sky and that the decision to promote basketball instead is ludicrous. Maybe my colleagues for the Springbok would be most suited to a career change to the NBA but tonight, they will show why greyhound racing is a much better sport to watch. If you haven’t already, get your doggie treats on Aero Rebel, I don’t lose them lightly I promise.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

These Monmore Festivals always seem to entice top greyhounds to compete and that is no exception today where we have four fascinating, quality finals. My colleagues will have to deal with an onslaught of rain but hopefully the Lolly Faithful’s spirits will not be dampened if a couple of my fancies win this afternoon. Here are a dog’s thoughts on the proceedings:

15:08 – Puppy Derby Final

It almost goes without saying for anyone that has watched him that Golden Wonder will turn left out of the boxes and trap 4 could leave him in a perilous situation. I think few could argue that he is currently the fastest dog in this race but it is hard to see how he will not encounter early trouble, especially with the terribly drawn Bonamassa Rocks being a tight railer too: things do not bode well for Remember Scotie or Strategic Review unless the ping, which is not entirely out of the question. It is also of note to bark how pleasing it is to see a Rayvin Giovanni pup (in Scotie) looking to have the potential to fulfil the promise that his father showed before his unfortunate injury. The value in this race, which is extremely competitive, is to side with Cluxtons Free to ping out again from a good draw and not be for catching. Free was brought in as a reserve for this competition but certainly did not run like one in the heats as he showed great pace from a good start to overpower the in-form Strategic Review. With the inevitable chaos somewhere on the inside, it is the call to side with Free who has a good draw next to the tardy starter Johnnys Boy.

15:43 – 630 Final

This trip at Monmore is all about the break as the traps are virtually on the bend. With that in mind Blonde Reagan is a real danger if he rediscovers his trapping boots; especially considering his surprisingly gutsy performance to win his heat, a sign that he is a dog that really is a true champion. He cannot be relied upon to ping though and with that in mind, the recommendation is to side with Jazz Tilly to ping out again from her red box and make all. She is a very likeable sort and has the scope to improve further on her performance from Monday afternoon: she could be anything. Ballyard Buddy will no doubt run his grinding race but he never strikes me as a dog to side with at short prices and whilst feared, Tilly could be away-and-gone. The ridiculous late running of Romeo Patriot is feared but he is surely destined to go over a marathon trip sooner rather than later as he does not get involved until the final strides over this distance.

16:14 – Dogs Final

The Lolly Faithful are currently on Newinn Rocket at 10/1 antepost and the track specialist can show that he needed the run on Monday to beat this supreme field. Bold Three is making into a serious contender for Sallis in the Derby as he has early and gets the 480m with ease; he also showed his fontain of knowledge for the track on Monday with a bold success but he is plenty short enough against these classy types. Mags Gamble is always feared in any race but his draw looks perilous to me with Benkaat Blue being able to ping and Airlie Impact’s pace, however wide, should be feared in any race. Newinn Rocket to make all but a case could be made for any of these greyhounds if I’m an honest dog.

16:47 – Bitches Final

Well, what a litter we have developing here with Jaytee Jules showing all of the class and pace of her Juvenile hopeful brother, Jaytee Hellcat. Rumour in the kennels has it that more of this litter are expected to be running soon and it is worth paying serious attention to them: she can frank that comment by beating these superb bitches. The Lolly Faithful were on her in the heats at 10/3 and a similar performance will be too much for even these classy bitches. Airforce Allstar is a danger but will head for the rails giving Jules a nice run. Express Flame missed the break in the heats and whilst classy, will not benefit any more from being in trap 4, especially with a back-to-form Jaytee Cuba outside of her. Jules looks good here if she can repeat her debut performance, which of course is not a certainty.

One recommendation for the Lolly Faithful today then:

15:43 – Jazz Tilly – 1pt @ 9/4

So there are a dog’s thoughts on the proceedings. Apologies for the lateness of the dog blog but I fell asleep on the sofa earlier and only woke up when I fell off. Please comment or tweet me if you have anything to say to me and I’ll bark back at you, nicely of course.

The Springbok is always an intriguing affair as my colleagues who are fast on the flat but have lost their way meet the dogs who are genuinely talented jumpers. It is also a great competition to find value and the Lolly Faithful will hopefully be happy with this one when he jumps to success on the first Sky night of the year on 19th March. Last year, the elegant jumping of Westmead Melanie proved too classy for her rivals and so one would think to go for a dog who was schooled as a jumper, like Melanie, to win the Springbok this time around. I, a dog, never think normally though and the value is to go with the greyhound who has yet to show he is a truly natural hurdler. If he improves his hurdling he will jump around Wimbledon faster than most of his rivals could go on the flat – the value this year is to back Droopys Lorenzo.

Last year’s Derby Quarter-Finalist has been primed for this tournament for months, regardless of Sky sponsorship or suchforth that has meant that the entries are limited to just 31 runners this year: the owners wanted him in this tournament. Lorenzo’s flat career is one of sheer pace; 28:16 at Monmore, 28:28 at Perry Barr and most significantly, a staggering 28:33 at Wimbledon. That run at Wimbledon shows he handles the track well which was then backed up by an 8 length success in a trial stakes for the Springbok at this track. That led to the Racing Manager at Wimbledon not accepting him for a subsequent trial stakes as he needed to be able to appreciate the pace of the other dogs who were left in Lorenzo’s wake: this dog is in a different class.

Lorenzo was arguably unlucky to get knocked out in the Derby last year as he met the blistering Razldazl Rioga who denied him his all-important lead: that will not be a problem in this tournament. So the question is, who are his rivals? Westmead Meteor has shown he likes Wimbledon and jumps well but this is a dog who could not win an A1 at Hall Green; it is hard to envisage him competing no matter how well he goes over the sticks. Lenson Johnny has proven he can jump well and he beat his kennelmate Lenson Teddy in a trial (who is no slouch on the bunny over hurdles) but he has shown glimpses of why he is going over the sticks as he has been guilty of throwing in a dodgy performance now and again: his consistency is a huge issue. The rest of the market look as though they have been put over hurdles for a reason too, unfortunately Daddy Knowsbest is the prime example for that argument.

The dog with perhaps the best value in terms of potential is Aero Bellagio. At a standout 40/1 he looks big for a dog that could live with Ballymac Eske’s pace as a puppy, but again, he has been missing for a while and the question of whether he was chasing the hare or Eske on that occasion is left to your discretion. If I was to have one of my beloved doggie treats on an each-way shot, it would be Bellagio, but I would be far happier in taking a bet on him to lose the final by a short-head.

So here is the recommendation for the Lolly Faithful, provided with my food steaking plan:

Droopys Lorenzo – 3 Doggie Treats @ 7/4

So there are a dog’s thoughts on the Springbok, please comment or tweet me if you have any thoughts on what I have barked. Lorenzo may have questions to prove over hurdles but Dean Childs believes he will improve his jumping and if that is the case, he will win this tournament by a long way. As long as he doesn’t fall at any of the obstacles, he could run through the hurdles and beat this field.