The Sky cameras return to Sheffield this evening with a classy final of the TV Trophy taking centre stage at its new venue. The Lolly Faithful have one of the outsiders in that contest, Fearsome Liberty, but she has always shown immense potential over a ridiculous trip and let’s hope she can fulfil that tonight! Owlerton Stadium is a specialists track with the bends being particularly long and prominent so the strong local contingent of my colleagues always tend to fare well at their home track (often being neglected in the market to their more famous adversaries) and so although the card looks as though it lacks strength-in-depth, there could be a few upsets this evening. I’ve taken the time from sleeping on my sofa to rule my paw over the form tonight and as ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and based on the draw, it is worth taking on the favourite Droopys Cortez. He is bred to stay further based on his sire, Aero Majestic, being a courageous front-running 6 bend dog and with that in mind, he can be opposed at short prices while he continues to have to try and weave his way through a field. He did that well in his debut race to win but this is a step up in quality with the likes of out-of-sorts Snappers Lad capable of stealing a march on the inside and holding up Cortez sufficiently. Therefore, the value is the well-drawn, consistent Office Contact who has the sectionals to lead the outside, has his box in trap 6 and although he can miss the break (as these pesky youngsters often do!), any sort of run close to his latest progressive win can see him land the spoils here.

19:49 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race sees a couple of unexposed types over the optimum distance go to battle once again in the form of Geelo Vegas and Mill Jolson. Whilst Jolson showed all of the pinging qualities as a puppy that you would associate with a nice sprinter, Vegas’ early comfortably accounted for him last week and now he is drawn inside of him, he can follow up. In Ireland, Vegas (ex-Cashen Joe) could throw in a paw break but with Droopys Pride set to rail next to him, he can have the room even if he does miss it slightly this evening to pace up and assert. United Leeds needs a draw wider and if he pings could cause a bit of chaos as her runs off at the bend, but that is a minor concern based on the pace of Geelo Vegas.

20:04 – Novice

A bizarre decision to show a race for unraced-on-these-shores dogs on Sky is yet another baffling decision from the powers that be. Based on my card-reading ability, Graigues Diva is a tentative selection. Obviously any market support for these relatively unknown quantities should be heeded.

20:19 – Bitches

This is the part of the night when I am sat on the edge of my seat and there is a nice bitch in form here in Catrigg Croft to continue her impressive runs of late. Whilst her price is now about right having seen it contract over the course of the day, she has enough early to lead Aayamzamodel (needs further) and make the rails ahead of the even worse drawn Caseys Wonder.

20:34 – Super Stayers

It is hard to oppose Worsboro Phantom here over his optimum distance at a track he loves but Aayamzabella is always worth a glance when drawn in trap 1. She craves the rails more than I crave chicken breasts in my evening meal and whilst this trip is probably short of her peak and she is yet to win this calendar year, I can’t help but think she is overpriced from a wonderful make-up.

20:49 – 480m

The last time the Sky cameras were at Sheffield, Big Thrill delighted the locals and those at home by showing pace and power in his Maiden that looked like a real prospect in the making. He has the occasional pinger Blonde Razor on his inside but even if that dog (better seen on the bunny over a short 6 bends) gets a flier the way Big Thrill powered to the bend showed that he could lead Mark Wallis’ charge over this trip. Southern Mesut continues to be overrated over 4 bends (and perhaps 2) as he simply does not stay the 480m and the fact that he has Thrill on his inside and the rapid Mustang Blitz on his outer, he will need a flier to get clear of these. He is a very uneasy favourite to me as he is also capable of coming out horrendously and he has never been over the course and distance. Blitz rates the danger to me but if Thrill can clear Razor which I think he can do, he looks a big price to make the step up in class a winning one.

21:04 – Standard

This race is one that looks pretty straightforward as quite simply all of these dogs are seen to better effect when they lead. According to that theory, Conna Trigger can lead these and not be for catching. The brother of 2013 Classic winner Pinpoint Maxi has taken a while to come to his best form, but he has now beaten some very useful sprinters over a 2 bend trip and absolutely dotted up over course and distance last week. Whilst there have been substantial doggie treats for him today he is still worth backing at his price as he will take all the beating here.

21:19 – TV Trophy Final

Unless King Kane gets a flier and this becomes a procession (went a second quicker than anything in the field last time out), the track-record holder could be set for more of a tussle this evening. He has never won out of trap 4 and whilst he was a rails-seed in his younger days, the wide-tag and the step up to this maximum trip have seen him look imperious in his 2 wins thus far for new trainer Diane Henry. He meets some high-class sorts here and our antepost pick, Fearsome Liberty, is still being underrated in the market. She has gone off odds against in only one start over a trip further than 730m and if she can get a flier and reproduce her sectional from the semi-final, I think she can lead Kane tonight. She will have surely come on for the run last week which she looked like she badly needed as she was headed for second before bravely fighting back to clinch her spot in the final. Of course, Swift Vanessa has equally a good chance on her outside to get a flier and lead but at the prices Liberty still looks the value of the outside trio. Old Refrain got herself in all kinds of trouble in her semi-final victory which is becoming all-too-common in my eyes and whilst she has the pace and stamina to win, she makes awfully hard work of it for one reason or another. Burgess Borna and Supreme Rossie will be flying at the death but the winner comes from whichever of the 3 on the outside can lead on the first circuit: that could be Liberty.

Here are the recommendations

Fearsome Liberty – 1 dog bone broken in half @ 10/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to bark back at you with all the enthusiasm that Big Thrill will give us if he turns handy this evening! Let’s hope Fearsome Liberty can ping like me and lead them a merry dance too: not asking for much am I!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy