What night we have in store at Wimbledon as we are treated to a fascinating conclusion of the St. Leger and a glimpse of the potential stars of next year in the Puppy Derby Final. I’m so excited I could only manage 3 naps today! It’s an intriguing card with some interesting looking draws for some of my colleagues and on a night where the track is expected to be fast, a hound on the bunny is the priority in my dog’s honest opinion. As ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race starts the proceedings and with the class of Mustang Blitz and Wee Tiger Tots in the race, it is a tough bark to find the value. Slight preference at the prices is for Tots who just seems to have an extra level of pace to Blitz, but she is not guaranteed to clear the useful Express Max. He has good early and is a live-danger over 400m at Romford but his often tardy trapping can leave him behind against these class acts. If he pings like me he can be competitive and cause trouble for the tiny Tots but in barking that, she has the pace to show why she is a little sprinter to be feared.

19:49 – Maiden

Greyhound racing continues to shoot itself in the paw and on such a huge night, it is disappointing to see a Maiden feature on the card. The local Tintreach Willy sets a good standard in graded racing over the course and distance but the interesting runner here is the ex-Irish On Alert who has been subjected to a little gamble. That is down to his Irish form looking patchy, but strong when he gets it right and if he is on a going day on his English bow-wow, he should be too good for a maiden.

20:04 – Hurdles

My vote for the Greyhound of the Year (when they eventually allow us dogs to vote in the procedure) would be for Cornamaddy Jumbo who completed an unprecedented treble of hurdling crowns this year. He has had a tough campaign and 480m does stretch him however so he looks vulnerable. Jetstream Reason could be the value but if Jumbo jumps well and pings out in his effortless fashion, he is an aeroplane worthy of being crowned as the best dog of this year.

20:19 – Bitches

This is the race that always gets me salivating and it has an intriguing make-up with the favourite far from certain to appreciate her draw in trap 3. Babooshka can have howlers out of the boxes and with traps 1 and 2 being local bitches with pace to the bend, Aero is an uneasy favourite in my eyes. Borna Karma is an awesome bitch at Romford but you have to question why she has only been away from that venue once (losing over this c&d) and she has never been as good out of 5 as she is out of 6. With all of that in mind, Forest Sara is too big to run straight up the middle here and show her strength down the back and on the run-in. She will need luck as she does not quite have the early of Babooshka or Karma, but her draw leads her to be a must-bet at the prices.

20:34 – Marathon

The lunatics are on show here who like to go 6 bends too many and it can go to the dog who has been crying and howling to step up to an 8 bend trip: Fizzypop Magic. He won a round from off-the-pace in the St. Leger in game fashion and he could easily get on the bunny here and stretch this field. Mays Petal set the track alight with a track-record performance in front of the Sky cameras last time out but she might not get things all of her own way here with trap 2 looking to take her room. Live Queen continues to frustrate and Storm Pockets has been a grand servant over this sort of trip over the years but age seems to be telling with her. Magic to make-all.

20:49 – Standard

The standout value here is with the draw and King Dec can use his Arc winning pace to good effect from an ideal berth. Ballygibbon King has never been a railer and whilst he does not really like trap 5 or 6 either, the decision to take the mid-tag off him is a bold one as he runs off at the bend. Being such a big dog, he could cause chaos as Sparta Flame has pace up to the bend too and King will be with him. Screen Critic has been valiant throughout his long career but runs the bends these days like I would do (and I’m 7 years old!) so it is hard to envisage him winning from trap 4 (moving wide also) and that could be perilous for the dogs out wide. Dec has the Freedom of London today given to him by that human lunatic Boris Johnson and he can win over his optimum trip.

21:04 – Puppy Derby Final

The young tykes have a go here in their premier competition and with Derby clues for next year on full display, it is a race to make note of. Lenson Sanchez has been a powerful brute in the competition and whilst he would prefer trap 3 (or possibly even 4), he has the early to cheat a potentially hazardous draw next to Northern Puppy Derby beaten favourite Likeitalot. Likeitalot does not like trap 1 a lot and so he gave a game performance in behind Sanchez in the semi-finals but I worry that he won’t break as well from the inside box. Ballymac Gordie is a fellow Irish raider to Sanchez and utilised his plum draw in the semis to good fashion but it is hard to suggest he has the pace to beat the favourite here. Watch Your Face is a litter-brother to Likeitalot and suggestions that he was faster as a pup on the schooling tracks should not go unnoticed as he has a great draw next to the slowest dog in the world to the bend, Dragon Posse. Regular readers of the dog blog will know my admiration for Posse, however, and he is possibly my favourite dog racing at the moment. Hopefully, we will see why in due course but Wimbledon is not his track over 4 bends. Sanchez looks a proper dog to me.

21:19 – St. Leger Final

The Lolly Faithful are clutching onto 50/1 slips with our paws for Killieford Khali and all is not lost after he has fared OK in the draw and produced a scintillating turn of early paw in the Semi-Finals from a middle slot. He will have to be brave at the first bend to fend off 4,5 and 6 but it is not forlorn that he can do so. He is no 40/1 shot and so we have had to go in again with the potential that Roxholme Dream will not like it out of trap 2 (16:47 as opposed to 16:07 sectional when in trap 2 last). Chicago is well-drawn but he does not like to drive the bends like a brave little doggie when he feels others around him and so he will have to be a length clear at the bend to win this in my opinion: if he is clear he will not be caught. Teddy is badly drawn, Chicken runs into dogs and so I fail to see how King Kane gets the run that he got in the Semi-Finals to collar the long-time leader Khali. That coupled with the fact that Kane is a bad kenneller means that this late race is not going to suit him and it is hard to see how he is so short compared to the Lolly Faithful outsider. A fascinating contest which the outcome will almost certainly be known around the second bend with whoever is leading, or whoever gets a run in behind.

Here are the recommendations:

21:19 – Killieford Khali – 1 chewstick @ 40/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to woof right back at you with all the enthusiasm I’ll show if Lenson Sanchez leads the first bend this evening. I apologise to my neighbours in the kennels around my sofa if Killieford Khali leads!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy