The first Sky Sports card of 2016 greets us tonight with a Coronation Cup final to savour as the Lolly Faithful have Bubbly Gold and Chaotic Lynda running for us (16/1 and 33/1) as our antepost selections: at least top 4 for either would give us great profit!  They both were chosen on their ability to keep qualifying and will chase their hearts out in pursuit of their competitors and that pesky hare over the 575m at Romford; it must be barked that this is Bubbly Gold’s 9th Category 1 final!  Elsewhere we have a competitive card that arguably lacks in quality but the usual protagonists from Romford Friday nights are in action so hopefully I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful.  Play along in every race with the Lolly Goliath which after being launched last year proved profitable and good entertainment for those that followed!  Here are my thoughts on the proceedings:

7:11 – Winner of One

This race, specifically for hounds that have won one race at the track, throws up an intriguing puzzle.  Normally at Romford, the dog out in front has a good chance of clinging on so colleagues of mine used to the boxes and making the bend in front have a great chance.  On that basis, Blackthorn Brae can lead the outside and post a time around 24 seconds to continue his progression from useful A1 form over the course and distance to open class.  Young Romeo is a danger with a clear run round the inside as he clearly has pace but whether Romford is suited to his middle paced style is questionable. Rock of Avoca landed a nice gamble before Christmas for the Lolly Faithful but has been disappointing since when droped to the minimum trip; the form of that win is also paw with Kentish Rose (who nearly caught him) failing to get her nose in front on numerous occasions since and so if Avoca leads, he is almost certainly still vulnerable.  Gortkelly Nidge has been disappointing since a promising start to his career.

Lolly Goliath: T6 – Blackthorn Brae

7:26 – Puppies

The young tykes have a go here and in the favourite, Droopys Sarafina, we own her sister Droopys Zarkava (a.k.a. Sophie).  She is a worthy favourite drawn in 1 and having won impressively round the track before but the presence of Holdem Rio (who looks tailor-made for Romford) and Bang On Ella means that Sarafina will have to be on her toes as those two rivals both ping out and rail.  That leaves a great draw in 4 for Castell Henry whose form is perhaps misleading as he completely missed the break (actually hit the left side of his box) at the BAGS Track Championship final at Perry Barr and he is no 8/1 shot round this venue where he is proven.  On the draw with 5 not set to hold him up, Henry could hoover up here.

Goliath: T4 – Castell Henry

7:43 – British Bred

The best bred dogs in the world preside in this race and with it, comes the best bet of the night in Calco Flyer to show he is a different class to these, despite his age.  At his peak he was 3rd in the 2014 Eclipse and has been a solid, dependable hound in top company around the country with his win on Derby final night last year typical of his ability to ping the lids, show decent early and stay every yard of a 480m trip; he won’t have to stay as far today but if he leads at any point this dog does not get picked up.  The dangers come in Wednesday Adams who invariably misses the kick but then shows brutal pace up (as he did in A2 company last year when completely missing it) who has a solo to the bend this evening with Flemish Status being tardy away and looking to gain down the back.  That is not to disregard Status who has electric chasing pace and is a forecast dog for those that like to be greedier than me when presented with sausages!

Goliath: T2 – Calco Flyer

7:59 – Hurdle

Those hounds who like to jump a hurdle whilst chasing that elusive hare line up here and there are some seriously quick dogs on display: particularly Bubbly Ninja.  Ninja’s problem is that he tends to race like a crab looking (and occasionally attacking) his competitors so if he keeps his eyes on the prize he wins this by a mile, but he is also as likely to fall sideways over an obstacle!  The classiest performer in the line-up is the old boy Alittlelesslip who has competed against the best hurdlers over the last couple of years with aplomb and showed he still retains his enthusiasm for his job by scoring from last to first in Wimbledon’s top grade last time out.  If Ninja runs off at the first or second bend, then Slip has a solo as Razldazl Bigbear is tardy to the bend so the selection can get on that bunny: he stays further than this too.  Bua Frank is a decent jumper around Crayford but lacks the genuine speed of some of these and Soviet Jackson is an inconsistent sort who turns up when he wants.

Goliath: T3 – Alittlelesslip

8:16 – Standard

Two of the top competitors round this course and distance line-up here in their preferred boxes and on the draw, favourite Laughing Gravy can get the better of the likeable Clondoty Alex.  Alex will have the early of Special Guvna to clear and whilst Canvas Costa struggles to get home, he posted the fastest visual sectional to the bend at Romford that I’ve ever seen last year when he came from under the traps, was 3 lengths clear of the rapid pinger Bolshoi Booze after 3 strides, and kept so low for at least half the run-up in an exhibition of sprinting technique that was quite extraordinary: he is perhaps big at 7/1.  Costa’s presence will give Alex plenty of work to get round the bend unscathed.  Gravy on the other paw has Sneezys Hero to clear who flew out in A1 last time but likes to run middle and so the selection (who concerningly, I’ve always believed prefers being in 5 than 6) can make the bend and hopefully avoid a damaging collision as he invariably attacks and chops the corner.  Perhaps a race best to watch as that old addage of “whoever leads wins” comes to the fore between some seriously quick hounds to the bend: Gravy the tentative selection to mop up.

Goliath: T6 – Laughing Gravy

8:33 – Stayers

In effectively the Coronation Cup consolation race, we have a favourite in Ribble Aon who the Lolly Faithful got involved in one of the biggest gambles in many a year at the track as she was smashed last week from 9/2 into 7/4f; she pinged like me and absolutely hosed up but this is a huge step up in class and the market has more than found her.  The dog that is continually underrated over this course and distance is the value here in Jaytee Berlin who loves it in trap 1 (even in the much maligned 1 box at Romford) and if he pings has enough early to lead Savana Razzle and Corrin Bob, who are not devoid of early but will struggle to clear the selection in my dog’s honest opinion.  Even if Aon gets a flier from the same box as last week’s demolition job, Berlin can still turn second and see how good that bitch really is as he does not give up lightly (very nearly got up on the St. Leger final card over 480m at Wimbledon).

Goliath: T1 – Jaytee Berlin

8:51 – Marathon

Due to her inconsistency, Bubbly Time often makes a great market for her rivals and here she is more than capable of getting turned over as favourite as she so frustratingly does time and again for her followers: if she fancies it she is arguably unbeatable over this trip, however.  She also has the early over this trip of Rearguard Bond (got up in a messy, messy affair last time out after flopping out) and Black Francis who are two sizable dogs looking for the rails pretty religiously; Time might overtake them on the outside or might just fly out and lead but she’s too short to be relied upon as drawn.  Quite incredibly, the bitch who is unbeaten over this course and distance and is 5 from 7 in general at Romford can be backed at 4/1 with a beautiful draw: Gleneagle Tina is huge value.  Drawn in between the slow hounds Be Witch and Pittsburgh Storm she can easily lead them up and then get after the leader on the inside who will almost certainly get pestered by one of their rivals for the rails.  Tina has shown at Monmore and now Romford that she does not give up wherever she is situated in a race, she’s as genuine as they come, and if Time has her all-too-often paw performance, this is Tina’s race.

Goliath: T5 – Gleneagle Tina

9:08 – Coronation Cup Final

These Romford tournaments over 575m are great occasions throughout the year and here we have a race that could be landed by any of the 6 hounds lining up.  Patchys Kerry is looking for a second tournament victory over the course and distance having landed one last year (denying the legend Adageo Bob who memorably came back later in the year to claim his much-deserved Romford competition win) and Jet Stream Sound is a favourite looking to make amends for a shock defeat as Evens favourite in another Romford tournament in 2015.  Those two bring real form to the table and can easily claim this prize but the value lies in Bubbly Gold picking up the field in a race that looks destined for chaos.  Chaotic by name, and chaotic by nature, Lynda (an each-way selection for the Lolly Faithful) is “the fastest bitch” her human Kim Billingham has ever trained as she will either chase and chase the hounds in front of her, or wait and wait for the hounds behind her if she leads: she’s a fascinating character who can create a huge pile-up between likely leaders Sound and Whirlwind for the others behind to get involved.  Gold has decent enough pinging prowess to be at the bend with Kerry and Millwards Master and if he can negotiate that first couple of bends relatively well, Lynda can set the race up for him and 8/1 is too big for this mercurial character in himself.

Goliath: T2 – Bubbly Gold

Here are the recommendations:

7:26: Castell Henry – 1 doggie treat @ 8/1

7:43: Calco Flyer – 1 piece of bread @ 2/1

8:33: Jaytee Berlin – 1 dog bone @ 5/1

8:51: Gleneagle Tina – 2 breasts of chicken @ 4/1

9:08: Bubbly Gold – 1 chewstick @ 8/1

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 Calco Flyer makes the bend tonight.  Ex-Snappers Lad has been a grand servant to his profession and you’ll hear me going woof, woof, woof on the terraces of Romford tonight if he leads at any point!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy