As we approach the much-anticipated inaugural Derby at Towcester, the Sky cameras descend upon Hove tonight for a tournament that has always been blessed with quality staying hounds.  Tonight’s Regency final is no exception as the human champion Mark Wallis unleashes the two favourites with his consistent front-runner Rubys Rascal being challenged by his potential new superstar staying bitch Aayamza Breeze.  Elsewhere, I’ve pawed over the card and the action is competitive and varied which is nice to see at the fair galloping track on the South Coast.  As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

7:11 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race starts the proceedings and the draw can be so crucial over the optimum distance with it looking like it could be messy at the first bend.  Trapstyle Jet has yet to discover his National Sprint form from last year but is respected and with him inside Jumeirah Maximus and Ela Ela Genie, who are both all too prone to missing the break, these three could easily pace up together and cause themselves bother at the first bend.  Young Blitz would be interesting at a price if he had had a look at the traps but nonetheless he will be edging in to the rail along with Genie which gives the local Swift Watson a massive chance on home soil.  He will have to out-trap the unexposed well-bred Only One Leemac (a full-brother to Westway Gaga) but he is ever-so-consistent at these Hove boxes and with trouble envisaged on the inside, the selection could easily be left clear.

Selection: T5 – Swift Watson

7:26 – 475m

This quirky trip with the boxes close to the bend means that the victor is often a nice trapping sort.  Whilst Forest Con would surely have too much for these with a standard run-up to the bend, he and his highly-talented siblings have been beaten by tardy exits and that is a mistake you can ill-afford over this course and distance.  Therefore, he is worth taking on with the frustrating Let Me Tell You who has yet to find his optimum trip having needed oxygen over a stiff 4 bends when he has seemingly put the race to his doggie bed.  Angie Kibble’s Hall Green raider is a natural trapper though and is too big at 14/1 to ping on the rail ahead of the slow-away Kentish Duke and the admirable Dusko Popov to make-all.  The Monmore Puppy Derby victor Con might be simply too good for him, but at the prices I’m willing to find out!

Selection: T1 – Let Me Tell You

7:43 – Hurdles

A discipline that can be perfected by chasing pheasants over fences through farmers’ fields (much to the amusement/annoyance of humans), sees Sober Call looking to rebuild his reputation following his shock defeat in the Springbok final.  That effort showed that he is not infallible and with Dranoel inside him who will be searching for the middle ground there is every chance that he can come unstuck again.  Ballymac Manix has his own ideas about his work and whilst the trip is probably his optimum it is hard to recommend him with confidence and if he puts in a paw performance, the pinging veteran Kakantu could easily get on the bunny from his favoured box at a big price.  He seems to have always been underrated over the sticks and is far more useful than dismissive quotes of 10/1 suggest for a colleague of mine who always gives his all.

Selection: T6 – Kakantu

7:59 – Standard

Barking about the Derby will be commonplace over the next 2 months and in this contest there is one wide runner who could defy the perceived rails bias at Towcester in Brinkleys King.  The powerful galloping sort has proved he can overhaul decent bunny dogs at the new home of the Derby in Danzey Exception and Droopys Who (two hounds who need no invitation when presented with a lead on the bunny) and he should have too much for this field at a track perfect for his running style.  Odds-on quotes are reflective of his class advantage here.

Selection: T6 – Brinkleys King

8:16 – Bitches

I love watching a good selection of bitches and with Airforce Duchess likely to be moving right out of the boxes, she can set the race up for Droopys Polly to assert down the back from Pollys Pim.  Droopys Argento blasted onto the scene earlier in her career but has since misplaced her trapping boots which is far from ideal when she will have to deal with the smart-trapping local Outlier Maybe on her inside who would like to be in trap 7 if she could!  Polly is a bitch blessed with pace and with a solo she will simply have too much pace for these in my dog’s honest opinion!

Selection: T2 – Droopys Polly NAP

8:33 – Stayers

A cracking supporting stayers race here and as drawn Karlow Turbo can lead the game bitch Trapper Kate and use his useful middle-pace to account for these.  Spa Road Piper is sadly somewhat of a magnet for trouble in his races and could easily hinder the unexposed Bubbly Tempest who will be looking for the rails.  Those two drawn the wrong way round may give Goldies Seb (ex-Slick Sebastian) a solo to work with but Turbo is progressing rapidly and he can leave the others with sand on their faces as he powers clear off a level break.

Selection: T2 – Karlow Turbo NB

8:51 – Standard

Barricane Tiger seems desperate for the rails in his racing (regardless of whether there is a colleague of his in his way or not!) and so there is no doubting he has his draw now.  He flatters to deceive somewhat though and it is hard to trust him to deliver when he is a short-price.  If he misfires then Droopys Acrobat could easily use his undoubted natural pace to full effect as he should have the legs of the hound without a trip, Huarache Scotty, and the tardy starting Bockos Bolasie to the bend.  Droopys Missouri has a decent draw to work from as the sole wide but the value has to be with Acrobat with any sort of level break.

Selection: T2 – Droopys Acrobat

9:08 – Regency Final

The market has this between the two Wallis dogs and if Rubys Rascal leads up there seems to be the overriding opinion that Aayamza Breeze could make amends for her semi-final defeat and pick him up.  The problem arises for Rascal and that theory in that Tyrap Dragi finally showed his ability when leading from an ideal draw in his semi-final and now his confidence is bolstered, there is every chance of him producing a split that will lead Rubys Rascal for the first few bends.  It then becomes a question of whether Aayamza Breeze can secure a clear passage through her chase and from trap 5 that is hardly guaranteed so her rapid times might be misleading.  The draw leads Dragi to slip clear here and is definitely value at 10/1 to cling on.

Here are the recommendations:

7:26 – Let Me Tell You – 1 doggie treat @ 14/1

7:43 – Kakantu – 1 piece of bread @ 10/1

8:16 – Droopys Polly – 2 breasts of chicken @ 13/8

8:33 – Karlow Turbo – 1 dog bone @ 6/4

9:08 – Tyrap Dragi – 1 chewstick @ 10/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments tweet me and I promise to bark right back at you!  On a night where the Lolly Faithful will be relying on a few upsets, let’s hopy Polly can run a cracker which will make us a pretty profit!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy