A fascinating final of the St. Leger awaits us this evening in front of the Sky cameras where defending champion Roxholme Dream looks to make history by retaining her crown of this illustrious competition.  She has not quite been the force of old in terms of staying following a difficult season for her but she will no doubt be attempting to ping like me and make all which would be a fantastic achievement.  That final also has the unbeaten stayer Diego Flight as short as 4/6 but he will have to be on his toes to beat a quality field that includes the progressive Fizzypop Buddy who could be anything.  Elsewhere, it looks a very competitive card, much moreso than those pesky bookmakers have it in some contests, and as ever I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful!  We’ll also be dabbling into a goliath that pays a mammoth £43,000 for 10p a line steaks – hold on to your muzzles!

7:11 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race kicks off the proceedings and Ballybee Brewery, unbeaten at Wimbledon from 3 starts, is still too short as drawn in a competitive field.  Comrades All is likely to give him room as he runs in lane 7 but Brewery is a hound who would arguably prefer to be nearer trap 3 and will have to be on his toes to clear the dependable Blue Bees Bolt who is running consistently well at Romford.  Indalo Flame caused a shock when last seen on a Sky card (which came as no surprise to his connections) but it is his tardiness at the boxes, along with the terrible starter Who Needs Pace, that makes Stellars Avenger the value to ping-out (as he does so brilliantly) and cling on to his ever-diminishing lead as he gets tired.  Avenger has proven he can handle a change of venue in terms of his trapping ability and he just might be able to nick this at 7/1 if Brewery finds any sort of bother.

Lolly Goliath: T2 – Stellars Avenger

7:26 – Maiden

Mustang Milo is yet to get his nose in front in either Ireland or England (hence he is in a maiden I guess!) and that record makes it hard to justify support here at 5/4; he could just be too quick for these as his trials look sharp but the way he ran in the first round of the Puppy Derby hardly instils confidence that he should be nearly evens in a race full of potentially decent types.  Ballymac Lyster is well-bred yet a very young tyke to trust to win on debut and with both of those dogs making the market, the value in this race is to side with the local improver King Dan. Dan has gradually worked his way through the grades at Wimbledon and was impressive winning in A1 last time where he caught Hallies Boy (who admittedly was perhaps flat on his return) down the back and readily pulled clear from the odds-on gambled Ashburn Lark: that is strong form in the context of this race.  With trap 2 having some “swerved-start” comments on his card there is every chance that Dan will have a solo to the bend which cannot be guaranteed for the favourite in 6 who will have to contend with the useful early of Jaytee Linford on his inner.  In a race full of questions, Dan has the least to answer and if he is not too perturbed being in trap 1 himself, he can outrun his odds.

Goliath: T1 – King Dan

7:43 – Standard

Jaytee Berlin won the first and second rounds of the Derby this year, has ran some of his best races from trap 1 and clearly loves the course and distance so he has to be backed at as big as 5/1.  It is a strong race, mind, but Berlin has every chance of holding My Real Mutley to the corner and then powering away down the back.  The favourite, Ballymac Brogan, won the Juvenile round here and is an impressive hound on his day: he is inconsistent though.  He will also have to contend with Trade Biscuit taking a step right from the boxes and it looks as if it could be a troubled run for him on this occassion.  Yassoo Martin is definitely of interest out wide as he goes well fresh and has the potential to be a serious hound if his humans can keep him right, but the value is Berlin who is performing quietly well around Romford over their 575m trip.

Goliath: T1 – Jaytee Berlin

7:59 – Puppy Derby Final

The young tykes have a go here in their final and Droopys Roddick can claim revenge over his kennelmate Droopys Nine for his last final defeat in Enniscorthy.  Nine managed to get clear in this tournament’s semi-final but then we witnessed a performance from Roddick that was pawsome as he flew down the back in pursuit of the fast-away leader; that run saw his price crash for the Derby next year and it’s understandable as it really was a breathtaking effort.  Pretty Lane is a bitch who continues to improve following a loss in an A5 at Henlow not so long ago and has enough early to perhaps give Nine something to think about on the run-up.  The last time Ballymac Ramsey was in trap 4, at his local track Sheffield, he darted straight left out of the boxes and any repeat of those shenanigans will surely put paid to his chances.  Jaytee Spartacus is still very much an unknown quantity but he will have to improve a few lengths again unless it gets scrappy and noone would begrudge Millwards Mates in the circumstances to pick up this big prize.  Expect Roddick’s price for the Derby to shorten even further following this evening.

Goliath: T1 – Droopys Roddick

8:16 – Bitches

I love a good bitches’ race and whilst this hasn’t got the strength in depth that particularly gets my juices flowing, it should be a procession on the dogwalk for Forest Sara who is too quick for these and has a vacant trap next to her.  Sneezys Lily is very dependable, gives her all, and can punish any mistakes from the long odds-on favourite.

Goliath: T6 – Forest Sara

8:33 – Marathon

It has taken a little while for Burgess Borna to find her paws this term but “Jenny” came back with a bang on Saturday at Crayford and provided that didn’t take too much out of her, she can follow up here.  All of these races are just in preparation for her Christmas trip to Harolds Cross where she will be fancied to go very deep in the marathon there once again.  Some of her competitors here need 2 miles, let alone 874m.

Goliath – T5 – Burgess Borna

8:51 – Standard

In a very competitive penultimate race, it is still surprising to see Lenson Tiggy as big as he is from the 5 box that he loves, a nice draw to lead the Perry Barr specialist out wide and potential for trouble on the inner.  Southfield Jock completely missed the break here from trap 1 (as many dogs can do with the rail jutting out on the inside at Wimbledon somewhat inexplicably) and Fire Height Tosh is a rails-lover who can hassle the in-form Sheffield raider.  Whilst Tiggy isn’t the strongest of 4 bend performers, he stays well enough which cannot be barked for Jock who needs an oxygen mask from the 4th bend!  Tiggy is too big to fly up the middle to the first bend, chop off his competitors and produce a 28:40 like his trial which will be enough for the spoils here.

Goliath – T5 – Lenson Tiggy

9:08 – St Leger Final

This has the potential to be a classic final with the draw throwing up some interesting questions.  Diego Flight has been all-conquering thus far but in the Derby he showed he can be clumsy in behind dogs and it is a case of if he leads out of the 3rd bend it’s all over, but that is not a pawgone conclusion.  Roxholme Dream will be looking to fly out to defend her trial from trap 2 (the box she won from this time last year) but it is hard to justify backing her as that last 30m or so is just proving beyond her reach these days: maybe she has saved her staying paws for the final!  Fizzypop Buddy has developed into an admirable type and whilst he was bought as a Derby dog, his destiny is surely over 6 bends already as he has shown he can do it from the front or off the back over a trip like this if needs be; he is not devoid of early over this trip himself and could provide a further nuisance to Flight as they all scramble to the bend.  Teejayspowerhawk has his own ideas about the game but his enigmatic style means that he can ping out and cause a nuisance, be behind and chase to cause a nuisance, or simply run off at the 2nd bend as he invariably does to cause a nuisance: this is a concern to all those drawn outside him if they do not clear him by this point.  If there is trouble on the inside, it will set it up for a bitch who is running out of her hair at the moment: Droopys Tamera.  The Kent St. Leger heroine is not getting the credit she deserves for how well she has been running for some time now and her defeat of Roxholme Dream in the first round was somewhat overshadowed by analysis of Dream’s first defeat over the course and distance.  That was still a serious effort to catch last year’s St Leger winner and with Ferryforth Fran on her outside being tardy for the start of his races, there is every chance Tamera will have a solo and can punish any trouble inside of her at a very generous 10/1.

Lolly Goliath: T5 – Droopys Tamera

Here are the recommendations:

7:11 – Stellars Avenger – 1 doggie treat @ 7/1

7:43 – Jaytee Berlin – 1 piece of bread @ 5/1

7:59 – Droopys Roddick – 1 dog bone @ 5/4

8:51 – Lenson Tiggy – 1 chewstick @ 4/1

9;08  – Droopys Tamera – 1 breast of chicken @ 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 faster than Stellars Avenger makes the bend this evening!  It should be a cracking night with plenty of value out there, let’s hope the Lolly Faithful have found it!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy