On a night where the Regency will be dominated by the greyhound superstar that is Farloe Tango, it’s a surprisingly competitive card at Hove considering how close it is to the Derby beginning. The Lolly Faithful will know that Hove is one of our regular haunts on a Thursday evening and with it’s long galloping straights and smooth bends, it makes it a really level playing field for my colleagues. Due to the regularity of Open racing at the track there are some real course specialists and with so much form for me to paw over, I’ve found some value for the Lolly Faithful, as ever:

19:34 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race to start the proceedings and it looks like a Category One final line-up! Arguably the four best sprinters in training go to the traps here and when there is this sort of quality clash, the draw is particularly crucial. The good draw has fallen upon Aero Twizzle who likes it out of trap 1 and will have the mid-to-wide moving Wee Tiger Tots (who is yet to break well from this close to the rail) setting the race up for him. Twizzle showed he was in good order when he defied a paw draw last week to win the sprint at Swindon and with a favourable position here, he can account for his esteemed rivals. They include Helenas Sailor who would much prefer to come out of trap 6, as would Zenas Boy and with so many dogs looking to course the hare on the outside here, the first bend could have a pile-up to gift Twizzle the race. Express Max looks a good prospect but has fared worst in the draw and Call Me Millie is capable of a flier, further adding to the expected chaos.

19:49 – Puppy

The youngsters have a go here and there are some nicely progressive types to take on the unbeaten over course and distance, Droopys Jarrow. Whilst he clearly loves it round this South Coast venue (5 from 5), he can all too often find trouble in his races by running into the back of dogs (not advised) and he can ill-afford to do that against this class of young tyke. Millwards Teddy was unfortunate not to win last week when showing his usual early to be denied his lead by a freak break from Bailiff Turbo and he can make amends for that defeat this evening. He is yet to come out of trap 5 in his career but with Ballymac Bocko not possessing his early pace and Benkaat Panther looking outclassed, Teddy can lead at the bend. Ballymac Loch has shown good early of late but is desperate for the line over this long 4 bend trip and his toiling in front on the rails could hinder the late challenges of Droopys Ward and Droopys Jarrow. Either of those latter two with a clear run will almost certainly back-run Teddy, but the race has the look to me of get out and go clear: Teddy can do that.

20:04 – Hurdles

Two very good obstacle jumpers line-up here and again, the draw proves decisive in selecting the winner in that Mash Mad Snowy will have a lovely run round the outside as Rummy Lord moves in to the rails. Razldazl Butch would give him a race with a clear but it is hard to see how that will happen with Scolari Express having good pace on his inside and the aforementioned Lord diving straight for him. Also, it is Snowy’s optimum distance as he stays strongly over a normal 4 bend trip so it is hard to envisage him not asserting if he can hold his jumping together.

20:19 – Bitches

I particularly like watching these bitches races and I’ll be on the edge of the sofa as they are paraded beforehand. One bitch I am particularly fond of is Droopys Posh who is versatile and simply adores it round here (7 wins from 9). She will have to ride her luck around the first 2 bends but if she can secure a clear passage, this circuit plays greatly to her galloping strengths to the extent that she once chased down Swift Keith around here (20/1 for the Derby). Express Coral is an in-and-out type of bitch to me which isn’t to everyone’s taste and the presence of early-paced merchant Alarming Jacks on her outside, could mean that those two put paid to their respective chances. Droopys Cottage is progressive but has yet to prove she can be a match for Posh when they meet around here.

20:34 – Stayers

Droopys Ed Moses has his critics due to the way he drops himself out to a ridiculous extent at the start of his races but it was hard to ignore him absolutely motoring in the second half of his race last week at Swindon. The fact there two early-paced bitches and no wide dogs in this race will help his cause (Universal Dream and Rockburst Liz with the early). There is no doubting his ability against this type of class, he could quite easily destroy them for pace when he decides to go. His style is very similar to that of the living legend Farloe Tango (who we have the pleasure of seeing later) and this race can give us an Appetiser of Bread and Water before the Main course of Chicken Breasts and Bread later.

20:49 – Marathon

This is an extremely long marathon even for marathon standards and for that reason, it is hard to back the favourite who has ran-on over the 6 bend trip here and flew to the pick up, but will she stay in race conditions? For that reason, Miss Understated is proven to stay and will take all of the beating if she can lead like she did for the Lolly Faithful when she won for this dog blog at 8/1 last week. She has taken a while to settle in England, clearly, but now she has her paws on the ground and is comfortable on her kennel bed, she has the pace and staying power to give Old Refrain a real target here. Will Old Refrain stay? Evens is not a price I would want to put my beloved doggie treats on that.

21:04 – Standard

Several Derby contenders are put through their paces at their preferred style of track (to Wimbledon) and it should be a fascinating contest between Droopys Odell and Exocet. The former, the Juvenile champion, has always gone for the rails whenever he can and I think that could be a problem this evening for him as Hipower Rhino is a reliable trapper on his inside with a decent turn of paw. If Exocet decides to turn up his brilliant best, which is hugely questionable, then he could make this a formality but he just seems to throw in too many lacklustre performances to be trusted at such a short price. He will also dive for the rails at the first bend as he cuts the corner and if he has not made the bend ahead of his rivals on his inside, this could spell trouble and for that reason it is worth taking a flier on the outsider of the field to sweep around the outside. Regal Bailio is a very frustrating sort who looks a Derby contender one week and then a grader the next; he has pace to burn when he is on a going day and whilst he would still struggle to match Odell or Exocet if they get clear, if there is the expected trouble, Bailio is the one to likely benefit. He has thrown up many a shock result in his career and he is not a 25/1 shot with the make-up of this race.

21:19 – Regency Final

With the unfortunate withdrawal of our antepost selection Fear Emoski due to an injury she sustained when she qualified last week, this race is all about one dog. He could even lead tonight by the second bend. What price that Farloe Tango breaks the long-standing track record at Hove tonight?

Here are the recommendations:

20:49 – Miss Understated – 1 breast of chicken @ 7/2

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to bark at you with as much enthusiasm as I’ll be howling in delight watching the mighty Tango tonight. He divides many, but in my dog’s honest opinion, he’s one of the greatest of all time: savour him.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

My colleagues line-up this evening with their Derby aspirations firmly in the back of their mind and whilst it is not a vintage renewal of The Arc, it has always been a good indicator for the Derby and in particular those in good form for the first few rounds. Shaneboy Alley won this competition around Swindon for the Lolly Faithful last year and whilst there did not appear any real value in the antepost market this time, there is one dog in the final this evening that appears far too big to my ever watchful eyes. Besides the big race, there is a competitive looking supporting card and as ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Bitches

Always nice to start with a mouth-watering contest that the bitches races present and here, I think it will be a battle for early supremacy on the inside. Droopys Cottage is in fine fettle and ran the track OK in a trial but crucially, the comment of “mid-wide” for that effort should be of huge concern to the bitch drawn immediately outside of her in Fairest Royal. Whilst either of those could skip clear, trouble on the run-up could present the race to the game Sharies Miller. She was a no-show in the Arc first round which is not hugely encouraging but Jolly Bullseye is a class act around here and she simply could not live with his early and then rather started thinking about her dog food later rather than chasing the bunny. With the draw in her favour, we can see her put up a much more sprited effort this evening and skip round on the inside to assert.

19:49 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here and what a fascinating contest it looks! A case could be made for all of these but in races like this, the draw can prove the deciding factor and in that regard, Zenas Boy is fancied to skip round the outside. Of course, any of these could get a flier and put the race to bed (as I did so often) but barring that, Skate On and Andlyns Asabat are reliable pingers and drawn the wrong way round which will also do the often slow-starting (for the grade) Aero Twizzle no favours. Brosna King took his chance last week and winning form should never be underestimated but I doubt he is quite up to this class and will have to produce a career best effort this evening to land the spoils. Witcombe Dilemma loves it at his home track but I’m unsure he has genuine 2-bend speed to be able to live with these highly esteemed colleague of mine. Zenas Boy did put in a disappointing effort in his first look at the track in a trial last week, but he is normally a reliable sort and can skip clear around the outside.

20:04 – Standard

This race had me spinning round on my sofa with excitement this morning when I saw the price of Garryglass Rodge and I haven’t stopped howling since. He is a class act out of trap 1, is in the similar type of form he was last spring when he dazzled some high class fields in the Derby and has a brilliant draw to work from with Melodys Midnight far from reliable at the boxes. Rodge has a never-say-die attitude which has led him to lead the likes of then-Derby favourite Ballymac Eske for 479m of the 480m at Wimbledon in the first round of the Derby last year before destroying a good field in the 2nd round from an unfavourable draw (out of 4). I also think that Swindon is a track that favours the railers and with the track expected to be running fast tonight (it has been fast all week), he will be very, very hard to catch. Ballycannon Hope is a fast dog but his trial of 28:29 around here looks out-of-place compared to his efforts in races and he will have to get luck in-running to feature as he is susceptible to missing the break and not being able to go with the faster starting hounds on the run-up. His effort may also be hindered by Guinness Spark who is an in-and-out sort but is a confirmed railer; whilst he has the pace to go close in this he is very inconsistent and will need a career best here to live with Rodge. El Domingo looked like he had never seen a greyhound track last week and whilst Paradise Malibu is a nice, game sort from Ireland, he cannot afford to give Rodge anywhere near the start he gave the field last week. Rodge to show his class here.

20:19 – Super Stayers

This race of performers over a ridiculous distance centres around Storm Pockets and whether she is the force of old: I think not. If she was she would win this by a long way but she just seems to me that she’d much prefer to be lay next to me on my sofa than chasing those pesky hares on the track. With that in mind that she won’t put her best paw forward, I am taking a chance that Miss Understated can reproduce her Irish form: if she does that she will win this. Swift Kennedy looks to have a strange pawtfolio of skills for a stayer so he is best swerved and it is hard to assess the three Poole raiders. Cashen Sarah looks like she has the measure of Francos Causeway at their home track but then Have A Think looks as though she can beat either of them on their day; basically, I think they are all about as good as each other so take your pick. That barked, Miss Understated was a class above these Poole raiders in Ireland and at the prices, she is the value.

20:34 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and in Forest Gavin we have an exciting prospect who has put in some very flashy times in trials and races. Yet, should he be as short as 6/4 against the more experienced dogs? I don’t think so. In his first effort here he got the first bend all wrong and whilst it did not cost him, against classier sorts like these tonight then he may just be found out. For instance, Millwards Teddy has a lovely turn of paw and also has a good draw to work from with Droopys Jarrow seemingly not knowing whether he wants the rails, middle, wide or to run the other side of the hare rail. Whilst Jarrow with a clear run is undoubtedly a very fast young tyke, I much prefer to rely on the consistent Teddy here to assert on the outside should Forest Gavin not handle the step up in class first time out. If Gavin gets on the bunny, there is only one winner in my eyes but Teddy is surely too big to skip clear and utilise his extra knowledge of his job.

20:49 – Super Standard

Two extremely high class performers line up here in Airport Captain and Droopys Odell. With the long run up to the bend and it being his perfect distance, preference is for the latter even though he would much prefer to be drawn inside his main rival here. It also has to be factored into the equation that Ericks Gav is no trap 1 dog and will be moving wide which all leads to this classy affair having a messy looking outcome to it. It is a shame there is not a stand out performer drawn wide of these three as they would have to come into the equation, but I just can’t see any of them being fast enough to cope with Captain or indeed, Odell.

21:04 – Stayers

This is a very intriguing affair with a lot of inconsistent sorts to try and assess. Joscar put in a good trial the other day yet he has failed to sparkle in races of late and so is passed over in favour of the brute, raw pace of Droopys Ed Moses. You have to have faith in Moses as he invariably drops himself to the back of any field before ploughing through them on the outside but on his day, he is very hard to contain. His presence gives Droopys Diop a great chance to lead the outside unopposed and he is a dangerous sort on the bunny but it is always hard to not consider Moses as he has the pace to go past the vast majority of dogs in training. Romantic Rambo save his best for Crayford and sadly disappoints on his travels.

21:19 – The Arc

I barked earlier that this is not a vintage renewal and whilst I hope my colleagues here go on to prove me wrong, it is certainly a race with intrigue following the sad withdrawal of Benkaat Nero due to injury. Sidaz Harris and All About Ya will be fighting it out on the rail and whilst the sectionals may prove to be telling (in that Harris should lead), I think All About Ya will give him a great battle for early supremacy and that could hinder boths chances. This should set the race up perfectly for Islas Scolari who will have the freedom of Wiltshire on the outside with Zero Two darting straight for the rails (she could also join that battle with the 1 and 2 dogs). Scolari is not renowned for his trapping but he has improved during this competition and that is dangerous for his rivals as he is such a strong sort. He can power up the back straight and continue his relentless galloping to victory.

So here are the recommendations:

20:04 – Garryglass Rodge – 3 doggie treats @ 2/1

20:34 – Millwards Teddy – 1 dog bone @ 3/1

21:19 – Islas Scolari – 2 pieces of bread @ 7/2

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings. As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I promise to bark with all of the fervour that I displayed when I saw Rodge’s price this morning. It should be a cracking night and it should finish with the Lolly Faithful dining in style on doggie treats when Scolari hits the front in the last!

Recommendation:

De Real McCoy – 1/2 bowl of doggie food @ 200/1

Holdem Spy

The most unlucky colleague of mine to not reach the final of the Derby last year was Holdem Spy. It was agonising for the Lolly Faithful who had backed him at 80/1 (20/1 to reach the final) and with him returning in scintillating fashion last Saturday, he is value again.

After he had set the now-closed Coventry circuit alight at the start of 2013 with his trademark burst down the back-straight between the 2nd and 3rd bends, he took to Wimbledon magnificently last year when winning the 1st Round after showing his liking in a rapid trial.

That really got his supporters (including us) excited as he was no 80/1 shot in the Derby from thereon (cut to 33/1 after receiving a favourable draw in the 2nd Round). In that 2nd Round he met the unexposed, eventual finalist Screen Critic on his inside and had a great tussle with that determined rival. Going down a short-head to such a gutsy performer was by no means a disgrace and although criticised at the time by humans for perhaps having his own ideas, Critic’s exploits after that dispelled any suggestion that Jimmy (his nickname) had not tried to win that race in his best fashion.

Jimmy then went on to catch the very useful Arc winner, Shaneboy Alley, in the 3rd Round and gave Ballymac Eske (in arguably Eske’s best race of his disappointing tournament) a real race having seen Eske turn in front of the whole field in the Quarter-Final.

It was the agonising defeat in the Semi-Finals that still sits firmly in the memory when he once again went down a short-head to Screen Critic to finish out of the qualifying places. After that, it could be argued that he has a penchant for Critic but I personally have the viewpoint that they are two very talented, gutsy performers who give their all and therefore, finish in close proximity when they are against each other.

Following his impressive Derby campaign, he went for a crack at the Irish Derby with the long back-straight of Shelbourne Park seemingly perfect for his style: it was. Unfortunately withdrawn after a minor injury sustained in his kennel when he had won the 3rd Round, the only 2 dogs that beat him round Shelbourne were the Irish Derby winner, Slippery Robert, and the then Derby favourite Kereight King (withdrawn also with an injury).

There is no doubting Holdem Spy is an exceptional talent and the English Derby 2014 has always been his target since he ran so well last year. The question was whether he would retain enough ability as a 3 and a half year old to his younger self: his win in the Scottish Derby 1st Round suggests he has. Whilst he will always require luck around the first 2 bends, he has proven time and time again throughout his career that he is capable of riding traffic, backing off if necessary, or driving the bend if he is given a clear run. He will be so tough to knock out and at 20/1 to reach the final, he has to be backed again.

Sidaz Jack

Jack is a classy, gutsy colleague of mine. He won last year’s Derby without breaking 28:40 (Razldazl Jayfkay’s track record is 28:12) and so what he does so brilliantly is get himself in front and repels all-comers. Yet, last year he was constantly underrated (long odds in quarters/semi/final) as humans did not realise what he was doing; they just looked at his times and thought that surely the likes of Droopys Jet or Ballymac Vic will beat him for pace: they didn’t. This year, however, Sidaz Jack is not being underrated by anyone being installed as the 20/1 favourite.

The conundrum, however, about Jack is that he has pretty much everything going for him this year. Perfect age (3 years old), lightly-raced, Charlie Lister OBE, scintillating early, runs the track like a dream, proven to be a proper colleague against the elite. He showed in his first trial stakes back his sensational early which (apart from sprinters) I think only Pay Freeze could live with in this country was still there. So what is stopping Jack turning in front in the vast majority of the Derby and holding all-comers in his modest (by the standard) times? I’m not sure I can answer that question and for that, I would not put off any dog or human backing him. Yet at 20/1, I’m not sure I can fully justify him being too big a price as unless he improves by 1-2 lengths (which of course is very possible), another proper dog could eventually catch him and at 5/1 to make the final, that looks too short for a 6 round tournament for a front-runner who could theoretically miss the break in any one of his 6 races. I understand that this analysis of Jack has hardly been the most coherent of arguments for or against him but that literally is the conundrum that he presents. Is he too short? Or is he too long? I think he is slightly the latter and for that reason, the Lolly Faithful have to get him on side.

Vanrooney

Connections of Vanrooney have been in a buoyant mood recently saying he has settled well into his new kennel for his Derby tilt; after showing his trademark track-craft and back straight pace in both of his trial stakes, he looks sure to go deep in this year’s tournament.

The September 2011 dog rose to prominence when winning the Harolds Cross Puppy Derby in October (typically from last to first) with the likes of Newlawn Impact (40/1 for the Derby), Aclamon Messi (won well in a trial stakes before being withdrawn injured) and El Flutter all left in his wake as he powered past them in impressive style. Whilst definitely being seen as Dublin’s second track (to Shelbourne), Harolds Cross’ comparative layout is far closer to Wimbledon’s than the Home of Greyhound Racing with its tighter bends and shorter straights to its neighbour. Therefore, a dog that runs Harolds Cross well will normally be suited to the challenge of Wimbledon and Vanrooney’s target has been the Derby since his scintillating victory of their premier puppy tournament of the year.

The reason Wimbledon is such a good venue for the Derby is that it gives all sorts of styles a chance. Whilst many will say they prefer a hound out in front, it is far more important to be out in the lead at tracks such as Romford, Crayford and Hall Green than at Wimbledon in my dog’s honest opinion. This is because the bends are slightly wider so dogs can sweep round the outside (or inside on occasion) and the back straight is deceptively long, giving the stronger sorts a chance to unleash their pace: which Vanrooney does expertly at Wimbledon. It is also important to note that the stronger dogs have much more of a chance of recovering during the 3 runs in the space of a week from the 3rd Round, especially since the somewhat absurd and illogical decision to move the pick-up to the 3rd bend (from the 2nd bend) since 2012 so the dogs have to run a full 100m more each time they run in the Derby.

Vanrooney’s first effort at Plough Lane was taking in the Juvenile as he dropped himself out, unleashed his back-straight pace and looked for all the world like he would catch the away-and-gone Droopys Odell: that is no mean feat. Odell is a strong sort who is sure to go deep in the Derby (draw dependent) but the fact that Vanrooney was making such an impression on him, indicates the raw pace that he has the capability of using.

After that effort, he went back to Ireland to be kept ticking over quietly on the gallops before he made his permanent move for his campaign at the start of this month. He posted a decent sprint trial of 16:22 (fastest of the day was 15:99) to show that he runs the 3rd and 4th bends of his races much better than the 1st and 2nd and then followed up that trial by (another) set of striking performances in working conditions.

On this the first of those, he was completely left behind at the start (possibly due to his trap 5 draw indicating he wants to be on the outside on the run-up), and the smartly away Brother John blazed a trail miles ahead of Vanrooney. Yet he was unperturbed, seeing a gap on the inside at the 2nd bend he thought about going for it, saw there was no room and pulled himself round to the outside of the field: that was his impressive moment. Once positioned where he could get a run, he stormed past the field down the back (including Sidarian Blaze) and although he was never going to leave an impression on the winner who is highly-regarded and would have relished the ridiculously quick going at Wimbledon at the moment, Vanrooney never looked in danger of getting knocked out (if it were a Derby round). That race was the Division A of the Trial Stakes (although they were actually named as an acronym of GREYHOUNDS), which would equate in my eyes to a Derby 3rd Round type of field. That is how fast Vanrooney is in that he never looked in danger of being “eliminated” in that quality of field.

The aforementioned fast-going is a concern for backing off-the-pace dogs (and for also the well-being of us dogs) and hopefully the much criticised surface will be slowed down come the Derby (although it is sadly doubtful as they like the Track Record to be ruffled) to give dogs like Vanrooney, Holdem Spy and the like a chance against the dogs that ping like me, but even if it is not brought back to normality, both have shown they are more than adept enough to qualify on this type of going. If you put Vanrooney in a trial against a pinger who does 28:30 on normal going, the pinger would almost always win, but that is not how the Derby works and Vanrooney is too big a price for the challenge of being in the final on May 31st.

Pay Freeze

With his record of 18 wins from 22 starts, it is not hard to make a case for Pay Freeze to go seriously deep in this year’s Derby. The strength of Sheffield as a track was there for all to see as they romped the BAGS Track Championship at the end of last year and with that impressive platform of graders, the class has filtered through to the Open racers where a Sheffield dog is to be feared across the UK these days: Pay Freeze is undisputedly the best of them.

His consistency at the traps is his most potent asset and the fact he has won from all 6 draws is a hugely significant weapon in his arsenal for the 6 round competition as he is arguably draw independent. When winning the Steel City |Cup in September, the fear was that he would not handle his wide berth in 5 as he is a dog that likes to cut across at the bend should the opportunity arise; he handled it with aplomb. Trapping out in trademark fashion he took an expected step to the left before righting himself to avoid his rivals on the inside and go up straight to the bend where he had managed to power his way to the front: that step back to the right, however small an adjustment, showed what an intelligent dog he is.

I was going to back him at 28/1 but he has now been weak in the market over the past few weeks as the dogs towards the fore produce rapid trials on the very fast going at Wimbledon. Yet, lying here on my sofa I think there has been an overreaction to Pay Freeze’s slow times: he always trials poorly. Before his unlucky defeat in the All England Cup final (sent off 4/5 favourite) where he missed the break for only the 3rd time in his life, he posted a very modest time in his first look at Newcastle. This prompted his connections to assume he had picked up an injury and his participation was doubtful. He then took nearly a whole second off of his trial time in the first round, and looked for all the world like he would romp home in the final. That race was indeed the only time he has finished outside of the top 3 (fourth) but the fact that it was in a Category One final, shouldn’t perturb backers that he cannot keep qualifying in the Derby.

Another explanation for his modest trials compared to his race performances could simply be that he is just hugely competitive. His loathe of losing is there for all to see when he races 5 other dogs and the fact he has never been caught when he has led, shows how jealous a type he is on the bunny. His one downside is that his form is unproven against top quality dogs but that is not to suggest he has been beating average sorts in his 18 victories. The Category One tournaments of the All England and Steel City Cups always produce strong fields and besides those, he has accounted for Hather George (Derby Semi-Finalist last year), Jordans Brianna (progressive Lister hope) and Bold Three (Irish Derby 3rd Round) to name a few with consummate ease. Of course, they are not quite up to the required standard to win a Derby when it is all barked and done, but it certainly suggests that Pay Freeze is not just a flat track bully, and can more than hold his own at Wimbledon this year.

Graduation Day

With my Irish colleagues lacking the strength in depth that many expected with the dangling of the 200,000 doggie treats prize, I am not as keen to get as many Irish dogs onside as I was initially. With the Tyrur, Razldazl and in-form dogs not coming over the sea and the question marks over the Irish dogs at the front of the market (like Kereight King and Ballymac Vic) it is the best strategy to look for a dog that may spring a surprise if he shows the form he is capable of: Graduation Day is one such dog.

Graduation Day has all of the ability and class to win a Derby if he remains fit. Capable of pinging the boxes and leading the inside with electric early, his main forté is his staying prowess. Finishing outside of the top 3 in only 4 of his 22 starts, his desire and power is impressive when he sees a gap as he surges up the rails to account for very useful sorts. At his best he has accounted for Paradise Silva by 4 lengths, as too the ever-game Kilbarry Rover, and he has the ability to have given the likes of Kereight King and Holborn Junior a real race when they have turned in front.

Indeed, in his early career Graduation Day struggled like many as a young tyke to get to grips with his trapping. Over his last 10 races, however, he has missed the break (stumbling) on only 2 occasions which shows he has matured and if he takes to the curved English boxes as well as he has been doing from the straight Irish ones, he will take a lot of catching from the front or if he pitches just in behind (has never been caught when leading). It was his pinging break on Irish Derby Final night which first brought him to my attention and whilst he is not totally reliable at the break as mentioned, this is more than factored into his price. On that night, he destroyed a quality field (the early of Ballyhill Sub and Knockglass Billy in particular) to the corner and the result was never in doubt around the 2nd for this stout stayer (won by over 4 lengths). If he can produce a run like that when he needs it later on in the Derby, he will look a very big price indeed.

It would be remiss not to mention the fact that he has had his setbacks. Yet all of these have been little niggles as opposed to career-defining injuries such as shoulder or wrist problems and such is his ability, connections have wrapped him up in cotton wool so to speak. He was knocked out of the Irish Derby last year in the 3rd round which is of concern, yet in that race he faced the best dog in Ireland at the time (Paradise Madison, finished 3rd) and the rapidly improving Ringtown Snowy so it had the feel of an English Derby Quarter-Final in terms of quality. If he has improved as much as he has shown glimpses of in his few races since then, then he will go close in the year’s tournament.

Wimbledon should also suit with his powerful early-pace to the corner as the Plough Lane track has a lovely run-up which means that dogs can afford to miss the break (which he can do) and still pace up. His trial was unspectacular but that was arguably because he was not used to the traps (a slow 5:06 sectional) and it is tough for dogs to move kennels and produce their best first time out. He looks a really likeable sort to me and if he stays fit, he has the pace to win the Derby.

Lough Messi

Whilst Wimbledon is not a track that is all about early, there is no doubting that the best position to be in in a greyhound race is in the lead, on the bunny. That, coupled with the fact you are less likely to be knocked out in one of the 6 rounds if you are consistently in the front down the back straight, it is a great asset to have brilliant early on your side which is epitomised by Lough Messi.

An expensive purchase from Ireland last year for the Maxine Locke kennel, she has always had the Derby as his number one priority since he stepped off the van in Romford. Winning his first two starts at his home track, he was then to race on St. Leger final night against one of the most devastating dogs of his generation, Farloe Warhawk. Messi disappointed and tamely succumbed but he would not be the first top class greyhound that Warhawk has wilt into insignificance. That experience clearly knocked his confidence as he missed the break for the only time in his career in his next start at Monmore and then struggled to reproduce his initial scintillating displays at Romford.

Given a break over the winter (as many of us early-paced sorts do due to the sodden ground), he looks to have matured over the winter (and arguably has forgotten Warhawk) as he has been in superb fettle around Romford, culminating in his unbeaten run in the Golden Sprint. The form of Golden Sprint winners in the Derby is scarce due to most of the winners of that 400m tournament not staying the 480m and therefore not entering the premier Classic, yet Blonde Snapper proved the double could be done two years ago when he famously back-run the entire field (as a sprinter) to win his Derby in 2012.

Due to the lack of genuine sprinters in this year’s Derby (normally there are between 5-10), there is a case to be made that Lough Messi is the fastest dog to the bend in the tournament and whilst he is unlikely to be able to come forward enough to produce a 28:20 run, the fact that he has clocked a decent 28:50 and the ever-growing concern that the track staff are going to make the ground like a road to try and get the track record beaten (a 28:17 from Jaytee Seville would make the track +40 today in my book), Lough Messi will take a lot of beating if he maintains his confidence.

De Real McCoy

It was with great deliberation that I have decided to include a 7th (and final) colleague in our portfolio as with the place money only going to the first 6, the odds of our portfolio are all diminished before they have even run. With his under-the-radar profile, Wimbledon likely to suit, impressive pieces of form and crucially the track likely to be very quick in the first rounds which could catch some stayers out, De Real McCoy has to be brought on side.

Of course, he has hardly set the world alight which is indicated by him not being fancied but he has shown moments of genuine quality in his 40 races. That is definitely the maximum amount of racing I would like a Derby dog to have run but considering his early career was against very mediocre dogs, he has perhaps only had between 20-30 hard races in his life. In amongst those are some very eye-catching performances.

De Real McCoy is all about early. He pings the traps well (although he sometimes hits his head as he anticipates the lids opening) and then shows good pace up to try and claim the rail. That, again, is of slight concern that he will be going left regardless of his draw but this is all more than factored into his price. When he does get it right, he has led some of the best in Ireland including Cabra Buck, Rockview Turbo and perhaps most impressively he held the Easter Cup 2014 victor, Skywalker Farloe, for at least the Derby distance at Limerick at the back end of last year.

Those type of performances show that on his day, he is capable of beating seriously good dogs and with that in mind, if he can keep himself in contention by not missing the break horrendously, he can go deep in the Derby at a big price.

So there is the Lolly Faithful’s team. As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I would just like to wish all my colleagues the best of luck and come home to your kennel safe.

Enjoy this fantastic month of racing,

Jimmy