After the conundrum of the antepost markets and selecting Team Lolly to do battle in this year’s Derby, the attention turns towards the first round heats. Finding the value is tough in the early rounds as the main protagonists are often trained to be brought on later in the competition, with connections hoping they can merely qualify from the First Round and progress from there. Therefore it is imperative to find which of my colleagues are raring to go today and then the value can be found there. Here are my thoughts on the first night’s racing:

Heat 1 – 19:25

Kereight King comes with a lofty reputation from Ireland and a skinny antepost price. He has a good draw to work from here with dual Category One winner, Mags Gamble, preferring a mid-course and so King can assert and demonstrate he is a contender for this illustrious crown. Airlie Impact posted a good trial but is not well-boxed in 5 as he will be looking for the restaurant at the first bend and despite a flashy trial, it is hard to envisage him being up to his impressive Hove form.

Heat 2 – 19:39

Two of the powerhouses line-up in this heat and it looks to me as though Screen Critic has a good enough draw to overhaul the fast-out Farloe Calvin. Aero Tobias has pace but the two who dominate the market could be long gone.

Heat 3 – 19:54

Knockglass Billy is a top-class sprinter from Ireland and has a lovely draw to utilise his early-pace and gallop clear hear. Ayamzaman has early but struggles when he is not at his beloved Romford and will definitely be gasping for air over this 480m trip. He will be looking to move mid-to-wide too and could hinder Laughil George enough for Billy to skip clear. Islas Scolari is powerful but leaves himself far too much to do on too many occassions to warrant support this time.

Heat 4 – 20:10

Eden Star’s infamous devastating pace was on full-display last year in the First Round and the bookmakers seemed to have remembered that quotes of Evens for the First Round last year were misguided: he is too powerful for weaker opposition. Whilst Bubbly Lucky is running well, he will lack the early of Star and could also be hindered by the impressive bitch Silverview Pinky on his inside. Bouncy Bocko looks like he needs 8 bends on his recent form and whilst he is a surprise inclusion, he is unlikely to be anywhere near Star at any point in the race.

Heat 5 – 20:26

An intriguing contest with only 3 qualifying being unfortunate for connections as a few of these have a chance to progress a considerable way in the tournament. Paradise Martini came from Ireland with a big reputation and has ran well up North but he meets track specialist Jolly Bullseye who is likely to be fully-fired up for this. Teejays Bluehawk should always be feared due to his strength but he is bereft of significant early and that should give Bullseye the room to assert ahead of Martini and make-all. Sidaz Jack is an interesting entrant for Lister and whilst he can progress in the tournament, it is hard to back him with confidence in his first race on these shores, especially in this competitive affair. Zoos Caprice is on fire at her local track but will need a career best effort to live with these.

Heat 6 – 20:42

The heat of the first round sees antepost favourite Ballymac Eske with a terrible draw. Of course, he may have the class to prevail and make a mockery of the doubters but this is a value game and he has to be taken on in this race due to the presence of one of his few losses, Farloe Tango, inside of him and the daunting presence of the hugely rails biased Garryglass Rodge on his outside. It is nervous times for connections and whilst there could be chaos on the inside, Isabels Boy has a lovely run on the outside with the mid-moving Bridge Honcho on his inner and the Irish raider can exert his brutal early pace and skip clear. It will take something special to catch him.

Heat 7 – 20:58

One of the weaker looking heats is headed by the fast but erratic and injury prone Slick Santiago. If he brings his A-Game he will win this but that is all-too-often not the case and so recent trials stakes winner King Bradley can capitalise. Bradley has never seemed accustomed to Romford but has shown he can run Wimbledon well and barring traffic from the occasionally fast-away Final McCoy, he can swoop round the outside and not be for catching. It is a good opportunity for the others to qualify but there chances overall look extremely far-fetched.

Heat 8 – 21:15

The top and the bottom look like they are going to have a real battle here and it will give a serious indication of the chances of Shaneboy Alley as Droopys Jet is proven round here having been a Semi-Finalist last year. When I bark proven, I mean he kept qualifying as he never got the curved boxes that we have in the UK last year and for that reason, if he misses the break as he did all of last year, Alley will need no invitation to show his Swindon track-record breaking pace.

Heat 9 – 21:32

By 21:32 tonight it certainly will be ‘Chico Time’ as the unknown quantity of Farloe Chico makes his debut in the UK. At the price of 4/6 he is surely best swerved and whilst he does face a relatively easy assignment, Jaytee Zeus has ran creditably at Romford for a while and the longer run up at Wimbledon will play to his early-pace strengths. He could lead and he will set a benchmark, albeit not a terribly stiff one, for Chico to show if he is as nimble as his dancing namesake.

Heat 10 – 21:48

If Ballymac Vic can put in an error-free tournament then he will be the one to beat in this competition, including Eske, in my dog’s honest opinion. He has yet to go through a tournament without a blip and the fact he faces six rounds here is worrying for any backers antepost. With the rails diving Cu Na Mianta on his inside he can cheat his wide draw here and win comfortably. It is later rounds where he will be worried.

Heat 11 – 22:03

Another dog, like Garryglass Rodge, that you do not want drawn outside of you is Golden Wonder and he is set for a great battle with the ever-improving and likeable Bonamassa Rocks. Rocks shot to fame with a sub-34 seconds run at Romford in an A1 as a very young dog which is seriously impressive speed but will need to shirk off Lister’s rails-lover here. While those two are scrimmaging, Jaytee Hellcat will have the run of the race and he is not one to give a second invitation too. He is also a lively outsider for the tournament as he has the desire to keep qualifying.

Heat 12 – 22:18

The big powerhouse of an early-paced merchant that is Lemon Pluto can show my Irish colleagues that they will not have it all their own way in this tournament. Tyrur Sugar Ray is another you do not want outside of you and although he will be slow-away, he can cause enough hindrance to the Ladbrokes 600 winner, Ringtown Snowy (who beat Sugar Ray in that final), for Pluto to skip clear and show his credentials for the whole tournament.

Heat 13 – 22:35

My old friend Alien Planet lines up again and his favouritism is still questionable when I paw over his overall form. Longwood Fantasy is no mug and will not need an invitation to win this, but he will unlikely not be given one from the all-round pace of Hather George who is in scintillating form over various trips and can win a few rounds of the Derby this year. Young Golden, the Gymcrack winner, will need to step up again but with him drawn next to George it could give Lister’s charge a nice run to the bend and we now know he stays.

So there are my thoughts for Friday’s installment of the Derby. Please tweet or comment me if you have anything to say and I’ll bark back at you with vigour. Eske better be looking right when he comes out of the traps as Rodge will certainly be looking the other way!