A huge night for us hounds as the Derby final is finally upon us!  Each colleague of mine has negotiated the 5 tough rounds of competition and now has the chance to write their names into the history books as the first winner of the Derby at Towcester! All in all the track has been a fantastic venue for the competition, with hard luck stories happening just as at any other track, and the 6 finalists thoroughly deserve their place in the lineup.  The rest of the card is strong in depth as you would expect for the biggest night of the year and let’s hope we can have a few winners!  As ever I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

7:01 – Derby Plate Final

The Wildcat‘s trapping has gone completely awry but with a vacant box next to him he can power up to the first bend and demonstrate his devastating ability.  Bar The Warrior has lovely early but will need all the luck in the world to be able to overcome Dorotas‘ back straight pace with a solo now guaranteed.  King Kid has his 6 box that he produces his best performances from but he has been found wanting a tad at Towcester and the venue perhaps doesn’t produce the best out of him.  Hard to oppose the long odds-on favourite here.

Selection: T1 – Dorotas Wildcat

7:16 – Champion Hurdle Final

Ballymac Manix has perhaps been underrated as a dog who likes to jump over sticks as he has won many an illustrious prize and set the track record here last week.  Razldazl Raidio was out of tune for his standards in that same race though and he can make amends here; his human cited that he was off colour following his run last week and if that is to be excused, he can confirm that he is the fastest hurdler in training.  There is no doubt he can throw in the odd paw performance, but he is now value at odds-against.

Selection: T6 – Razldazl Raidio

7:31 – Anglo-Irish Invitational

Bubbly Bluebird was well-fancied for the tournament and was perhaps unlucky not to make the bend clear when he was eliminated with a telling blow from Garryvoe Bobby.  That same rival has managed to clear his act up and this has the look of Bobby rushing up again and colliding with Bluebird at the bend in an action-replay.  Therefore the Champagne Club’s pride and joy is vulnerable and the bubbly might be flowing instead for connections of Sallows Ford.  The Monmore raider utilised his draw perfectly in the first round to land at 8/1 for the Lolly Faithful and here he has a similar make up with Whoops Jack diving for the rails so Ford can swoop round the outside; for a strong dog that is in the form of his life the 14/1 looks a massive price.

Selection: T6 – Sallows Ford

7:48 – Stayers Final

If I have one criticism of Towcester it is that the times recorded have been competely baffling at times: the sectionals to the bend have been mystifying!  Whilst these anomalies can be blamed on the bowser going round, they stop becoming anomalies when every race seems to be wildly different in terms of times recorded.  An example of this is here where Rubys Rascal managed to record a time much superior to his rivals on the night (a track record performance in fact), yet he missed the break and had to battle to the front; I’m not entirely convinced the performance was as impressive as the time suggests and the performance of Frankies Lady had a lot to like about it in defeat. She was considered good enough to enter the Derby (one of the few bitches actually given a chance) and showed real desire in her race last week to get into a winning position.  That wasn’t to be as it is tough to overtake at Towcester around the third bend but she can make amends tonight with a good draw if Rascal fluffs his lines again.  Cloran Paddy has a terrible draw to work from and his win in the heats suggested a workdoglike performance from a hound who is perhaps starting to feel his niggles that have hindered his career all too often.  Teejays Apache is an enigmatic sort that got loose last week; maybe this distance is the making of him or maybe he does what he wants!

Selection: T1 – Frankies Lady

8:04 – Puppies

The young tykes have a go here in tribute to Mandy McCarthy who was a true dog woman and is a sad loss for her family, friends and the industry as a whole.  The way the race has panned out means that arguably the widest runner in training Fweshfromthesesh has drawn trap 4 which is almost certainly likely to hinder the chances of Calico Ranger and Donation out wide.  The Sesh and the ranger were part of Team Lolly for the Derby and whilst they ran with huge credit for us, their wide antics will be punished here by Jaytee Yankee who has his ideal draw in trap 1.  Yankee is a colleague of mine who would arguably prefer trap 0 and he can pace up and not be for catching once he rails round the first bend.  The Other Reg is still quite green and as a confirmed middle runner can leave a huge gap for Yankee to utilise.

Selection: T1 – Jaytee Yankee

8:21 – Derby Invitational

Pacey Bambi missed the break for the first time in the competition when eliminated and if he can eradicate that error from his repetoire, he looks a big price to pace up on the rails here.  Bruisers Bullet was a gallant runner in the Derby but ultimately found everything to be happening too quickly around him and with a much-maligned run last time, he may not quite have his confidence back to assert his authority on this contest.  Forest Con, as the Wildcat’s brother, has the family trait of napping in the boxes before awaking to a ferocious burst of pace: that is where their races are lost at this level.  Coolavanny Mason just doesn’t have enough early around here to be competitive enough against top quality hounds as he always seems to encounter traffic problems which could easily appear in the form of the near 40kg powerhouse Carn Brea.  Mullin’s charge is a useful sort at his level but Pacey Bambi comfortably cleared him during the Derby proper and a similar scenario is envisaged here.

Selection: T1 – Pacey Bambi

8:38 – Dorando Marathon

The traditional 8 bend race on Derby final night has a new Towcester twist this year with 8 hounds attempting to run this ludicrous distance!  It is a strong line-up with Aayamzabreeze staying all day but her effort over an albeit inadequate trip last week hardly made her look like she enjoyed the Northamptonshire venue that much.  Anitas Baby is a dangerous bitch for Richard Baker as her times round Hall Green could easily see her in the lead over the first circuit and she looks well-equipped to continue for another circuit.  That all being barked though, Jaytee Patriot has a galloping way about him that is irresistible when he is on a going day; maybe the best dog psychiatrist in the world couldn’t fathom why he puts in the odd bad performance but the true enigma of this era has to be backed at very generous odds for his ability.  He is easily capable of leading this field or can use his back straight pace to devastating effect out wide as Meadow will be going left and he should lead Adamant Jim up.  Patriot is a hound to be on the right side of, even if he can infuriate when you least expect it!

Selection: T7 – Jaytee Patriot NB

8:56 – DERBY FINAL

The breathtaking ability of Clares Rocket has been a joy to watch this year as he has shown such versatility and class in making the final undefeated.  Here, as I suppose is to be expected, he faces his most difficult assignment as he has the two dogs with the most consistent early in the competition drawn inside him.  Hiya Butt has surprised me, amongst many others, in how he can actually stay this 500m trip sufficiently enough but his sprinting prowess is where he wins his races and with Droopys Acrobat moving into lane 4 on the run-up when drawn on the rails,  Clares Rocket could easily be squeezed for room.  That means Tyrur Shay has a dream draw to capitalise upon with no excuses if Rocket gets in trouble.  Shay is highly unlikely to fly out and lead like he did when setting the track record in the second round but if he can turn handy enough, he has proven time and time again in this tournament that he is the strongest dog home and his overall ability can make him a worthy champion.

Selection: T5 – Tyrur Shay NAP

Here are the recommendations:

7:16 – Razldazl Raidio – 1 doggie treat @ 5/4

7:31 – Sallows Ford – 1 piece of bread @ 14/1

8:04 – Jaytee Yankee – 1 breast of chicken @ 2/1

8:38 – Jaytee Patriot – 1 chewstick @ 2/1

8:56 – Tyrur Shay – 3 dog bones @ 2/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings!  It’s the best night of the year being celebrated at its new home so let’s hope for a fantastic occasion and night’s racing!  As ever, if you have any comments pleast tweet me and I’ll bark right back at you!  The Irish greyhound community have had some tough times over the past few months but the roar will be hear from Galway if Shay manages to turn handy enough tonight!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

Right then here we go!  The Derby reaches the 3rd Round live on Sky Sports this evening and we get to see the Derby 2017 winner in all of his (or her) glory: we just don’t know who they are yet!  Four of Team Lolly survive in a competition that has produced a few minor shocks but that is to be expected when the best hounds from across the UK and Ireland take each other on!  It’s a swelteringly hot day, I’ve had to endure a cruel wash down with a hose by my humans (why do they punish me like this?!) in order to enjoy my 3rd nap of the morning outside, so I expect the track to be lightning fast this evening.  That should play into the paws of the front-runners but this competition has proven that round Towcester the ability to stay on strongly is a huge asset so with all that to bear in mind, here are my thoughts for the action:

7:16 – Heat 1

Two hounds that have taken to the track by storm battle for early  supremacy on the inside here in Carn Brea and Pacey Bambi.  Brea (Silver to his followers) and Bambi (the Skater) look to have similar early pace to the bend in my dog’s honest opinion and with Minglers Toure looking to move across, Sallows Ford can enjoy a clear run round the outside and pick up the pieces if any trouble ensues.

Selection: T6 – Sallows Ford

7:31 – Heat 2

Shaneboy Freddie is in the swan-howl of his career but he’s not quite ready for his sofa yet as he has flown out in both rounds so far and made-all.  He is a devillishly difficult colleague of mine to pass and if he can lead Droopys Who on the inside, he can add another victory to his account.   Whilst Bruisers Bullet has a powerful galloping stride as he gets going, not many can overtake Freddie on that pesky bunny!  If Dorotas Vic stopped taking an ill-advised lie-down in the boxes, he would be a huge danger out wide.

Selection: T3 – Shaneboy Freddie

7:48 – Heat 3

Two of Team Lolly trade blows here and it is now time for Droopys Buick to ridiscover his trapping paws!  If he can ping like I used to then he can lead Cloran Paddy (who is running the track very well) and Buick has yet to be picked up on the bunny in his scintillating career.  King Eden has pace and ability but his tardy starts out of the boxes before pacing up will start to get exposed at this level now.

Selection: T3 – Droopys Buick

8:04 – Heat 4

College Paradise took a rather discernable liking for his colleague at the first bend in the second round and that has to play on the mind of his supporters.  Whether it was deliberate or not is debatable but any sort of lack of concentration can help defending champ Jaytee Jet secure a passage high-wide-and-not-so-handsome-as-me.  Paradise will have the useful early of railing Liam Og next to him to deal with and that could prove too much of a hindrance.

Selection: T6 – Jaytee Jet

8:21 – Heat 5

The seeding of Clares Rocket has been barked about in numerous circles and here he now finds himself in trap 1 where he moved middle on the run-up in his trial from the box.  That means Priceless Brandy will have to be on his toes from trap-rise and whilst his stunning early was breathtaking in the second round, he will have Rocket on his inner and the early of Crossfield Hugo on his outer this time around.  That means Fweshfromthesesh has a chance to poach a cheap lead outside and capitalise on what looks a messy make-up.

Selection: T6 – Fweshfromthesesh

8:38 – Heat 6

2015 Irish Derby winner and multiple-Category One finalist Ballymac Matt looks like he has no desires to retire, despite his antics with bitches off the track!  Here he has a great draw to work from with no real pace on his outer.  Tyrur Shay lit up the track in the second round when he flew out for arguably the first time in his career; he surely cannot repeat that feat this evening and will therefore have to negotiate Forest Con out wide.  Con is just not getting home over this arduous 500m trip and Matt has the inherent ability and attitude to back run him on the rail.

Selection: T1 – Ballymac Matt

8:56 – Heat 7

Calico Ranger (Holdem Spy Jr) did the Lolly Faithful proud in the second round with a gallant display round the outside; hopefully he can continue to keep qualifying in such vein!  Thankfully, Hiya Butt’s ridiculous “mid-tag” has been taken off him and from 3 he can use his devastating early to pace up.  That decision to change his seeding could be that connections had him fully wound-up for a victory in the second round and with that in mind, he might even put in a flat performance this evening.  Regardless of that speculation, Cable Bay is one of the few hounds who has ran the track fluently in this competition and with a complete solo (as he looks like he wants to be in 4 round here anyway), he will have his eyes on the leaders far too early.   Provided he doesn’t tuck in behind the pack on the 3rd bend as many do at the Northamptonshire circuit, the old-timer can pick up a well-deserved victory and looks very big to do so.

Selection: T4 – Cable Bay NAP

9:13 – Heat 8

In perhaps the most competitive heat, the lack of a genuine front-runner means this could easily be a race to the first bend.  If Astute Missile can trap level and then hold his pitch from the inside lane, he can assume command here down the back and this powerful colleague is unlikely to be caught.  Coolavanny Mason is a gallant contender but seems to lack a gameplan in terms of actually winning a race and looks an uneasy favourite.  Murrys Act capitalised on the track flying on the wide outside in the first round and also seems a dog who runs best fresh.

Selection: T1 – Astute Missile NB

Here are the recommendations:

7:31 – Shaneboy Freddie – 1 doggie treat @ 3/1

8:38 – Ballymac Matt – 1 breast of chicken @ 11/4

8:56 – Cable Bay – 2 dog bones @ 13/2

9:13 – Astute Missile – 2 pieces of bread @ 13/2

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please don’t hesitate to tweet me and provided I’m not in a head-induced coma, I’ll bark right back at you!  On the hottest day of the year, let’s hope all of the hounds produced a great night of action and return safe and sound!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

The first round heats conclude this evening after two scintillating nights of action and the elimination of Scottish Derby victor Dorotas Woo Hoo last night shows that this format takes no prisoners!  Elsewhere Bubbly Bluebird produced a dazzling turn of foot to the bend to overcome a gallant Bruisers Bullet which is a contest that we will hopefully get to witness again further into the tournament!  The heats have served the Lolly Faithful well so far and let’s hope that can continue this evening!  As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

7:39 – Heat 22

A fairly weak heat paws off the proceedings and it looks an ideal opportunity for Swithins Brae to begin his campaign with a victory.  He’s yet to adapt to the English-style boxes being left at the start in the Arc and in his efforts at Towcester to date but his all-round pace should be too much for this field.  Maglass Razzle could not ask for a better draw but he has not run the track particularly well in his trials and is expected to leave the dog flap wide open for Brae to take advantage.

Selection: T4 – Swithins Brae

7:54 – Heat 23

Vancouver Shea has an eyecatching piece of trial form having caught Pacey Bambi on the 17th May who has since won his own heat very impressively.  Here he faces the progressive pup The Other Reg who has looked to chop the bend in each of his trials; therefore he is likely to encounter traffic problems which means Shea can swoop round the outside.

Selection: T6 – Vancouver Shea

8:10 – Heat 24

King Eden will have to be at his sumptious best to beat this decent field but his preparation for the competition couldn’t have gone better and whilst he stays pretty wide on the straights, he can make the bend in front and not be caught here.  Kranky Mark on his inner is a well-bred useful hound but like many he looks to the rails approaching the first so he can give Eden the freedom of Northamptonshire round the bends.  Cable Bay has not taken to the track well at all for a dog of his ability and Coconut Corker is becoming increasingly disappointing as a dog who misses the break all too often.

Selection: T6 – King Eden

8:26 – Heat 25

Defending champion Jaytee Jet makes his bow-wow here and he more than most probably wishes that the Derby was still at Wimbledon! His style is not totally suitable to Towcester as he stays wide on the bends relinquishing ground and he is also faced with a tough assignment here to clear Sonic who has been very wayward at the course!  In this all-Irish affair the call has to be Droopys Wilbury who could be tailor-made for the track.  His human Pat Buckley decided to trial all of his dogs over the 480m trip to save their legs and any hound that dips below 28 seconds for that distance is shifting!  He comfortably gets this longer trip and seems a big price to account for his compatriots!

Selection: T3 – Droopys Wilbury

8:42 – Heat 26

A nice competitive affair can go the way of locally trained Barricane Tommy who has taken a particular liking to his new surroundings.  He can turn handy to Crossfield Hugo who simply just isn’t staying the trip; whether he can gain his lungs throughout the competition is yet to be seen but his efforts so far have been full of promise until he needs oxygen off the last bend! Salacres Koeman is a young tyke with a lovely galloping stride and is well-equipped to pounce out wide should Tommy fluff his lines.

Selection: T4 – Barricane Tommy

8:58 – Heat 27

This looks a scrappy contest as I’ve never been fully convinced about Teejays Apache’s desire to chase that pesky bunny and Barricane Jack was being a naughty boy in the Gymcrack final!  Kildallon Turbo has gone rapidly backwards since his younger days when he looked a star in the making but still will be looking to edge across on the run-up.  Always Thirsty is a pinging railer around the venue and so will be cutting in from trap 4 so a chance is taken on Sallows Ford to swing round the outside and stay on.  The graded strength at Monmore perhaps isn’t as strong as it was in years gone by but he still has excelled in Wolverhampton of late and if he can build on his respectable first look then he can pick up the pieces of a race that is there for the taking.

Selection: T6 – Sallows Ford

9:15 – Heat 28

Forest Con is yet another rapid dog hailing from his superb litter but I’m not convinced he stays round Towcester and is worth taking on.  He also has the local Far Bank Frank to negotiate who could find trouble in a solo trial so preference is for Clares Dream here who has a lovely draw to work from.  He isn’t the most fluent of trappers but he can still lead up the tardy Paradise Marco and Awe Struck which can see him turn handy enough to capitalise on any stamina issues that Con might have.

Selection: T1 – Clares Dream

9:32 – Heat 29

The illustrious career of Ballymac Matt has been a joy to watch and he can win this heat as he starts to contemplate his glorious life of napping on a sofa!  Droopys Bonucci is favourite having posted a flying trial but he can often leave his races in the boxes and can ill-afford to give a dog the class of Matt a headstart.  Matt’s trial suggests there’s life in his old dog bones yet and if he can avoid the inevitable trouble on his inner then he can roll back the years this evening.  Silverhill Conor has a questionable rails tag on him for a dog that runs at least mid-to-wide and that coupled with Jaytee Dutch next to him who often forgets to turn left at the bends means there could be trouble at the first: Matt should have galloped long clear by then!

Selection: T4 – Ballymac Matt NAP

9:48 – Heat 30

Priceless Brandy comes into the tournament as one of the favourites and with a vacant box next to him he can’t ask for a better opportunity to get off the mark.  It is hard to envisage him not skipping clear comfortably down the back and his main danger Crossfield Giles is perhaps a class or two lower than the Irish raider.

Selection: T4 – Priceless Brandy

10:03 – Heat 31

The Doctor, Droopys Who, has lovely early when he gets his break right but how he adapts to being in trap 1 with the useful Azzurri Genesis on his outer means those two could get into a barging match on the run-up.  The selection is therefore Brinkleys King who can throw in the odd paw performance but he has already proved he can catch Who on the bunny and this a relentless galloping sort than can account for him again this evening.

Selection: T6 – Brinkleys King NB

10:18 – Heat 32

His father was surely one of the most unlucky Derby dogs in recent years but Holdem Spy’s son, Calico Ranger, can make amends for his family this year.  He runs just like his supremely talented father and is part of Team Lolly at a huge price.  This track is perfect for him unlike Shawfield (that he never got to grips with) as he gallops powerfully round the outside of the Northamptonshire circuit.  Tougher assignments will face him along the way but he looks value at odds-against to simply be too good for these.

Selection: T6 – Calico Ranger

Here are the recommendations:

8:42 – Barricane Tommy – 1 doggie treat @ 9/4

8:58 – Sallows Ford – 1 piece of bread @ 8/1

9:32 – Ballymac Matt – 2 dog bones @ 11/4

10:03 – Brinkleys King – 1 breast of chicken @ 5/2

10:18 – Calico Ranger – 1 chewstick @ 5/4

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please don’t hesitate to tweet me and I promise to bark right back at you!  It looks a night for the favourites this evening so let’s hope we can send the bookies home with their tails between their legs!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A superb opening night to the Derby did little to disappoint as the track was lit up by the star attractions, none moreso than Clares Rocket who flew round Towcester to a stunning new track record of 28:77.  Elsewhere, Droopys Buick got Team Lolly off to a flier as he scorched to the corner and looked as classy as ever as he pulverised his competitors with his relentless galloping style.  It was a night of few shocks although Tyrur Shay did show how hard it is to win from the back as a wide as he desperately lunged for the line to no avail at long odds-on; he will surely keep qualifying but can he give dogs that much of a head start every round?  On to Day 2 we go and as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

7:31 – Heat 11

Dorotas Woo Hoo hails from the magnificent Ballymac Vic x Droopys Danneel litter and he can get favourite backers off to a good start here.  Bubbly Turbo has great early but simply finds the 500m too demanding so Woo Hoo can follow him round the outside and pounce.  Castell Henry seems to have lost his early zip that made him a real handful to defeat but it would be no surprise if he were to give Turbo a run for his doggie treats to the corner.  Jaytee President is improving with each look at the track but Woo Hoo is expected to face tougher assignments along the way than this.

Selection: T6 – Dorotas Woo Hoo

7:47 – Heat 12

Bentekes Bocko has some serious Irish form to his card but with only one look at the track and a lack of experience from these traps in particular means that he can be taken on here with Minnies Highway.  Highway has gone from strength to strength at Hall Green (where the grade is notoriously strong) and left a top grade field for dead there recently which is some effort; having trialled well around the Northamptonshire venue he stands out as real value from his favoured box to rail and prove tough to peg back.

Selection: T1 – Minnies Highway

8:02 – Heat 13

Team Lolly’s Cloran Paddy makes his introduction to the proceedings here and he has been selected as a dog who gets the trip strongly and can thus keep qualifying.  There looks to be value in opposing him here though as he is not certain to get a clear run and Bubbly Express is boxed to be competitive.  Paul Young’s charge is yet to find his optimum trip but there is no doubting that he would prefer trap 0, let alone 1, and has no excuses this evening to defend the rails and get after that pesky bunny.  He looks a nice value call if he can clear Burgess Papa at the first, who isn’t blessed with natural early.

Selection: T1 – Bubbly Express

8:18 – Heat 14

Lenson Rocky has been a likeable sort throughout his career but there has to be stamina doubts for him and Master Kelly is a dog that needs no second invitation round here.  The local is poised to have a great run at the first bend as Swift Hansel has been cutting in approaching the turn in his trials so Kelly can swoop round the outside and put pressure on the weary legs of Rocky as he turns for home.

Selection: T6 – Master Kelly

8:35 – Heat 15

Drive On Tipp is fancied to go far in the tournament but he has a horror draw for a bang railer here and his desperation for the rails means that he is worth taking on here.  Black Zack is somewhat of an underrated dog for his ability and he has shown around Hove that his galloping style is a potent weapon on the bunny.  He has a great make-up to work from here and if Tipp encouters traffic problems, Richard Rees’ charge could easily make-all here.

Selection: T5 – Black Zack

8:51 – Heat 16

Arguably the most anticipated race of the whole week sees two fancied colleagues for the whole competition in Bruisers Bullet and Bubbly Bluebird pitted against each other.  This is not just a two hound race though with Newinn Shadow having serious pace (shown by his flying trials) and Dorotas Vic being a dog that looks destined to join his more esteemed brothers in the coming months.  Connections therefore must be just holding there paws together praying they can survive this heat but the draw has worked out hugely in favour of Bruisers Bullet and he has to be fancied to hold his position on the rails and beat Bluebird: he should be favourite in my dog’s honest opinion.  Bluebird for me is undoubtedly a fast dog but he has question marks over his gumption when faced with a serious battle on his paws; Bullet has already managed to break the heart of Clares Rocket at this track and he can claim another scalp here.

Selection: T2 – Bruisers Bullet NAP

9:08 – Heat 17

A tough heat to call here and with mid-moving Jaytee Denver in trap 1 likely to cause some problems it could turn into a scrappy affair.  If that is the case then Carlos Court is a genuine wide runner and can keep out of the traffic and swoop round the outside; he has tended to flatter to deceive throughout his career but on his day he’s a useful sort and can win a race like this.

Selection: T6 – Carlos Court

9:24 – Heat 18

The Wildcat enters the fray for Team Lolly here and his effortless pace is going to be a potent weapon throughout this competition.  He runs Towcester very well and the only concern with him is his inconsistent trapping.  If he can manage to ping like I used to then he is one of the fastest hounds in the competition in my opinion and can go deep in the tournament.  Newinn Blitz has his own ideas about the game but is a quick hound when he gets on with it on the bunny and can prove the biggest danger.

Selection: T3 – Dorotas Wildcat

9:41 – Heat 19

When selecting Team Lolly I was debating about whether to include Toy Soldier as he has been on my mind for a while for the tournament yet his last trial was particularly underwhelming.  He skewed out of the boxes and then never seemed to really stride out as he posted a slow time; it must be barked on that particular day that the times seemed to be all over the place based on when the bowser had been round so a chance is taken on him at a huge price.  As mentioned before, Hall Green’s grade is strong and the Soldier has become nigh-on-unbeatable round the Birmingham track as he has won from the front and miraculously picked up a high class field from the back when he missed the kick.  That sort of desire can see him keep qualifying in the Derby and at a mammoth 500/1 his odds could tumble if he can win a heat.  He meets arguably the best wide runner in the competition for me in Fweshfromthesesh and his pinging early-paced efforts as he stays powerfully out wide are going to be assets that can see him go deep in the tournament.  He is virtually guaranteed a good draw each round and these two can have a real race here.  Coolavanny Mason is useful and is another whose strong running style can see him keep qualifying; I fancy the Soldier to beat him to the bend if they trap level though.

Selection: T6 – Fweshfromthesesh

9:57 – Heat 20

Madabout Eoghan has blasted himself onto the scene with his relentless railing proving an extremely useful weapon round Towcester which even led him to have the track record at one point.  He is a bit of an enigmatic sort however and perhaps his puppyishness will come to haunt him later in the tournament but he has to be fancied to be too good for these.  Droopys Acrobat is not particularly well-housed in trap 1 and could be moving middle on the run up to give Frankies Lady some problems; all of this will be in behind Eoghan though if he can produce one of his scintillating pings.

Selection: T4 – Madabout Eoghan NB

10:14 – Heat 21

Hiya Butt is a magnificent early-paced hound but he looks awfully short in price to last home here as he barely gets an easy 480m let alone Towcesters stiff test!  Pacey Bambi has taken a real liking to the Northamptonshire circuit and is huge value to turn in the slipsteam of Butt and outstay him round the final turn.  Stay Loose is getting no younger and is perhaps on the wane but is not easily dismissed.  Keplar Nine could prove more of a threat out wide as he has trialled particularly well in preparation.

Selection: T3 – Pacey Bambi

Here are the recommendations:

7:47 – Minnies Highway – 1 doggie treat @ 8/1

8:02 – Bubbly Express – 2 breasts of chicken @ 9/2

8:35 – Black Zack – 1 piece of bread @ 7/2

8:51 – Bruisers Bullet – 2 dog bones @ 2/1

9:41 – Fweshfromthesesh – 1 chewstick @ 11/8

9:57 – Madabout Eoghan – 1 sausage @ 9/4

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please don’t hesitate to tweet me and I promise to bark right back at you!  Derby fever is starting to take hold as we settle into the competition and let’s hope for another cracking night of action!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

All of the hype, all of the anticipation and all of the barking about the Derby’s new home at Towcester turns into fast–paced, exhillarating action this evening as the greatest prize in sport begins in earnest!  Much has been made about what it will take to become the champion around the Northamptonshire venue but one thing for sure is that the victor after 6 gruelling rounds will have had to display a combination of speed, stamina and resilience in the face of adversity that marks a true Derby champion.  Personally, I think it is a track that favours front-running railers but that is in individual races and the fact that the competition is so heavily subscribed with these types means that the true wide runners have to be looked at as value to keep qualifying as they are almost guaranteed good draws for the duration.  A factor that needs more emphasis is the considerable run to the drop after each race for my colleagues; the early-paced types that just about get home over the 500m trip will find it difficult in my dog’s honest opinion to last through the latter stages, particularly when faced with 3 runs in a week.  The champion is almost always the hound that manages to negotiate that week without over-exerting themselves or picking up a niggle and that could be even more pronounced with this much more testing challenge than Wimbledon’s 480m.  This Derby will have an emphasis on stamina rather than speed for me and that is my crucial consideration in selecting Team Lolly.

Tonight, we paw off the proceedings with a few of the fancied runners strutting their stuff including favourite Clares Rocket who has yet to run the track fluently to date and is still a maiden at the venue.  Only time will tell whether he can justify his short-price and lofty reputation and I for one cannot wait for the action to start!  Here are my thoughts for the heats tonight:

7:39 – Heat 1

A nice competitive affair to start the best month in racing and Astute Missile has a nice draw to work from on the rails.  However, hounds in trap 1 have sometimes skewed out of the new traps over 500m as the inside rail juts out which is what happened to him on 13 May in a trial stakes.  With that in mind, Carn Brea could easily get on the bunny here and looks value to skip clear of this field and not be for catching.  Juvenile winner Murrys Act is an erratic sort and his style of high, wide and not-so-handsome-as-me is not suited to the track and he might leave his race out on the wide bends.  Paradise Valdez has pace but has struggled when faced with classy competitors.

Selection: T4 – Carn Brea

7:54 – Heat 2

Garryvoe Bobby has taken Britain by storm as he bolted up in the Arc and has taken a distinct liking to the course and distance.  He will have to look lively to clear his compatriot Droopys Awesome but he has every chance to do so off a level break and can begin his campaign with a victory.  Dorotas Tiger has a horror draw to overcome for a bang railer which could turn into a theme for this competition: Powerful Boy out wide looks like he doesn’t have the tools to capitalise however.

Selection: T2 – Garryvoe Bobby

8:10 – Heat 3

Tiernans Gift is a character to take on when he is favourite and he will need luck-in-running to utilise his pace in the closing stages.  Beaming For You does not want to be in trap 1 as he looks to move middle but he could easily clear Ballydoyle Time and get on that pesky bunny.  With Piemans Bullet an almost confirmed non-stayer and having the hindrance of Danzey Exception looking for the rails, if For You holds his pitch at the first bend he could have his supporters and connections Beaming.

Selection: T1 – Beaming For You

8:26 – Heat 4

Rubys Rascal has been tardy to the bend at Towcester so this represents a golden opportunity for Razldazl Tierna to get on the bunny.  He stays plenty well enough to account for his market rival in red and it perplexes me like a squirrel up a tree why Tierna isn’t clear favourite for this contest: it is hard to envisage Rascal being able to back run him.  Irish raider Brandyandbaileys for that shrewd human Liam Dowling clearly has pace (judged by his trials) but he doesn’t look the most fluent of trappers and so he is best watched on British debut.

Selection: T2 – Razldazl Tierna NB

8:42 – Heat 5

Tyrur Shay produced a miraculous display of courage and power to get up in the shadow of the post on his Towcester debut in an impressive time, but a slow-away wide runner round here is tough to back with confidence at such a short price.  Preference is for Roswell Iceman who blatantly doesn’t stay the trip but has his ideal conditions with his favoured red box and Jims Chance looking to move right from the traps.  Shay will also have to negotiate Shaneboy Freddie who is not a hound to simply just waltz by and whilst if the favourite does get a clear run he will be too good, I’m happy to have Iceman off the front to cling on.  Desperately!!!

Selection: T1 – Roswell Iceman

8:58 – Heat 6

All eyes turn to the rapid Clares Rocket here who has lit up the Emerald Isle over the past year.  That fast he was the subject to a rather calamitous abduction attempt, it will be fascinating to see if he can overcome his lack of fluency round the Northamptonshire circuit.  Indeed, throughout his career he has been seeded anything from rails to wide and back again which perhaps suggests he takes a while to acclimatise to a track but there is no doubting he is a flying machine once he sorts himself out!  He could have asked for an easier first assignment with the exhillarating early of Whoops Jack on his inner but that colleague of mine will need a kennelhuman to give him oxygen off the 4th bend and so the Rocket should make no mistake.  Tougher tests will come.

Selection: T4 – Clares Rocket

9:15 – Heat 7

Droopys Buick is the headline selection for Team Lolly and his ability, prowess and tenacity can surely lead him to go close to a Derby victory at a track perfect for his style.  He was desperately unlucky not to have a chance at Wimbledon’s last Derby in 2016 through injury, but his human Jimmy Wright has nursed his superstar superbly since and this competition has been his target for some time.  He has enough early to lead any dog on his day when he gets it right (a memorable ping at Monmore last year against a Derby Final quality field was breathtaking) yet it is his desire in behind that makes him so admirable.  On Trainer’s Championship night it was billed as “Bluebird v Buick” but after both completely fluffed their lines, it was Buick who caught the eye and effectively “qualified” in that race by coming 3rd from a hopeless position: that is a Derby dog.  He does have a pawchant for the rails and so would not like to face being in 4 or more importantly 5 (where he lost all hope in the Scottish Derby Final) too often but his sprint track record trials combined with his staying prowess mean that it is going to take a serious effort to knock him out of the competition.  Here he faces a field that he should simply blitz with his main competition being Barricane Tiger who is a competitor that is at least a class below this superstar.

Selection: T4 – Droopys Buick

9:32 – Heat 8

Irish Derby Semi-Finalist College Paradise is a gutsy sort but has yet to fully adjust to the English-style boxes which means Empress Katie has a good opportunity to win a round here off the front.  Bockos Alfie is a hound that often requires a sat nav at the bends and if he runs straight off at the bend, he could easily hinder Paradise’s chances of turning second.  Jaytee Patriot is a dog who is perhaps allergic to sand in how wide he runs and will surely concede to much ground as he gallops on the grass round the outskirts.

Selection: T5 – Empress Katie

9:48 – Heat 9

The most competitive affair of the evening is predictably a tough contest to call but Minglers Toure has nice early and could be an archetypal winner at Towcester by railing off the front.  Diego Flight is a hound who can throw in mystifying performances but if he could turn handy enough he would become a huge danger to the selection.  Killeacle Wayne out wide nearly decided to enter himself into the 2m Novices Hurdle during his trial as he was that close to entering the horse racecourse so he is readily opposed.

Selection: T2 – Minglers Toure

10:03 – Heat 10

Always nice to see the best bet on the card come in the lucky last and here we have one of the reasons why the first round can be so lucrative for punting hounds like myself and the Lolly Faithful.  King Kid at odds-against of 11/10 is nearly as good a steal as when I hid my human’s shoe in the garden bush for 3 weeks!  That leathery delight for me to chew was nearly as mouthwatering a prospect as when I saw the price on Rab McNair’s flyer here and he will take some catching off the front!  Jaytee Yankee is another Irish raider that is clearly useful but Kid is a serious prospect in this competition as a whole if he can continue to clear the field out wide.

Selection: T6 – King Kid NAP

Here are the recommendations:

7:39 – Carn Brea – 1 doggie treat @ 3/1

8:26 – Razldazl Tierna – 2 dog bones @ 2/1

9:48 – Minglers Toure – 1 breast of chicken @ 3/1

10:03 – King Kid – 3 pieces of bread @ 11/10

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments don’t hesitate to tweet me and I promise to bark back at you with all the gusto that this great month of racing deserves!  Let’s hope we can have a few winners tonight and most importantly, that members of Team Lolly survive any shock eliminations!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

The young tykes have their most prestigious final this evening live on Sky Sports and as us hounds are being shown on Sky Sports Mix, non-suscribers to the sports channels can watch on this free-to-view service: that deserves a huge happy howl from me!!!  Since the Gymcrack moved from Hall Green to Kinsley it has grown in class year upon year and has produced a mouth-watering finale tonight that might not be all plain-tailing for the Irish favourite Cometwopass.  Kinsley is a track that divides opinions amongst my colleagues but I like to view it as the “Romford-of-the-North” with excellent catering and a tight track leading it to be tough to pass: you need to ping like I used to and get after that pesky bunny!  As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful and here are my thoughts:

7:11 – Standard

What better way to paw off the proceedings with a former champion of the main event, 2015 Stay Loose, who thrives on his racing over the course-and-distance.  Not much fools his legendary human Charlie Lister OBE in this field of work and his charge can pace up to turn handy with Bubbly Turbo here.  Turbo is a hound for me that has to lead and the eye-catching piece of form for this contest is on 1st December when Stay managed to get Loose after him at Belle Vue and caught him going away; that scenario could easily repeat itself here and at the prices he is the value.  Lightfoot Scolar is becoming frustrating with his tardy exits which should give plenty of room for the selection and Along Came Finn lives up to his name by coming along to the party after the cocktail sausages have long been gobbled up (mainly by me nom nom!!!).

Selection: T2 – Stay Loose

7:26 – Stayers

To bark that this is a hard race to call is somewhat of an understatement, even for my expert eye as a freelance journadog.  The contest for me revolves around where Slick Salsa fancies going from her unfamiliar draw in 1 and if she can break at all from a rails draw.  She could easily miss it which means Lowgate Belatrix is underestimated in the market to turn handy on the rails at least alongside Mustang Golden, who is a colleague of mine that is hard to weigh up.   Barnside Chloe is a risky proposition to have faith in with her own ideas that the aim of her job is to be leader of the pack and Worsboro Zebo is hardly one to have your kennel mortgage on.  In a race probably best watched whilst licking a tub of ice cream, Belatrix is running well enough in recent defeats to pick up a hard-earned victory.

Selection: T2 – Lowgate Belatrix

7:43 – Marathon

Those lunatics that fancy running for 6 bends too far have a warm-favourite here in Slick Strauss but as should be the case, I’m not sure he gets home over this ridiculous trip.  His short-price factors in that he could be soon clear of this field but the confirmed stayer in this line-up is too big after a decent trial over the standard assignment: Atlantis Jacob.  Over his career, it would probably have been better for my doggie biscuit bank balance to just buy the dog and let him sit with me on the sofa than the amount of times I have backed him in defeat, but this is a golden opportunity for Jacob to show that he is a genuine marathon performer: who are a rare species.  Bubbly Tempest makes her long-anticipated debut over an 8-bend trip here but her effort at Harlow over 769m once on the bunny hardly howled out that she wants even further (considerably tiring at the end). That coupled with her effort on first look at the Yorkshire track looking like a reenactment of me staggering out of the Hare and Hounds after midnight on a Friday night after a milk-and-water session means that she is easily avoided here.

Selection: T1 – Atlantis Jacob

7:59 – Bitches

I’m a huge fan of watching these bitches only races and a nice dulcet Yorkshire-twang to a bark gets my tail-wagging woof woof! Early Mist looks plenty vulnerable enough here with her completely fluffing the start in her trial and the stayer Acomb Ruby has shown a real liking to the track and can hopefully repeat her sectional of 5:11 and run her very useful 27:50 time to pick this up.  Copeland Betty is desperate for an early-lead and the rails so Ruby will have to be red alert at the start but she should be favourite in this race in my dog’s honest opinion and the market is gradually agreeing with yours truly!  Wildfire Lin has useful pace and her recent win at Romford in a quick time should definitely be respected but I can start a chorus of the Kaiser Chiefs “Roooooo Rooooooo Rooooo Roooooooooooby” on my sofa as this good thing bolts clear!

Selection: T2 – Acomb Ruby NAP

8:16 – Puppies

The young tykes have a go here in effectively the consolation to the main event and this is a cavalry charge to the bend if ever there was one!  Dower Forgold has the pace to clear these with one of his good breaks but it must be barked that Viking Bertie (ex-Ballymac Alydar) is a pup with dangerous early and is a big unit to clear!  Dinnington Champ argubaly doesn’t want the rails either so there’s plenty to ponder if considering Forgold here.  Nearly Famous showed eye-catching early at the Sheffield sales this year and was a natural wide-runner for me so Young Lord has a lot on his plate on the run-up! It’s hard to make a strong case for any of these but a tentative selection must be that Forgold can make the bend: eyes closed at the bend for me and no it’s not due to my 34th nap of the day!

Selection: T3 – Dower Forgold

8:33 – Stayers

Swift Hansel has relished the freedom given to him now stepped up in trip as he saunters clear but this is not a foregone conclusion in this line-up and Calzaghe Jan and Geelo Bullet easily have the tools to challenge him from the outset.  The preference is for the Bullet who (after completely fluffing the start which he can do) ran the Kinsley track very well last time out and with a level-break he has to be value at a big-price. If he misses the break again then so-be-it but that is more than factored into his odds and his run last time was crying out for him to be backed next time out with a good make-up: he’s got one here!

Selection: T4 – Geelo Bullet NB

8:51 – Sprint Final

Everyone’s favourite race has a hugely competitive final here as each dog looks capable of beating the others on any other day.  Some would cynically suggest that that is a description of any sprint contest but this looks very tough to call indeed!  With Young Blitz trying to chop the bend when he gets there and Daytime Flyer moving in as a lane 3 or 4 runner, a tentative selection is for the infuriatingly inconsistent trapper Walk The Talk.  He can’t be backed with any confidence at all as he must surely be taking a nap in the traps on occasions (save it for the sofa pal!) but he has to be the quickest of these off a level-break and can swoop round the outside should he decide that he wants to get involved today!  Steaks recommended to be at a minimum for me in this!

Selection: T6 – Walk The Talk

9:08 – Gymcrack Final

Cometwopass has done nothing wrong since landing on these shores but his splits and times suggest that he does not have as much in paw as the prices suggest and I’m siding with Ballymac Healy drawn on his inner.  Healy ran into the inspired darling of Hall Green, Sylvias Chloe, in the semi-final who is a bitch that is simply lethal out of the red box (she would prefer trap 0 if she could choose it!) and Healy lost nothing trying to challenge her at the bends when she was railing maginificently as she does.  He flew out of the red box in the first round and that just might be exactly where he loves to be; therefore if he can hold his position he can drive the bend and come out down the back in front.  The Other Billy is a type to ignore at your peril but he will have to improve even further on his semi-final effort in order to clear the two inside him.  Whoever makes the bend out of the inside 3 wins this for me (as is often the case at Kinsley) and that can be Ballymac Healy now drawn favourably.

Selection: T1 – Ballymac Healy

Here are the recommendations:

7:11 – Stay Loose – 1 doggie treat @ 11/4

7:43 – Atlantis Jacob – 1 piece of bread at 7/2

7:59 – Acomb Ruby – 2 breasts of chicken @ 5/1

8:33 – Geelo Bullet – 2 chewstix @ 6/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please don’t hesitate to tweet me and I’ll bark back at you like there’s a squirrel teasing me up a tree!  As we build towards the Derby, let’s hope we can start to win some doggie treats to invest on our pawtfolio for the main event of the year!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

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

One of the most intriguing and enjoyable tournaments of the year concludes at Sheffield tonight in the 3 Steps to Victory as my colleagues are put to their longest and toughest test: do they stay?!  Class hounds have come to the fore over the years in this unique competition with Patchys Kerry and Hather George notably courageous and consistent winners but the performance of Ballymac Eske’s track record in 2014 at his first attempt over a 6 bend trip was a dazzling display of his freakish, relentless pace.  Elsewhere on the card we have a collection of decent opens at Owlerton Stadium (where the locals always have a bark or two on home sand) to get our teeth into over a nice range of trips.  It is alway of note at Sheffield that course form is important as the dogs seem to be constantly running on the turn which doesn’t help the galloping types.  As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful as we look to continue to bash those pesky bookies!

7:11 – Puppy

How good the Ballymac Vic x Droopys Danneel litter will be over time should be fascinating viewing over the next couple of years yet it must be remembered that like any young tyke, they are still finding their paws on the sand and what their work is about!  This, however, looks a comfortable task for Dorotas Woo Hoo in his favoured 6 box to stretch out down the back and show what all the fuss is about.  The challengers have it all to do to be on his level (hence the price) but Sir Dancealot is one for any notebook as he is one of the best young dogs Hall Green has seen in many years and is rapidly improving for such a well-bred sort.  Droopys Podge is another interesting mating as a half-brother to Droopys Buick so the contest between “the Dancer” and Podge should be good viewing if ultimately the winner has already flown by then.

Selection: T6 – Dorotas Woo Hoo

7:26 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race has an out-of-form favourite well-worth taking on in Cloncunny Ardera who wants to be drawn in the middle for me and has been a jolly-spoiler in his career as opposed to a reliable short-odds winner.  This leads the way to consider either Lowgate Mason or Rappers Station as the viable alternatives at a nice price.  Preference is for Mason who is well-liked by his connections and has the draw on the inside of his sprinting rivals that he can use to his advantage at the first bend.  Lightfoot Scholar is a useful early-paced performer over 4 bends but is not an out-and-out sprinter so Mason should show him a clean set of paws and at the price I will find out!

Selection: T3 – Lowgate Mason

7:43 – Stayers

Rubys Rascal is very tough to peg back when he gets a cheap lead but I’m not sure he’s entriely convincing in behind and here he faces local Geelo Bullet who could easily lead him up.  Bullet was a stalwart for the Sheffield Track Championship team and his decisive early and then relentless pursuit of that elusive bunny is a potent combination over this 6 bend trip.  The discrepancy in the price of Rascal and Bullet is too big considering they both want to string them out so the value has to be in the latter.  A definite lurking danger at the prices is Pointless Pearl who is starting to show that she likes a target to aim at so long as it has a tail!  The Queen Mother Memorial Cup winner over C+D is not the type to win by half the track but it could be a great race if she turns in behind the pace setters and gets after them; that being barked, this requires her to have tremendous luck in running and so the selection has to be the Bullet to fire.

Selection: T6 – Geelo Bullet

7:59 – Sprint

It’s fantastic to see a duplicate of the ultimate distance in front of the Sky cameras and in a classier affair than the first offering, Lissom Sheldo has a decent opportunity to unleash his ferocious early.  Ela Ela Genie has his box in 1 but it’s hard to recommend a hound who is so conducive to missing the break (hardly ideal for a sprinter) and is not showing his pace up of late that made him difficult to beat when drawn inside; that coupled with his paw record at Sheffield for a dog of his talent in 1 win from 5 starts means that he is readily opposable.  Sheldo has been banging his wrist on the door of the elite sprinters and tonight he can demonstrate why.

Selection: T2 – Lissom Sheldo

8:16 – Puppy Cup Final

The young tykes have a go here in their final and he’s odds-on for a reason, but there has to be value in opposing Geelo Monty who has shown he is not bulletproof by any stretch of the imagination.  He may turn out to be a different class to these over time but Salacres Koeman is not slow (although he evidently prefers to be drawn out wide in 6) and the unexposed improver Brazen Emperor is too pacey a dog to not have onside at 10/1.  Emperor made a mess of the start in the heats but that’s easily excusable for one of his age and yet he still showed glimpses of a turn of paw that could make him useful in the future.  This potential was shown to be no fluke as he powered home in the semi-finals from a much better start and it is worth taking a chance he can replicate a similar break this evening and give Monty a real race.

Selection: T4 – Brazen Emperor

8:33 – Standard

The seemingly timeless Calco Flyer has shown no signs of abating in his dominance of these one-off Sky races but his reign of supremacy has a serious question to answer in the local flyer Candlelight Fire tonight.  Flyer has been flying out of anywhere from Romford to Monmore but he will need to ping like me again tonight to be on terms with Fire at the bend of his home track that he dominates.  Those pesky bookmakers have this as a match with a sort of feel of any price the rest (which seems a little unfair on the enimagtic but dangerously useful Old Joe Golden) and with my admiration of Flyer and his achievements over what seems like forever, it is a race to just savour rather than invest.

Selection: T2 – Candlelight Fire

8:51 – Super Standard

I nearly fell off my sofa following my 3rd morning nap when I saw that Tynwald Baz was not favourite for this race and 3/1 is huge.  Oscar Whisky has undoubted pace but he showed in the Arc final that any sort of hustle and bustle (as he encountered on the run-up) leads to him surrendering his position before getting going again and Baz could easily make the bend and make-all here.  The pace that Baz showed at Monmore in particular on Puppy Derby Final night there showed he is in rude health from any draw at the moment and he is the type that takes a lot of pegging back now his confidence is up.  He will have to get it right at the boxes as he cannot back-run Whisky (not many in the country could) but he is simply too big to continue his rich vein of form with this nice long-run up over the trip playing into his paws.

Selection: T3 – Tynwald Baz NAP

9:08 – 3 Steps to Victory Final

Droopys Live comes into this final with far too many questions to answer to make her a worthy favourite and the hype of her early career might have surpassed her actual achievements now.  It is questionable whether she is guaranteed to stay and whilst she made up a huge amount of ground after bother in the 500m semi-final, she surely can’t give a dog with the quality and experience of Ballymac Ramsey that much of a start and a beating.  Ramsey has won over 630m at Monmore and whilst that is very much short 6 bend test, he was hardly stopping dead at the line on that occassion and if he can hold off the early intentions of Shaneboy Freddie (who has a brutish tenacity about him) then Ramsey can be too far gone around his favourite venue (8 wins from 12 starts) for Droopys Live to get near enough to him; furthermore, although she has won from 4 it was against lesser dogs than the likes of Ramsey and Freddie and so backers of her are heavily reliant on her outstaying those two in my dog’s honest opinion.  It will be some achievement if she manages it but on the draw and his proven class I definitely prefer to be with Ramsey to skip clear and hold on for connections that know how to win this tournament on home soil.

Selection: T2 – Ballymac Ramsey

Here are the recommendations:

7:26 – Lowgate Mason (1 doggie treat @ 6/1)

7:43 – Geelo Bullet (1 piece of bread @ 4/1)

7:59 – Lissom Sheldo (1 chewstick @ 7/2)

8:51 – Tynwald Baz (2 dog bones @ 3/1)

9:08 – Ballymac Ramsey (1 chicken breast @ 9/4)

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please don’t hesitate to tweet me and I’ll bark right back at you as I spin round in excitement as I think I’m about to go on a walk (rustling leads and gathering wellies a key giveaway from the humans)!!!  It’s a shame there aren’t more tri-distant tournaments like this in the calendar year to add to the variety of the offerings on show but until then, savour this final tonight and may the best stayer win!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

The top 6 humans that us hounds work so enthusiastically for battle it out tonight at the new focal point of the sport: Towcester.  It will be the first true test of the track and its perceived biases so let’s hope it can dispel the myths and have this night set us up in preparation for the Derby in a couple of months time!  The nature of the scoring system in this competition lends itself to the winner managing to pick up points in races with some of their less favoured dogs and thus a team with strength in depth is often required as opposed to the humans with a few “good things” who could easily come unstuck in such competitive racing.  For that reason I feel that the value lies in my charming old boss, Seamus Cahill, who despite not needing to train me that much as I was that good, has assembled a useful team thanks to his cracking setup.  So you will be able to hear me barking on my old friends as we hopefully march to a victory at 4/1 for #TeamCahill.  Also, as ever I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful throughout the card and the ever-popular Lolly Goliath should hopefully bring us some nice winners along the way!

7:11 – Standard C

A nice starting dish here like a chipolata wrapped in bacon before my meat feast main meal (if you will) can see the well-drawn Roswell Iceman paw things off for the favourite Mark Wallis.  He is capable of pinging out at his home circuit and as a lover of the rails, can lead the slow-away Slippery Amigo to the corner and string them out; if Towcester is biased towards the rails, this colleague of mine will demonstrate why.  Glenkeel can be useful on his day but seems to throw in some bizarre swerving manouevres into his running which is far from ideal (demonstrated in his trials at Hall Green and his last at Towcester).  Ballymac Lyster is without doubt an extremely fast hound for #TeamCahill and we are hoping he picks up points here but his head-banging of the traps accompanied with his penchant for running into dogs instead of round them is frustrating to say the least!  Iceman to rail them off in a classic Towcester victory for me.

Selection: T2  – Roswell Iceman

7:26 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here is hard to fathom with the terrible form of favourite Ela Ela Genie offset by the fact he is in his much favoured red box.   At the prices he is no value and instead if he fluffs his lines (which he is more than capable of doing), the quietly proficient Jumeirah Maximus could easily have shown them a clean set of paws.  Droopys Trapeze is dangerous for sadly retiring human Jimmy Wright but he would much rather be drawn further inside and is not to the same level of Wright’s superstar of last year Walshes Hill.

Selection: T2 – Jumeirah Maximus

7:43 – Puppy

The humans in the Mullins camp are bursting with enthusiasm at the prospects of Mad About Eoghan and he did not disappoint with a track record performance in his debut over the course and distance.  Whilst it is a relatively new trip and few class races have been put over the distance, it was still mightily impressive for the young tyke to lower the clock against some useful prospects.  Most eyes will be on the wonder-litter representative Dorotas Wildcat but he has looked very green in his efforts under race conditions so far and whilst he is one to keep onside when he figures his work out, for now I would rather side with Eoghan pinging like me again and putting on a display of brute pace for one so young.

Selection: T2 – Mad About Eoghan NAP

7:59 – Stayers

A nice competitive affair here that has the enigma that is Coconut Corker stepping up to a true 6 bends for #TeamCahill.  He is surely too big at 8/1 to hopefully come out level (as he often misses the break hopelessly) and then pace up to make the corner.  Whether he stays the 655m is a question that will have to be answered if he leads but he has every right to pace up ahead of genuine 6 bend dog Memphis Mafia and the marathon hound Dashing Star.  Rubys Rascal is always sent off short in my dog’s honest opinion as he is undoubtedly talented but is hardly consistent enough to warrant his starting prices: especially if he is led up.  Droopys Dart is simply a dog without a trip and so it is hard to see him posing a huge threat to Corker if they turn together.  This could be a huge scalp for #TeamCahill: come on Corker!!!

Selection: T2 – Coconut Corker

8:16 – Standard B

A dog that has 500m Derby written all over him is Brinkleys King who is drawn to put these to the sword tonight and post his credentials for the most coveted prize of them all.  With the 5 moving in he can assert on the outside and perhaps show that the wide dogs can run the track if they are good enough.  The dangers are Droopys Five who is well-capable of putting in a good run on his day and the same can be barked for Droopys Who, who has some very impressive performances amidst some lesser efforts although there is no denying he is a hard dog to catch if he can poach that pivotal early lead.  King is more of an Evs, shade of odds-on shot to me in my book so the value is on the favourite here.

Selection: T6 – Brinkleys King NB

8:33 – Bitches

Those long-serving members of the Lolly Faithful will know that I love watching a good bitches race and this could be one of the upsets of the meet.  I hang my muzzle in shame that I am going against #TeamCahill and the favourite Crossfield Molly but I’m hoping she just secures some points here.   It is her first look at the track since August and her efforts in success and defeat have over the course and distance have been blemished with how wide she runs round the circuit; she is simply running a lot further than every other dog and therefore giving up too much ground to be considered a proposition at 7/4.  Empress Katie was hugely empressive in beating an all-male lineup (bar herself) in front of the Sky cameras last week but that is more than factored into the price of a bitch who has a missed break in her when drawn too far off the rail.  The value without doubt in this race is Wright’s consistent railing bitch Droopys Bouchard who won’t look like a 10/1 shot if she leads the 2 and 3 up which is perfectly plausible.  She has decent A1 early and is a tenacious sort who is surely being relied upon to pick up some valuable points here and maybe even the surprise maximum.

Selection: T1 – Droopys Bouchard

8:51 – Super Stayers

The arrogant division of the stayers is a thrilling prospect here with Huarache Madison and Shellam Delano pitting themselves against each other from both of their favoured boxes.  Preference has to be for Hutton’s bitch who has only failed to impress when drawn horrifically in 4 at Monmore and has not put a paw wrong elsewhere this term.  Delano is the best stayer in the country for me but he has to overcome St. Leger hero Ferryforth Fran on his inside and that nagging presence of the local dog could just give Madison too much scope to rail and show her oozing class.

Selection: T1 – Huarache Madison

9:08 – Standard A

With no disrespect to my other colleagues in the race, this is a match-up between the Derby favourites here in Bubbly Bluebird and Droopys Buick! Buick sadly became ill before his challenge for Wimbledon’s last ever Derby even began but he has been so lightly-raced since that the priority has clearly been to make this year’s English Derby his chance to prove that he is the best dog on either shore for many a year.  The dog has everything.  He’s won 10 of his last 12 starts in superb company, he’s capable of lowering the sprint clock at his home track of Newcastle (in trials) and also he has the trackcraft and ability to backrun very useful dogs; it will take a huge effort to knock him out of the Derby and this is his first big test: can he lead or chase down Bluebird?  Perfectly drawn on his inner, the Paul Young aeroplane has given the Champagne Club a first genuine Derby contender for a long while.  Has he beaten that much on his way to being at the top of the market though?  It’s hard to assess and his huge challenge comes in the form of Buick tonight who has proven it at the highest level time and time again: what a race!

Selection: T3 – Droopys Buick

Here are the recommendations:

7:43 – Mad About Eoghan (2 doggie treats @ 9/4)

8:16 – Brinkleys King (2 pieces of bread @ 7/4)

8:33 – Droopys Bouchard (1 breast of chicken @ 10/1)

8:51 – Huarache Madison (1 chewstick @ 11/8)

9:08 – Droopys Buick (1 sausage @ 13/8)

So there are my thoughts on one of the best nights of the year!  The contests between the humans have been memorable down the years and as ever, if you have any comments please don’t hestitate to tweet me!  If you hear any loud barking or howling from Towcester tonight, please don’t be alarmed, it means a #TeamCahill hound is in contention: hopefully my colleagues won’t let our prestigious kennels down tonight!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

In a year that is set to see the desperate closure of Wimbledon and then Hall Green towards the end of the year (probably) let’s rejoice in the quirks of the Birmingham circuit as my colleagues attempt to negotiate the notorious 2nd bend this evening!  It looks a fairly average card for a Sky night with some of the Brummie locals making up the numbers but there is still enough class to get our teeth stuck into! As ever, as we move into 2017, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful which essentially revolves around selecting the proven open racers that have hopefully had a look at the track beforehand!

7:11 – Maiden

Bubbly Mustang has been bought by the Champagne Club as a Derby prospect (currently 66/1) and with his two trials at Hall Green being progressive and with plenty in paw of these rivals, he can trap out from the red box (which he seems to crave anyway) and make-all here relatively comfortably.  Hovex Blaze for Andy Griffiths has an open racing profile but has yet to really spark into life on these shores yet and his tendency to finish in the places looks to continue here.  Roys Boy and Acomb Alvin will do well to beat a pacey dog like Mustang without a trial here; Drahbeg Princess struggles to win A2’s so is dismissed and Boherglass Swell is arguably the fastest grader at the track but doesn’t trap well enough to be open class just yet.

7:26 – Super Stayers

The arrogant division of the stayers here, with the self-proclaimed “super” ones having a go can go the way of the dog with the draw and the potential to be useful over this trip.  Newlawn Simon has had a look at the boxes with a sprint trial and can pace up on the inside as Strauss and Dart head for lane 4/5.  Blastoff Bonnie is the danger after putting in a particularly useful sectional for the 630m boxes but Shlowdown Aoife is known as a local dog that is allergic to sand as he courses the hare out wide so it’s going to be tough for Bonnie to have things all her own way out wide as Aoife has competed in top grade here to a good standard.  Simon is well-bred and can relish the extra trip to stretch his legs.

7:43 – Marathon

There could be barks and howls from the locals here as ex-A3 Droopys Lucinda returns to her home track where she used to be capable of 28:50 for the 4 bends back in the day.  Whilst those sort of times are a distant memory as she has decided to drop herself out these days, she is still too big to catch Maireads Ivy at this circuit as Lucinda has shown that she simply depises Romford!  It is questionable whether Ribble Atom actually stays a true marathon trip so she should be catchable and Karchi ran his trial round the venue like he’d never seen a dog track or hare before!!!

7:59 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race takes centre stage just before primetime viewing at 8 o’ clock with Ela Ela Genie in his box to pace up on the inside and brave the first bend decisively.  I was unconvinced with Walk The Talk’s trial over course and distance although he is respected as a decent open sprinter and the presence in the fastest dog to the bend at HG, Kavarna, in trap 5 should put paid to the chances of the unexposed Ballymac Noble.  Draws win sprints and the Genie is set to make our wishes come true!

8:16 – Standard

A tough race to be definitive on but the presence of Glenkeel in trap 2 who has trialled like he has had too many milk and waters when stumbling round the second bend (twice!) means the local Danzey Express can rail round the inner and get on the bunny.  Let Me Tell You is a progressive local from A5 to A1 but it is hard to envisage him clearing Young’s wayward dog in 2.  Leons Buck is not the force of old when he could do 28:50 round here when it was his local track and litter sisters Borntobefast and Million Jay are matched not only in their ability, but in their terrible draws for bang railing bitches.

8:33 – Stayers

In what is effectively the consolation to the Prestige final, Bubbly Express, has been crying out for trap 1 in his career and can utilise it decisively after missing out in the heats in a desperately close call for 2nd.  Geelo Bullet missed the break badly in the heats and whilst he ran ok thereafter, he can ill-afford not to get on the bunny now he has upped in class from intertrack level.  Bang On Giles is proving expensive to follow as he is sadly now almost certainly a dog without a trip.  After a flying ping break in his first look at the circuit, Eskes Champ now looks regressive but his presence in 5 gives Leger hero in 6, Ferryforth Fran, a chance to run high-wide-and-not-so-handsome-as-me but he surely needs further than 630m in my dog’s honest opinion!

8:51 – Standard

The continually underestimated Castell Henry has his box here to again pace up, make the bend, and not be caught as a lively Derby outsider. Macs On Storm tends to miss the kick and Tynwald Rodney has hardly been the most reliable of trappers in his career. Danzey Exception is apparently ungradeable at the Hall Green circuit but struggles in this type of class and Barricane Tiger has been found out round here on this card this time last year.  Corrin Boyshane is the danger to Henry but it’s hard to be too optimistic about his chances after posting a trial time over 29 seconds last week.

9:08 – Prestige Final

Connections of Razldazl Allstar must have breathed a huge sigh of relief after he qualified in 2nd position from a hopelessly poor first 3 bends in the heats, but that experience can surely put him in good stead to utilise a ridiculously favourable draw.  Rubys Razzle is a bang railer next to him, as is the 4 and so any likely scrimmaging inside caused by all 5 runners looking for the rails can aid the challenge of the Irish raider. His price is beginning to now look short but it is still hard to make a positive case for any of the others in the field representing value from such a messy look to the race.

Recommendations:

7:26 – Newlawn Simon (1 doggie treat @ 10/3)

7:43 – Droopys Lucinda (1 breast of chicken @ 5/2)

7:59 – Ela Ela Genie (1 dog bone @ 7/4)

8:51 – Castell Henry (1 piece of bread @ 10/3)

9:08 – Razldazl Allstar (1 chewstick @ 15/8)

As ever, if you have any comments going into 2017 please don’t hesitate to tweet me and I promise to bark back at you quicker than me chasing a squirrel in my field where my human lets me off my pesky lead!  Barking of 2017, let’s all get behind us hounds this year and look to the future as we embark on a new adventure centred around the ever-improving Towcester!!!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy