The East Anglian Derby is often a fiercely competitive Category One tournament for Yarmouth’s big night of the year and this renewal has been no exception with a quality final awaiting us.  Last year saw an emotional celebration for Swift Keith’s human John Mullins who had wanted to win his local track’s tournament for many a year and whilst Keith bow-wowed out in the semi-finals in defence of his crown, Mullins still has some live chances on the classy supporting card.  Hopefully the fact it has rained cats and dogs this afternoon won’t affect the going too much as it should be a great night and as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful and a goliath for an interest in each race:

7:11 – Standard

Clondoty Alex has quietly worked his way into being a nice early-paced Romford dog and his bravery at the first bend in front of the Sky cameras last Wednesday having missed the break slightly was the sign of a gutsy hound.  He will have to be on his toes from a wider than ideal draw this evening but without any serious early in the race, he can get to the bend in front before chopping his inside rivals.  Farneys Cookie and Soviet Kenny are more staying types but the former is well-drawn with Alex likely to seek the rail and the fact he should have the legs of Kenny to the bend.  That barked, I’m not sure Cookie has the natural 4 bend pace to catch the selection and if Alex can clear the well-drawn Cloncunny Bound (who is becoming increasingly disappointing) then he can make-all in a tough contest to call, in truth.

Lolly Goliath – T4 – Clondoty Alex

7:26 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here would have Soviet Paddy as a strong favourite if he had drawn his 6 box but he has to be taken on from 4; he was slow-away last week when drawn in the black box (lost at odds-on) and his only other start on these shores from a middle box saw him miss the kick again when boxed in 3.  Whilst it’s hard to be conclusive from 2 examples and the fact he used to come out of 2 and 3 in Ireland, it is still more than a concern for the favourite and he is worth taking on because even if he comes out he will have to clear 5 and 6 which is no foregone conclusion.  Ballaghboy View is the colleague that interests me as he is unexposed and could turn out to be a useful sprinter for that human to be feared Charlie Lister OBE.  He has raced against some useful sorts on both shores and he just might be a bit under the radar despite trap 1 not looking completely ideal for a dog that might want to be in 3.  The formline that is of particular interest is a trial when he lost to Riverside Gold at Sunderland before the Classic there; Gold went on to lead the very useful Droopys Alessio in the first round of that tournament and has since been sent off very short prices in good sprints across the country.  Therefore, if View could keep tabs on that dog then he must have a bit of pace about him as Gold would be sub 2/1 favourite for this race.

Goliath – T1 – Ballaghboy View

7:43 – Marathon

The hounds that like to run a ludicrious distance go here and it’s a very useful looking marathon.  Despite not having a look at the track which is a negative, the first lap can effectively be a trial for Bubbly Time and it is a surprise to see her as big a 6/4 in her form.  Narrowly caught by the awesome Ballymac Bonnie in the TV Trophy, Time has subsequently clocked a track-record and her only defeat since that bold Towcester front-running effort was when Droopys Tamera flew out uncharacteristically and simply can’t be caught when she does that.  So since she seems to have got her head in the game after a quirky sort of few months a while back, Time has shown why her syndicate paid big doggie treats for her and she can account for a good field here.  Ribble Atom has tasted defeat to the selection a few times of late so it’s hard to see a form reversal there and Market Heights is a well-bred dog who thrives over these staying trips but simply doesn’t have the pace to keep up with Time in the opening exchanges and she won’t be caught by Heights over even this distance.  The danger is Burgess Borna who has slowly been nursed back to fitness and has some really high-class form to her name; whether she can compete today with the in-form bitch is a doubt though and Time really should be a shade of odds-on for this race.

Goliath – T1 – Bubbly Time

7:59 – Stayers

Perhaps the best drawn dog on the card this evening is too big a price, especially if the torrential rain has led to an outside bias, and Oneco Sky can build on some promising efforts since moving over from Eire.  The key to this race is Tivoli Ransom who has nice early (as shown at Romford last time out) and definitely tries to get closer to the rail at the first bend which could hamper Chicago (who has to lead but could very well do) and Head For Gold.  Indeed, it’s bemusing that Head For Gold is a much shorter price than Sky as when they met last the latter did a faster sectional and came second over the course and distance with Gold in third.  The danger is if Chicago gets loose as he’s had a look at the track now and is a tough dog to catch on the bunny over any trip; the potential for Gold and Ransom to hold him up however means the clear value in the race is Sky to stay high-wide-and-not-so-handsome-as-me to claim his maiden British win.

Goliath – T6 – Oneco Sky

8:16 – Bitches

I love watching a good bitches’ race and taking a significant class-drop here is Evanta Fantasy who should be ideally suited to Yarmouth’s tight track (as she is to Romford) and she can ping like me and make-all here with relative ease.  The danger is the fancied Droopys Scion who is a young tyke that is often supported in the market.  She showed eye-catching pace to nearly catch Droopys Story at Romford but her lack of brute early means that the Essex track was hardly ideal for her;  whether Yarmouth can bring a change of fortunes is up for debate but she clearly has shown pace in her brief career.  Unfortunately for her, Fantasy is a class act as she showed in the Derby when leading Irish Derby favourite Farloe Blitz in one of the rounds and that type of form is on a different level to anything these other bitches have achieved.

Goliath – T2 – Evanta Fantasy

8:33 – Standard

Last year’s East Anglian Derby finalist Southern Mesut is likely to go off just favourite for this race but the now veteran is very hit and miss in his advancing years.  If he pings out and shows the pace of yesteryear then this could be all over within strides at arguably his favourite track but he is overlooked in favour of a younger dog in Astra Prince.  Whilst his form doesn’t leap off the page as scintillating, he has shown that he runs the track well in the first round where he made-all in a paw affair and if he can repeat a sectional like that, he can clear the tardy starter Ballymac Manix (who really should have won at Sittingbourne on Sunday night when unusually prominent down the back) and get on the bunny should Mesut put in a flat performance.  The dog in 3 My Mate Max is a mercurial youngster who is struggling to put a run of good performances together but there is no doubt that he has tremendous pace when given room as he showed at Nottingham last month; he just seems to be taking a while to find his paws in the racing game and his role may be to just hold Mesut to the bend allowing Prince to swoop round the outside.  Another tough race to call.

Goliath – T5 – Astra Prince

8:51 – Derby Purse Final

For a hound with awesome pace and a style which suggested that 6 bends would be his making into a top Category One performer, Romany Rouge has been disappointing since stepped up in trip following the Derby and the quotes of circa 10/1 for him in the St. Leger now look absurd.  For him to be caught by admittedly the strong Borna Champ was a paw performance in my book as once he was on the bunny he should have got this trip doing pawstands: does he want to win, sadly probably not.  That, coupled with the fact that the aforementioned Borna Champ will have to weave his way through the entire field (which he has done so effectively at his local track so many times in fairness!) then the likeable battling front-runner Kakantu is too big to make-all out wide here.  His time is a full half-second slower than Rouge and Champ went and hence his price but if Rouge doesn’t show the required desire and Champ does find bother, Kakantu has every chance to hold off Black Francis (who is well-drawn on the rail) as he did in the last round.

Goliath – T6 – Kakantu

9:08 – East Anglian Derby Final

A classy field of proven Category One performers line-up here and between Southfield Jock and Ballymac Brogan, at the prices the former must be value to get on the bunny and claim his second Category One tournament and his first as an adult dog.  From a draw where he had missed it as Gymcrack favourite earlier in his career, Jock powered to the bend in the semi-finals, battled bravely at the bend to assert from former champion Swift Keith and also hold off Ballymac Brogan on his outside who was mounting a challenge.  That effort at the bend shows that this dog is bouncing and that he feels he has his rivals’ measure in this tournament round a track he is now comfortable with.  He stayed on well enough to the line as well for a dog who is known as a bit of a short runner and the 9/2 on offer is more than fair for him to make the bend.  Calco Flyer is a really likeable dog but he fluffed his lines in the semi-finals and struggled to match Do It For Twiggy to the bend in the first round.  With those two, I think it is a case that they are not quite Category One class and so the real battle here is who makes it to the bend between Jock and Brogan: my doggie treats are on the Jock.

Goliath – T4 – Southfield Jock

Here are the recommendations:

7:43 – Bubbly Time – 2 doggie treats @ 6/4

7:59 – Oneco Sky – 1 dog bone @ 13/2

8:16 – Evanta Fantasy – 1 breast of chicken @ 2/1

9:08 – Southfield Jock – 1 piece of bread @ 9/2

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings!  As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I promise to bark back at you faster than Jock makes the bend this evening!  Hopefully the rain won’t make the going favour the outside too much this evening and it is definitely something to note over the first few races, but if not then we should have a cracking card and hopefully a few winners!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A cracking card awaits us at Romford tonight with the Champion Stakes headlining the proceedings with the vast majority, if not all, of the greyhound world hoping to see Adageo Bob claim his much deserved Category One tournament at a venue where he is a legend.  Whether it has been a bad draw in the final, an utterly inspired run from Soviet Kenny or even being caught in a traffic jam on a motorway to deny his place in the tournament, Bob has been maligned in the big Romford stayers events where he is surely the best hound we have seen over the course and distance.  I’ll bark more about that race later and before it, we have some intriguing finals over various trips and as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful and the return of the Lolly Goliath so you can be involved in every race for a relatively small investment!

7:11 – Stayers

Throughout the card it must be noted that the outside has been running dead at Romford for the past few weeks (if not longer) and putting your faith in a natural wide runner is a strategy that is probably best avoided; the humans may have sorted out our work surface for this big night but Monday on their BAGS card showed no signs that there isn’t still a consistent inside bias at the Essex Track.  That is why Jet Stream Jack is value here as he rails the bends round this circuit and with the other likely front runner Swift Whirlwind taking a wide course, Jack should utilise the ground to his best advantage.  Bubbly Gold is capable of running a big race when he wants but will have to be on his toes early on as Droopys Flash can come out and will be seeking the rails which could see these two big dogs get in a barging match.  Soviet Kenny hates being in 5, let alone 4 so the draw has completely put paid to his chances and whilst Droopys Jarrow pinged out and beat Jack in the first round of the main event tonight, the make-up of the race and the likely conditions very much point to a form reversal here.

Goliath Selection: T3 – Jet Stream Jack

7:26 – Standard

Just when the dog blog was looking to make the game sound easy this evening by backing early-paced railers (a strategy that often pays dividends on a normal night at Romford), I think that Soviet Paddy is far too big from trap 6 here.  Before you think I’ve gone barking mad, in his previous venture in Essex in February he very nearly cleared the field at the bend and whilst he didn’t, he still showed that he runs the track well enough to account for this useful field that is drawn all over the place.  Clondoty Alex has been paw from 1 in the past and wants to be more middle, Who Needs Pace flops out before pacing up and trying to get to the rails, Ibiza Rocks is a dog who wants 2 and has arguably lost a yard of early in favour of middle pace these days so he could be in the pile-up that looks destined to happen here at the first.  If they all collide as expected, See No Gamble is hardly a reliable trapper out of his favoured 6 box so there is every chance he will fluff the start and so Paddy could have an absolute solo out wide to the bend here where he will hopefully chop it in front.  Then we cross our paws and hope he doesn’t go too wide as he will likely lose time on the dead ground but even so, he could be 2 or 3 lengths clear down the back and this dog gets the 462m at Yarmouth without too much worry and so it’s not a case of him not staying that could get him beat off the front here.  He looks far too big in a wide open, potentially very messy affair.

Goliath: T6 – Soviet Paddy

7:43 – Bitches Final

As regular readers will know I love a good bitches race and the draw here can sway things in favour of the likeable early pace of Emmas Memory.  She is no world beater but on her day she can ping out, hug the rails and do a 24:20 which is exactly what this race will require.  Brisk Bella has a similar profile but will be heading left and it will be tough to clear Emmas should they be at the bend together which is more than likely on sectional times.  The danger is Jolly Vegas who is potentially a class better than these but the only time she has been in 5 in her career, at Henlow, she didn’t fly out and has shown that she is a bitch who would much prefer to be drawn nearer the rail;  a fortuitous winner of her heat when strongly fancied to ping out and make-all from 1 on her first competitive start at Romford, she missed the break badly and whilst she might have learnt from that experience, it is hard to fancy her to come out of an unfavoured box having already missed it once at the track.  Emmas Memory can lead Dinner Panteli as she did a few starts back and make-all on a quick Sky track.

Goliath: T2 – Emmas Memory

7:59 – Puppy Final

The young tykes have a go here and there looks to be a nice few prospects in the line-up.  The pick of them, however, is the half-brother to Droopys Nidge (once Irish Derby favourite) and Millwards Teddy (this year’s top stayer), Droopys Story, who has been flying out round here and making all in a style that suggests he could follow in the pawsteps of his illustrious siblings.  His mother, Droopys Solange, has shown that she can throw a strong stayer (Teddy nearly caught Touch Tackle over 695m in the Regency final) and so there is every chance that Story can gallop on stronger as he gets older and he looks value here to confirm and perhaps improve on his superiority to Droopys Scion here.  Scion nearly caught Story in the heats but with a quick Sky track, the potential to get in trouble in-running, and the likeliness that Story will see the trip out stronger tonight as he is entitled to do, those pesky bookmakers are underestimating the dog that should be clear favourite here.  Johns Present has shown he is a nice progressive sort but he hasn’t got blistering early and so the presence of Goodwood Flyer in trap 1 who pings out (if forgiven her last race) and then dives straight for lane 3 or even 4: if that happens Present could have nowhere to go at a crucial point on the run-up as he will need to turn handy enough to catch Story this evening.  As ever, they are only youngsters and could potentially do anything but Story should be clear favourite for this contest as drawn and with his potential.

Goliath: T4 – Droopys Story

8:16 – Maiden Stayers

When his humans were reluctant to enter him in the Derby following a useful Arc campaign, it has now become apparent that they feel Loughteen Eoin was a stayer in the making and that he perhaps didn’t have the early of top class 4 bend colleagues; if that is the case he should be accounting for these rivals today following a decent first look at the track in the heats.  Droopys Roller is an uneasy favourite as his brothers, Teejays Panther and Porsche, have gradually been exposed as non-stayers over even this short 6 bend trip and so if Eoin misses it slightly and turns second, he could easily outstay Roller in 2.  The local bitch Carla is tailor-made for this trip but is often left hopelessly at the start and so would have to come out a lot better to compete with the dogs inside her, it’s tough to bark that she will.  In not the strongest of Sky races, Eoin is too big to big too good for these.

Goliath: T1 – Loughteen Eoin

8:33 – Standard Final

Following a favourable draw this looks a great opportunity for Jolly Ranger to complete a hat-trick from trap 1 at Romford.  Pinpoint Lad is a nice Romford dog but doesn’t rail on the run-up and Bolshoi Booze is a frightening early-paced merchant but is surely outclassed by Kevin Hutton’s charge.  Any Dak rolled back the years last week as the old boy scored following his decision that the sofa wasn’t quite right for him when he was initially retired (he must be nuts!); his problem today, however, is Reel Shirty is decent to the bend and so it is hard to see how Dak can cut the bend as he used to do so brilliantly in his pomp.  Dak is the danger but on the likely going and the opposing ends of their careers put into context, Ranger should be a solid odds-on shot here.

Goliath: T1 – Jolly Ranger

8:51 – Marathon

Now she has put her wandering tendencies behind her it really is hard to see how Bubbly Time doesn’t win this ludicrous distance by a ludicrous distance.  Drawn outside tardy starter and main market rival Ribble Atom, Time surely flies round here for two circuits.

Goliath: T2 – Bubbly Time

9:08 – Champion Stakes Final

The head must always rule the heart when it comes to tipping us hounds and Jet Stream Sound is too big to make it another near-miss in a big Romford final for Adageo Bob.  Sound went within 2 spots of the sprint clock for his sectional in the first round as he completely destroyed Lowther Stakes finalist Domino Storm to the bend (a huge scalp) and then the Henlow 550m track-record holder simply didn’t stop.  Whilst he couldn’t repeat that freakish sectional for a stayer in the semi-final, he still flew out and made-all in times that Bob has just not been finding in the competition; that is because Bob has been dropping himself out uncharacteristically over the course and distance before producing stunning back-running performances to remain unbeaten in the tournament.  The commentary for his semi-final victory when he was left helplessly at the start will live long in the memory (well worth a watch or two here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FzUcrZlvbM) but sadly, he cannot afford to come out like that this evening against Sound who will just be gone.  Bob needs to freshen himself up and come out like he can do over a trip where he has captured the imagination of the greyhound world, then hopefully we will have a real race.

Goliath: T2 – Jet Stream Sound

Here are the recommendations:

7:11 – Jet Stream Jack – 1 doggie treat @ 2/1

7:26 – Soviet Paddy – 2 chewstix @ 6/1

7:59 – Droopys Story – 1 piece of bread @ 11/4

8:33 – Jolly Ranger – 2 sausages @ Evs

9:08 – Jet Stream Sound – 1 breast of chicken @ Evs

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings!  As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I promise to bark back at you quicker than Jet Stream Sound makes it to the winner’s line first time round!  It should be a great night and there will not be a bigger bark from my sofa, however, if Adageo Bob can beat him this evening despite our investment.  Woof, woof, woof!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A cracking card at Monmore this evening completes their Summer Festival with the highlight being whether potential greyhound-of-the-year elect Swift Hoffman can clear the first bend unscathed: if he does it will take a very special dog to get near him!  Elsewhere we have the finals of the Trafalgar Cup (first held nearly 13 years ago), the Summer 416 and the Summer 630 with the latter looking an interesting contest to bark the least!  As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful and here it is:

7:11 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race starts the proceedings with Daytime Flyer gracing the card as one of the best sprinters in the country.  Originally 10/11 looked a big price, despite his lack of a look at the Wolverhampton boxes, so it will be interesting how the race is priced up following the withdrawal of Indalo Flame this afternoon.  The key to this race is whether Flyer can clear the useful early of Perry Barr raider Cloncunny Ardera but that should be achievable with the long run-up from Monmore’s 264m boxes.  Cluxtons Free will be moving right and rarely comes out of his favoured box in 6 these days so he should be no hindrance to the favourite and Klockwork Khaos has early but is not a natural sprinting type.  Flyer looks comfortably too good for these.

7:26 – Standard

Some useful well-seasoned campaigners battle it out here but as drawn and how he runs Monmore so well, the versatile Ibiza Rocks can confirm his sectional superiority on the field and then not be caught for a dog that has been running much stronger since his puppy days.  Mays King is capable in lesser class and Blackstone Marco runs here well but wants the fence and wants a 5 bend sort of race to be seen to best effect.  The danger could be old boy Express Master in 4 as he has nice early, knows the track like the back of his front paw and could potentially skip clear; that barked, even if he does Rocks is capable of back-running him.  Southfield Noir is the best drawn dog on the card but in this class is probably found wanting.

7:43 – Stayers

This race all centres around Romany Rouge and how he handles Monmore following last week’s effort over the shorter 6 bend trip where he looked like he’d had a few too many milk and waters when negotiating the bends.  He has looked a dog destined for great things over this sort of trip since his youth and Derby exploits but he is not drawn well today in having to clear both Droopys Gonza and Droopys Tamera to get close to the bitch-in-form Calzaghe Lisa.  Her human believes she is a TV Trophy candidate for next year and whilst that is a while off and she has plenty to prove between now and then to get near the class of this year’s winner, Ballymac Bonnie, it still shows she is highly thought-of over a ludicrous distance and she has duly obliged on her last two starts.  Very well drawn in trap 1 here with trap 2 caught napping in the traps, she is unlikely to be caught this evening and represents value at odds-against.

7:59 – Marathon

The two at the top of the market here have never been round but it’s hard to see how they won’t be a reverse forecast here as they can use the first circuit as a form of ‘trial’ before surging past inferior rivals.  Preference is for Droopys Cottage who’s staying prowess over this even more ludicrous trip was questioned on Derby final night but that performance from Roxholme Magic was something quite special and Cottage arguably checked at the sough on the second circuit thinking her race was over when she was miles clear, allowing Magic to get back in the contest.  Moss Lane Sue makes her marathon bow-wow here and whilst she is a game, local bitch she tends to find these Category One sorts (which Bubbly Time and Cottage are) difficult to assert over.

8:16 – Puppy Final

The young tykes have a go here and it is drawn to be absolute chaos (moreso than usual with these youngsters!)! Ballymac Sheehy will be pinging and going straight left from 4, Roxholme Barkley will be pinging and also heading in that direction which means that Droopys Yves on the rail could easily have enough legs to make the bend with those two and get into a world of trouble at the bend.  If one of those skips clear then it will be all over but it looks like a messy affair which could either set it up for El Nino to use his undoubted early (led Sheehy in the heats) and go round the whole field to build a perhaps unassailable lead, or Farloe Axle to show his eye-catching pace from the third bend to pick up the pieces: both are worth backing at 25/1.  Barkley’s brother, Roxholme Scolari, completely fluffed his lines in the heats and is perhaps well-drawn if he can get out a bit better as 4 will give him all the room in the West Midlands but his back straight pace could further complicate issues for the more fancied runners and this just looks a scrappy affair that could be won by all 6 in the right conditions: hence to back the big priced hounds.  The reverse forecast of the two selections at ridiculously long-odds is not the worst bark I’ve ever heard if the scenario unfolds as above.

8:33 – Summer 416 Final

This course and distance, with its traps so close to the bend, is often won by the dog that pings like me and who is drawn to turn in front; in this race that is Tyrur Vettel.  Skyfall Act missed it in the heats from 4 and also misses it from 1 so Vettel can make the bend, Dawsons Waft can ping and run straight up to repel favourite Cape Impact and Vettel will be away-and-gone over a trip he gets pretty well.  It’s all on the break and there are few at Monmore that ping like Tyrur Vettel.

8:51 – Summer 630 Final

These traps are also on the bend so it’s helpful to get in a useful position early which Elwick Glory demonstrated expertly when getting first run on Bubbly Gold in the heats.  She could easily repeat that feat here and be out-and-gone but the pace of some of the others behind means that it’s a tentative selection.  How fast Millwards Teddy could actually go if he put his best paw forward only dog knows but he can’t be trusted to fully get on with his eyes on the prize after another naughty performance in the heats so he is swerved.  Oleg and Farneys Cookie got involved in a barging match of their own in their race so a blanket finish looks odds-on in this race and I’ll take Glory to poke her nose in front watching the hare.

9:08 – Gold Cup Final

Swift Hoffman has been in quite devastating form of late and whilst he has pace in 4 and 5 to clear, it is hard to oppose him in his current mood.  Some of the times he has been doing at Nottingham, Perry Barr and over this C&D have quite frankly been startling and whilst he clearly would appreciate further, he could simply have too much pace for these.  He is no value though as aforementioned trouble could hinder him but it’s hard to confidently put something up to beat him.  El Lema was a kennel gamble in the heats but he faces a tough task in clearing Hoffman’s brother My Real Mutley in trap 1; also, whilst there has been money for Timaru Surprise today because he is a mid-runner drawn next to the definitely wide Starshineedifice, this is a big step up for the lightly raced Surpise, despite his undoubted pace.  Vatican Gurkha sticks to the task and could be a revelation over further when he is stepped up as his human’s suggested this week but it is tough to see him getting in the frame without it getting really messy.

Here are the recommendations:

7:26 – Ibiza Rocks – 1 doggie treat @ 13/8

7:43 – Calzaghe Lisa – 1 breast of chicken @ 6/4

8:16 – Farloe Axle + El Nino – 1 piece of bread win each @ 25/1 and half a dog bone reverse forecast

8:33 – Tyrur Vettel – 1 chewstick @ 2/1

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 Tyrur Vettel comes out the traps tonight!  It should be a great meeting at the Midlands track and let’s hope we land the big-priced forecast: I dream quite a lot in the day you know!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

So here we go!  Over 250 of my colleagues will descend on Wimbledon over the next 4 nights as the Derby First Round looks to be the hardest to actually qualify out of this year!  With only two hounds through from each heat, this is all about dodging a bullet over the coming evenings and progressing to the more manageable and achievable 3 from each heat from herein.  An unprecedented Wednesday start for England’s Premier competition because of the sheer volume of entrants has a watching brief feel to it with many unknown quantites from Ireland (for us British hounds at least) and some races that could be run differently numerous times!  That barked, there is some value still out there for the Lolly Faithful and whilst we’ll be keeping our beloved doggie treats firmly in the cupboard for bigger plays later in the week, I have still found some bets for this evening for us:

19:39 – Heat 1

A cracking race to kick off the 2015 Derby sees Puppy Derby winner Lenson Sanchez looking to build on his unfortunate Scottish Derby Final defeat where he very nearly made the bend.  He has a huge affinity with this Plough Lane circuit and he can lead his kennelmate, Paradise Maverik, and hold the challenge of his compatriot.  Ballymac Mossjoe showed so much promise as a young tyke but is regressive.

19:54 – Heat 2

Some huge early in this heat but with question marks over 2014 finalist Crokers Champ’s true fitness following a long lay-off, preference is given to Rio Quattro who is as quick as any hound in training when he fancies it.  Droopys Norris has also had his setbacks and is perhaps getting old so Quattro can lead him and Arc finalist Loughteen Eoin (who was not originally an intended runner in this competition) and if Champ is feeling any rustiness, the son of Droopys Geneva can account for these.  Thatchers Champ was a Quarter-Finalist last year and could be a threat out wide if bringing that sort of form but he’s not been setting the world alight with his trials of late.

20:10 – Heat 3

This looks a penalty kick with his paw for Irish entrant Slippery Fred who has some eye-catching form to his name and was just denied a Category One success behind Quietly over on those shores.  It’s hard to see who can get competitive with that level and only a slightly paw trial from him (bumped around) can see him as big as 1/2.  Impossible to oppose.

20:26 – Heat 4

The much barked about Juvenile rematch between Newinn Yolo and Ballymac Brogan has a different make-up this time and they could actually both struggle to get their favoured positions.  Yolo will need to be sharp at the boxes as Teejays Panther next to him can come out and hugs the rails tightly; there is no doubt that Yolo is flying and rightful favourite tonight, though.  The dog that I think is overpriced is Conna Trigger who hopefully can cope with the journey down from Sunderland to bring his trapping boots and lead the quick-away Brogan.  I’m not convinced Brogan likes dogs in front of him and if any dog is capable of pinging round Wimbledon, it’s Trigger, who surely has his favourite box this evening.

20:42 – Heat 5

Antepost second-favourite Farloe Blitz here has a tough race on his paws considering he’d probably have liked to have progressed serenely before the real challenge of Quarter-Final week.  Domino Storm is absolutely flying on his inside and the well-bred bitch is capable of flying out and hampering him.  Roxholme Ted is not short of early as he demonstrated to devastating effect last year in this competition (where he went favourite) but a question mark is whether his niggles and his dislike of 5 might hinder him too much.  The dog that is value if this gets messy is Jaytee Dutch who has been flying in Ireland, is as strong as an ox, and has a real chance of going deep in the tournament if he can negotiate this awkward and perilous heat.

20:58 – Heat 6

Farloe Nutter and King Dec like to dictate from the front and they are arguably boxed the wrong way round tonight so it might be worth looking to one of the unexposed bigger priced colleagues of mine to cause a minor upset.  That pressure falls on the shoulders of Ivy Hill Bart who has patchy form but can clearly run, has a lovely draw to work from, and can swoop round the feuding railers if they hinder each other.

21:15 – Heat 7

The best bet of the night is in this heat where Jaytee Jet was absolutely flying after a tardy start to really get after Ballymac Brogan in a trial stakes.  It was visually the most impressive performance of that night and he has been on pretty much every human and dog’s radar alike to see where he turned up in the first round; he’s turned up in a winnable heat.  Swift Kidman is well-bred (sister to Domino Storm etc.) but she’s not absolutely rapid (like Brogan) so Jet can mow these down and make it a double for his litter in just over half an hour.

21:32 – Heat 8

In a race full of early-paced railers there has to be a chance of some trouble.  Gooch, Premier, Castle and Manix all have about the same pace to my well-trained sprinter’s eyes and with that in mind, the value in this race is for the progressive Sing Song Man to lead the aging Up To It and account for any jostling that occurs on the inside.  He might not be able to but he stays the 515m strong enough at Hove and it is hard to say who will lead that inside 4 in my dog’s honest opinion.

21:48 – Heat 9

Bellmore Neymar came to my attention when I was having a lap of milk out of a bowl near the kenneling area and I looked up to see him lead Scottish Derby winner Swift Hoffman for 3 bends in his first trial round Wimbledon.  He followed that with a commanding performance against Charlie Lister’s very useful Boyneside Fun and with those performances he can win this and maintain his unbeaten record in races.  On Alert flew round a very quick track and is hence favourite but Neymar looks a rare type of special dog to me.  Ballymac Vickson does not like dogs near him at the first bend and it’s hard to see him getting an uncontested lead from so far out because he likes to chop the bend.

22:03 – Heat 10

Diego Flight has been powering round Wimbledon and looks a really progressive type but he might have bumped into one here with the unexposed Irish raider Ring Ben.  Ben has laid down a serious time in his trial and with a complete solo on the rails, it will take Diego to literally fly to catch him tonight: this should be a great race.

Here are the recommendations:

21:15 – Jaytee Jet – 1 doggie treat @ 6/4

21:48 – Bellmore Neymar – 1 piece of bread @ 9/4

22:03 – Ring Ben – 1 dog bone @ 15/8

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 Neymar scores for us this evening!  It’s a pretty good card for an opening night of the Derby, good luck to all hounds and their humans, and bring it on!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

With the Derby fast approaching we are honoured with a tantalising final to the Regency tonight with some seriously fast hounds going further than no hound should have gone before.  My human friends @TheAntePostmen are on Market Heights each-way at 66/1 but they are surely just hoping for a place as the favourite looks to be drawn to attack like he did so impressively in the Semi-Final when pinging nearly as well as me.  Elsewhere on the card, we are treated to a variety of distances and challenges for my colleagues although the decision to run everyone’s favourite race, the sprint, before the Sky cameras roll is surely a complete mistake and so I forgive the humans in charge for their error.  With the Derby dogs all gearing up for their assault on the 250,000 doggie treats, the 4 bend action is not as classy as it can be on a Sky night although there are some useful prospects going round and once 2014 Derby favourite Swift Keith graces the sand at 20:51.  It should be a great night and as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – 475m

This quirky trip plays right into the pinging paws of Evanta Evita who has her box tonight and is 6 from 7 over the course and distance.  It’s hard to argue against this likeable bitch who could ruffle a few hairs in the Derby itself during the early rounds with her early pace and feisty attitude.  Loughteen Pedro is a nice sort round here over this trip but he faces a draw outside a pinging bitch this evening and he would ideally like to be in the red trap himself.  Ballygibbon King has lovely back straight pace when he can get on the bunny but I’m unsure if he’s entirely suited to this unique test, especially from an unfavourable draw as he prefers 4 or 5.  Spray Tan caused a minor upset when last seen over the trip but it’s hard to see her compete against this class of dog and whilst Shotgun Harley has been flying of late, he left himself badly at the start when last twice seen and he cannot afford to that this evening, surely.

19:26 – Standard

The well-bred Swift Leonard (half-brother of Swift Hoffman, You Never Listen, Domino Storm etc.) was expected to excel over this galloping circuit last week but after turning second he proved a bitter disappointment and faded down the field; whether that was due to his first look or not is a question to be pondered but it’s hard to make a case for him and the elegant, galloping stride of Crossfield Cesar is hard to oppose on his reappearance here since obliterating a lesser field on debut.  He has since gone quicker twice in trials round the circuit so it’s an ominous sign for his rivals: any odds-against at any point is too big.

19:43 – Stayers

Droopys Flash is arguably the best drawn dog on the card (and that includes Marmalady later with a vacant trap next to her!) as Woodmancote Bert drops himself out and then flies through the final 200m.  Behind Touch Tackle last week, though, Bert’s effort was admirable as he picked off Farley Rio (Irish Derby round winner and Sunderland Grand Prix finalist over a trip) and Droopys Tamera (litter sister to Millwards Teddy) and nearly caught Tybar Hondo on the line.  Whether he was fully chasing the bunny is debatable but if he repeats that effort tonight, he is surely too big to win this by a short-head or greater.  Black Francis has nice early so he can disrupt Flash’s flow and whilst Swift Nemo landed a touch at Romford last Friday for many a human and dog-alike (Lolly Faithful NAP) this is a huge step up in class and she is drawn badly (as a railer).  Bert can overpower these in the dying strides.

19:59 – Bitches

I love a good bitches race and here I will be on the edge of my sofa as 4 really nice looking gals battle out the rails for the honours.  Jaytee Firefly will fly out but has been struggling to get the trip, Domino Storm will cut across and pester her and Westmead Lola will battle hard to overcome that pair but the bitch I want to side with is Glenpadden Love who is not travelling down here to be the bridesmaid.  She’s had some nice performances at Perry Barr, her litter has pace and stays, and she is more than entitled to stay handy to the leading trio and account from them if she can secure a path through.  Marmalady chased down Dower Matt (won since against top class dogs) at Romford but her Hove record is one to put paws over her eyes, and mine.

20:16 – Marathon

Greyhounds are not designed to run 930m but here we are with 6 lunatics having a go over this trip that is 625m past our best: Alma Prince needs this far.  Arguably the most unlucky of the semi-finalists to be knocked out of the Regency, this dog has been absolutely flying at the death and I will hang my two front paws up in shame if he does not get this trip; he will need to as Fizzypop Magic will set a gallop now she is back to some sort of form and Musical Fawn stays 3km let alone 930m.  All that barked, this is a real opportunity for Prince to lay down a marker as a serious dog over a marathon trip where you bark the question throughout: “where is he?!”

20:33 – Hurdle

The dogs have a go here at a sport in which I would certainly have banged my head on the first obstacle and the old timer Soviet Military is showing no signs that he wants his sofa yet: he can make-all.  The dangers are Lenson Royale who has yet to show his Irish prowess yet and Scolari Express is always a capable sort at probably a level below this; the biggest danger is Razldazl Bigbear getting a clear run as he showed frightening tenacity a couple of weeks ago to be knocked on the run-up, outpaced down the back and then surge late to not only claim Express, but run away from him.  That barked, Military has too many gears for these if he can negotiate a slightly perturbing 5 draw for this natural wide talented hurdler.

20:51 – Standard

Swift Keith is rightly favourite here but despite his age, he has had a lot of races in top, top class company and maybe he is a dog to take on with something consistent.  It’s the hardest race on the card, even for me, but I’m siding with Jet Stream Smurf who has taken a liking to this track for Kevin Hutton ever since his first look round here.  He is well-drawn next to the tardy early, wide and often flattering to deceive Droopys Jarrow and Vanfrankie who lacks the sort of early needed for this trip.  If Joes Mixa can get anywhere near Keith early on (he went off long odds-on for his British debut) and Keith is not quite his formidable best, then Smurf can turn handy and show all of his reallly likeable attitude.  It seems strange to me that Keith is going for this before his tilt at the Derby for a second time; maybe it’s because of the Sky night, or maybe he has lost some of his zest: we shall see!

21:08 – Regency Final

What a final this is!  Millwards Teddy is a danger to all if he turns up with his best paw forward as he has gears at any point in any race; Swansalona Diva has shown a superb attitude througout her career and her connections fancy her to steal a march on these; Droopys Cottage is the bitch that will never go away and can never be discounted but has to lead the 1; Market Heights needs to ping like he did in the first round and use his grinding staying ability to his best; Tybar Hondo simply has to lead but I struggle to see why he’s so big at 33/1!  The reason he is, is simply because Touch Tackle pinged from 1 in the first round and is simply a joy to watch in fully flight.  It would be remiss of me not to bark about his brother, Billys Bullet, who broke down in the first round when setting an unbelievable gallop but he is now happily recooperating in his kennel before he gets his sofa in his human’s home: fully deserved!  Let’s hope one of his brothers brings it home for the family:  Tackle or Heights.

Here are the recommendations:

19:43 – Woodmancote Bert – 1 doggie treat @ 8/1

19:59 – Glenpadden Love – 1 breast of chicken @ 5/1

20:16 – Alma Prince – 1 piece of bread @ 7/4

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, please tweet me and I promise to bark back at you with more enthusiasm than Bert shows when he’s chasing the leaders in the stayers’ race!  It should be a great night, on the near eve of the Derby, and let’s hope one of Billys Bullet’s brothers does it for the great stayer that he was, and would have become!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A welcome addition to the greyhound calendar this evening sees the Pinpoint Healthcare Final adorn the Sky cameras in a new slot for Newcastle on TV.  The heats threw up few surprises and so tonight we will see a fascinating battle between the early-paced types and whether the stronger dogs can catch them on a likely quick Sky track.  Elsewhere, the card has a feel of it being a favourite’s night off the front and whilst that was a dangerous approach to adopt at Newcastle in years gone by, those pesky bookmakers have gradually got the lively locals down to the prices they should be (when we used to get ludicrous prices on them!).  With that balanced out, it means that the established open racing sorts look on the big side in a few affairs this evening and that’s where, as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go in the opener and in it we have the very useful prospect Droopys Vodka who is a local that thrived on being in the 3 box last week and can make-all again tonight.  Swift Carter is a gutsy hound who is always good for a place and a straight forecast of those two is a consideration; that barked, Calzaghe Lisa caught the eye last week behind Vodka and might spoil the party for those backing what appears a very readable 1-2.

19:26 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race can go the way of the best sprinter in the country: Walshes Hill.

19:43 – British Bred

The best bred hounds in the world compete here and whilst he has just become a veteran, the admirable Hadrians Wall can show that he’s not quite ready for his sofa just yet.  Quick enough still to come second to Walshes Hill in a sprint last week (beaten out of sight, mind) that shows that he can still shift and he’s a jealous sort on the bunny. The 2 and the 3 are slow-away types so Wall can lead them and if he can get a length ahead of Burnfoot Alpha, it will take a very good effort from that dog to pick him up.  9/2 looks too big on the Newcastle stalwart.

19:59 – Seniors

The greybeards show the young tykes how it’s done here and Greenwell Lark is holding her form well so the ever-dependable bitch can beat her fellow pensioners here.  Scotswood Road doesn’t come out, especially from 5, so Lark has a great run to the bend and she is definitely not for picking up if she leads and has enough back straight pace to catch any of these if they get a march on her.  Killacola Ka Ka is a local who can be useful if he gets a sight of the bunny but I’d be happy for Lark to turn behind him and pick him up; Pond Mozart is in his box but is perhaps showing his age more than his compatriots here.

20:16 – Stayers

Lowgate Jasper has been competing against the best staying types in the country and holding his head up high against them with some eye-catching displays.  The way he picked up a decent field in the 480m round of the 3 Steps to Victory was a particularly useful effort and that form surely sees him go clear here and beat these.  The danger is Magical Reid who makes his staying bow-wow and has always looked a powerful galloper round Newcastle; his problem is that he’s a natural railer so 3 might not be conducive to him getting a clear if the 1 or 2 come out at all and if he gets an interrupted passage, it’s hard to see him picking up Jasper unless his next assignment is taking off at Newcastle airport.

20:33 – Standard

A decent race this with proven Category One winners taking each other on from pretty favourable draws for the field.  Calzaghe George could lead which would surely see him cut loose on a fast Sky track, but the selection is Northern Puppy Derby winner Kneejerkreaction who loves it round here and especially from trap 4.  He can lead the 2014 Monmore Puppy Derby winner Farloe Nutter (failed to progress significantly since) and at least follow George down the back where he can outstay him.  The concern is that he’s like his brothers who have struggled since being stepped up into all-aged company but he should still arguably be favourite in this as drawn.  Good race.

20:51 – Maiden Final

The withdrawal of the 6 has given the 5 a great chance of catching Pinpoint Classic this evening but it is still worth playing Kelly Macari’s charge to set a ferocious pace on a quick Sky track.  Sub-4.60 sectionals are flying round Brough Park and whilst he would probably prefer to be in 4 rather than 2, he will edge across and lead these at the bend by 1 or 2 lengths.  The 1 is very well drawn and if it can run like anything at all, it surely goes close.  Not close enough, though.

21:08 – Pinpoint Healthcare Final

A fascinating final of this inaugural tournament here as Pinpoint Finas and Conna Trigger attempt to lead early and not be caught this evening.  Their main problem, however, could be each other as in all likelinesss they’ll be together down the back and probably exert themselves too much trying to beat the other: look behind you lads! Newinn Yolo is an extremely fast colleague of mine and whilst he broke his trap 1 voodoo in the heats, he was arguably fortunate to turn the bend unscathed from a tardy start and was chasing Trigger who had missed the break and was thus closer than he could have been.  The value in this race is my fellow tweeting greyhound @VikingJackDog.  A clever hound not only with his typing but on the sand, he swooped round the outside in the heats and then cleverly cut inside a tiring Pinpoint Finas to assert by the line.  With the likely ferocious pace up front, he can turn 3rd and time his challenge to perfection.  He is capable of having a shocker from the boxes and I’ve had barks with him about that (just ping like me, it’s not hard?) but if he can reproduce his 4.60 sectional from the heats then he can capitalise on a shrewd move by his connections to take him up to a track that is tailor-made to his strengths.

Here are the recommendations:

19:43 – Hadrians Wall – 1 doggie treat @ 9/2

19:59 – Greenwell Lark – 1 breast of chicken @ 7/4

20:16 – Lowgate Jasper – 1 piece of bread @ 7/4

20:51 – Pinpoint Classic – 1 dog bone @ 7/4

21:08 – Viking Jack – 1 chewstick @ 5/2

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 Walshes Hill comes out of his favourite traps tonight!  It should be a great night as it always is at Newcastle, and let’s hope we are on the right side of those pesky bookmakers!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A fascinating night ahead of us on Arc final night and none moreso than for my human friends @TheAntePostmen who are sitting on 20/1 tickets for the favourite, Millwards Whitey, in the big one.  That race aside, we have a cracking card to get our teeth into with two high class staying brothers adorning the Swindon sand and a quality sprint to look forward to.  A great evening ahead of us and as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – Bitches

As my loyal followers are well aware I love a good bitches race and in Domino Storm there is a bitch who is very unlucky not to be contesting the main event this evening.  Knocked out at the semi-final stage she was unfortunate to get knocked at the messy third turn when she was just hitting full stride; she can lead tonight and won’t be caught if she gets on the bunny, like she did in the first round of the Arc.  The danger is Forest Sara who is a clever, powerful bitch who can beat any bitch in training on her day, but her form out of 3 is patchy and the “mid” tag is on for a reason as she would ideally like to come out of 4 or 5.  She should clear the way for a Storm success and 9/4 was way off the mark this morning.

19:26 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race comes up second and we have some classy hounds in it.  Who Needs Pace is shocking out of 3 so he is sadly passed over and Aero Twizzle is looking to come back from all sorts of niggles so that should pave the way for Trade Victorious to ping, move slightly middle (with 3 giving him room) and make-all.  Target Harris is surely an uneasy favourite as an inconsistent trapper who is yet to see these boxes: he’s the fastest of these but is no consideration at his price at all.  Dragon Big Bux is more than capable of producing a flier and is feared.

19:43 – Super Standard

There seems to be a lot of six-bend sorts in this race and with that in mind, Jolly Redeye should make all.  He’s not entirely straightforward but on the bunny he’s a useful dog and doesn’t get caught around here.  Farneys Cookie is reluctantly passed over but he is flying and if he turns anywhere near, including just behind Redeye, he possibly catches him which will be a great race to witness.  Fivestar Clipper needs to lead, needs 6 and needs further; apart from that he looks a solid proposition.

19:59 – Super Stayers

Touch Tackle is a fearless and fearsome hound who will relish this extra yardage this evening to stretch them out from his favoured trap 1 box and make virtually all.  Any odds-against quotes should be snaffled up quicker than I eat my bowl of Meaty Chunks for dinner (other brands available, but they’re not as tasty…) and the only danger to my cute, adorable eyes looks the bitch Swansalona Diva.  She’s unbeaten over a trip and whilst she may pose a threat to Tackle, she’s a pouncer rather than a galloper for me and she may have to deal with wide pinging Kakantu for too much of the race to land a blow anyway.

20:16 – Standard

A competitive affair is headed by Swift Whirlwind who caught odds-on Gymcrack favourite on Trainer’s Championship night at Sittingbourne so he clearly has pace.  He’s probably short enough based on his trial where Billys Bullet beat him out of sight and made him look like an A8 grader!  Swift Leonard probably needs further and the one of interest here now he has his box (and dog does he need it!) is Southfield Harry in trap 1.  At Romford he has been handed horror draws in mid-division where he proceeds to cut across to the rails like he’s actually going to hurdle the fence and take a short-cut over the field.  Maybe he’s wise to where the pesky hare is going, who knows, but in 1 today he can show his true colours as he has some useful times on his card.  He’s no 14/1 shot with the mid-moving Crossfield Zeus next to him.

20:33 – Super Standard

Teejays Panther could make into a really nice sort but he has not fared well in the draw here as Westmead John is going to move straight right into him.  If Panther can clear John then he’ll win this but he’s priced accordingly.  Vanfrankie is a relentless galloper but has probably been disappointing on these shores and he can give some lovely space to Wotnofizz who is capable of pinging and stretching these out.  Whether she gets this trip is another question but she should have every chance on the bunny, and she hopes the 2 doesn’t turn behind her.

20:51 – Stayers.

Billys Bullet.

21:08 – Arc Final

The draw couldn’t have favoured Millwards Whitey here anymore as he loves trap 1 and Calco Flyer moved into about lane 4 in the Semi-Final to let him in on the first and third bends.  Evanta Evita could ping out and set a real challenge but it’s hard to see her coming out of 6 as well as she did from 1 in the semi-final and even then, she’s prone to missing the break like her sister Aero Babooshka.  Loughteen Eoin is of interest as he has done little wrong in the UK, yet the decision to not go to the Derby with him by connections is an interesting one and suggests they might just feel he is not quite Category One class.  We shall see but Whitey looks a Derby dog to me and he should be winning this as drawn if he’s to go close in the premier classic.

Here are the recommendations:

19:11 – Domino Storm – 1 breast of chicken @ 7/4

19:26 – Trade Victorious – 1 doggie treat @ 9/2

19:59 – Touch Tackle – 1 chewstick @ Evs

20:16 – Southfield Harry – 1 dog bone @ 14/1

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 Trade Victorious makes the bend this evening!  It should be a great night and let’s hope we can get some winners on the board and land a touch.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A fascinating card this evening in front of the Sky cameras culminates with Roxholme Dream looking to add this unique tournament over various distances to her St. Leger crown last year; she’s odds-on to do so but the value is surely elsewhere.  That race, however, probably isn’t the most anticipated on the card as we see one of the great sprint races that I can remember lining up in the 7:26.  It’s that good even I would have had to have been on my toes in it, as a winner, naturally.  The rest of the night sees some decent action as well as the Derby dogs start to reemerge from their Winter holidays and so all in all, it should be a great night’s racing!  As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go to start off the action and this looks a good tussle between Monmore Puppy Derby winner Glenpadden Lord and Swift Whirlwind.  Preference is for the latter who caught Southfield Jock (won since) at Sittingbourne two starts ago and that does not paint the entire doggie picture as Whirlwind had enough early that day to turn a clear second: he can lead tonight.  If he does he stays 500m and it will be hard for Lord to catch him.  Lord himself also probably wants to be drawn in red and so trap 2 might present a concern for his backers should he show his relative inexperience and step left out of the boxes: there will be a dog there!

19:26 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race on a normal card has been elevated even further here with arguably 6 of the top 7 sprinters in the country lining up in this mouth-watering affair.  The draw has also thrown up some conundrums and whilst any of these are capable of pinging like me and putting this affair to their doggie bed, there is still value to be had in the drifting Walshes Hill.  He came out at Newcastle in arguably the quickest fashion I have ever seen live (I could obviously not watch myself back in the day as I was chasing that pesky hare) and now with a couple of sighters of the Sheffield boxes, he is capable of repeating that dose that saw him rack up a huge winning streak following his debut on these shores.  The favourite is a worthy one in Target Harris but he can miss the break (more consistently of late, admittedly) and he could face a wall of traffic as United Leeds attempts to go rails and he moves middle.  The gamble on Conna Trigger seems misplaced to me as he is a wide dog so I’m not sure trap 3 will really help him; he is also arguably a pinging early-paced short-four bend dog rather than a sprinter and these are seriously useful that he’s facing tonight!  Sidarian Bullet is unbeaten in sprints but he has not faced anything like the opposition he is tonight so if he wins, full credit to him but he’s the right price.  Geelo Vegas has sadly lost his way following his National Sprint win at the back end of last year but he is capable of beating even these on his day.  All in all, Hill is too big to use his fairly useful draw and assert himself as the top sprinter in the country.

19:43 – British Bred

The best bred dogs in the world line up here and in Calco Flyer there is a very useful sort with a good draw to take full advantage of.  Klockwork Kannon does not rail next to him so Mark Wallis’ charge can use the rails and assert on the inside.  It’s hard to make a case for the others as Pond Mozart is pretty old these days but it is always worth respecting local runners around this circuit due to their strength in depth, so it would be no surprise if the 5 turns up.

19:59 – Veterans

The old boys show them how it’s done here and in Pinpoint Finas I think there is a vulnerable favourite.  He will almost certainly lead these a long way but he simply does not stay the 480m and I can see one of his rivals mowing him down.  That task has fallen to Fridays Daryl who can turn handy enough to Finas to get first run on him and see just how much life is left in those creaking bones turning the 4th bend!  Hather George is a legend but has looked like he needs a sofa all year.

20:16 – Stayers

Billys Bullet’s brother, Touch Tackle, runs in the race before the cameras roll as a 1/2 shot and that’s the price Bullet should be in my dog’s honest opinion.  He is flying at the moment and only an inspired front-running performance from Fivestar Clipper denied him a win in the Monmore 630m Festival final.  With the 2 dogs on his inside not conducive to coming out he has the potential to turn seriously close to this field and he is a relentless galloping sort with a change of gear that can be utilised at any given moment.  Evens quotes that are dotted about are way off the mark!

20:33 – Standard

With likely pace-setters Droopys Alessio and Ballymac Vickson likely to tussle out in front, the value here is to side with Making Paper to catch them from a decent enough draw.  Alessio and Vickson are both pinging sorts but whether they get 480m is another question and Paper has shown enough desire and trackcraft in recent weeks to take this.

20:51 – Derby Trial Stakes

This unique promotion of whoever wins this race is automatically into the Derby has attracted a stellar field.  There has been a monumental gamble on my fellow tweeting hound @vikingjackdog as he was desperately unlucky to be eliminated from the 3 Steps tournament (completely fluffed the start) at the semi-final stage and he has the railer Jordans Brianna next to him today.  Further to that, he has Swift Keith in 4 who has been missing the start of late and who will also be moving in.  I can understand the gamble based upon all that but he is plenty short enough now over a trip that is probably inadequate for him.  The value is definitely in Pinpoint Maxi making amends for his Laurels final defeat (last start) to the reopposing Jordans Brianna and leading this lot before clinging on at the death.  Maxi is absolutely devastating out of the boxes (Conna Trigger’s brother, incidentally) and with the tardy starting Derby runner-up Droopys Ward next to him he can power to the bend before stretching them down the back.  He’ll need to be 2 or 3 lengths clear of Jack in particular to win this but from this draw in 2, I can fully see that happening and 7/2 is too big.

21:08 – 3 Steps to Victory Final

If Roxholme Dream leads at any point (and that could even be out of the boxes) she will surely win this but opening quotes of 4/9 have gradually seen sense and drifted to about the price she should be at 5/6.  She is a simply awesome bitch with a lovely turn of foot, stays well enough and shows brilliant trackcraft when needed.  That barked, with her draw next to Coolavanny Fish in particular, she might find another big dog in her way to deny her a Category One prize (eliminated from the Golden Jacket when colliding with Farley Rio).  Elwick Glory is respected as unbeaten (from 1 start) over 6 bends and connections seem pleased to have made the final; she is drawn inside Dream so could lead her up too and then she didn’t look like she was stopping when victorious at Newcastle on her six-bend bow-wow.  The value, though, is surely in the bottom leading the whole way at a monumental 25/1!  Untried over this trip, Russanda Brax, should lead these (unless Dream gets a flier) and then he will surely set a serious target to catch him (on a fast Sky track).  In the semi-final he seemed to put the brakes on a bit before going away again so if he still had something in the locker from that effort, he will take a lot of catching tonight on the bunny.  He is way too big to provide a shock here!

Here are the recommendations:

19:26 – Walshes Hill – 1 doggie treat @ 11/4

20:16 – Billys Bullet – 1 piece of bread @ Evs

20:51 – Pinpoint Maxi – 1 breast of chicken @ 7/2

21:08 – Russanda Brax – 1 dog bone @ 25/1

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 Pinpoint Maxi flies out of the boxes tonight!  It should be a great night with the 19:26 particularly a race to savour, especially when Hill gives them a mountain to climb.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

A card that is more mouthwatering than when a human cooks a Chicken Casserole this evening and it should be a great night at Wimbledon!  The Derby dogs are gradually preparing for their tilt at the 250,000 doggie treat prize for the winner and we get to see 6 class juveniles compete tonight in the finale.  The Springbok has a short-priced favourite as the market leaders antepost have all but crashed out (often by hitting the hurdles) but there is surely value in such an inexperienced bunch to get against the 4/6 favourite, I have.  The rest of the card sees some Derby dogs reappearing in Standards and it must be barked that these dogs should be nowhere near firing on all cylinders at this stage of their campaign so those races (and previous form) should be treated with caution in my dog’s honest opinion.  The marathon has a cracking bet with a potential star of the staying scene in the making and as ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go to start the proceedings and whilst there are no real potential superstars here arguably, it should be an interesting race to see some youngsters put through their paces pre-Derby.  See No Gamble has nice pace but he has no sort of draw for a wide-dog (needs 6) and with the restaurant-seeker inside him so the value is Lenson Jed who can lead and make-all.  He’ll have to be on his toes to beat the 1 to the bend but that’s the only way he can’t lead the inside here and beat the pawly drawn wides.

19:26 – Standard

A strong looking Division 2 of the standard trip here sees Swift Keith and Airfield Paudie make their seasonal bow-wows.  Whilst they could be in contention come May, the value is elsewhere as they will most like not be match-fit and with that in mind, Ballygibbon King is drawn to pounce down the back.  Paudie goes left at the bend (thankfully, some might bark) so King can have the middle to himself and if he leads, he is not back-run.

19:43 – Bitches

The race which has me on the edge of my seat woofing like a woofy thing sees the return of Jaytee China following her unfortunate campaign in the Oaks at the back end of last year.  She hit the deck in that competition and whilst WImbledon gives her more time to get to the front and drive the bend as she so powerfully does, there has to be concern that she could be in trouble again today if Aero Babooshka paces up as she can do.  Hoof It Katie and Forest Sara are no mugs but they will probably be looking for each other’s room and this could get messy.  If it doesn’t, China is all class.

19:59 – Springbok Final

The novices’ finale over the obstacles has Reculver Ozzie too short based on his blundering effort in the Semi-Finals.  He’s 3 lengths and the rest quicker than all of these on the bunny and could jump them silly, but he’s too short to do so as a ropey novice.  Final Farloe has ran his heart out each time over the sticks and it is rare for such a young dog to be given a go over the hurdles so he must have shown ability on the schooling tracks when they gave him a go over the sticks: he looks big to do a 29:70 and win this.

20:16 – Marathon

Bubbly Time looks very short here for a bitch that was surely primed for the Golden Jacket final, didn’t go past the admittedly game Wiki Waki Woo when poised to do so and against some useful marathon performers here. Supreme Rossie and Musical Fawn need about 42 miles and so that leaves us with the endless potential over this trip for Market Heights. He was no match for a freakishly good performance by Roxholme Magic at Crayford but duly gave that form-line a huge boost when destroying his decent opponents on Golden Jacket Final night. He won over 687m here well earlier in the year and how he is not favourite for this is anyone’s guess! The other to have onside is the ludicrously priced Tyrur Ashleigh who was not stopping over 687m last time out and could easily lead these for a long way: at 25/1 earlier this morning she was far too big! The reverse forecast is the way to be dining in style for the rest of the year.

20:33 – Standard

Paradise Silva is a worthy favourite here as he goes well fresh and ran the track extremely well in the early stages of the Derby last year, which is a similar standard to this tonight. The dog who is long, however, is Mash Mad Blackie who could be anything now he has completed his treble at Towcester. The form at Towcester is still questionable as the dogs winning there have not really travelled too far to date but Blackie looks big all the same following a very good trial in his first look at the track.

20:51 – Stayers

Vanrooney is another Towcester dog for Mark Wallis who is running very well round there and whilst his exploits in the Derby last year were pretty admirable (went into joint-favourite at one stage), whether he actually runs this track well is debatable. He will have to here to justify favouritism as there are some useful sorts and the dog to back is Chicago to get on the bunny. He will have to lead Wiki Waki Woo as we now know she stays (Golden Jacket winner over 714m last week) but Chicago won the first round of the St. Leger here last year in make-all fashion, won a round of the Golden Jacket in make-all fashion and you guessed it, can make-all here. 5/1 is certainly too big that he does so.

21:08 – Juvenile

An intriguing Juvenile can go the way of Ireland with Lenson Sanchez who is unbeaten at the track (in Puppy class admittedly) and is drawn to attack these bends as he does so well round here. Newinn Yolo has raw speed and ability but can put in a howler of a performance now and again inexplicably so is hardly one to trust at 2/1 when he has Likeitalot stepping right into him out of the boxes. Maum Legend put in a very good trial as his first look, tries his hardest and has the class of a top greyhound but he can miss the break and he’ll have to turn 2nd or 3rd here to beat any of these: he could do. Ballymac Brogan is going to find this too hot in my dog’s honest opinion and Laughing Gravy will need to grow a 5th leg to stay this trip if you ask me.

Here are the recommendations:

21:08 – Lenson Sanchez – 1 ladle of chicken casserole @ 10/3

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 with all the enthusiasm I’ll be giving to the bitches race tonight! There’ll be even louder woofs if Ashleigh hits the Market Heights

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

The action returns to Sky Sports this evening with a tournament that has been kind to the Lolly Faithful over the years, most memorably White Soks Roks’ heroic victory 2 years ago!  We don’t have an antepost runner in the final but that doesn’t mean we can’t profit on the tournament with a dog that has a cracking draw so it should be a good night if things go to plan!  On the whole, it is a varied card to the extreme with no four bend standards in the televised action and a race that would take me 5 days to complete in a 1048m marathon!  Crayford is a tight track that you need to get on the bunny (something you all know I excelled at) as soon as my colleagues can and on that note, let’s find the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – Hurdle

The dogs that like to jump over things for no apparent reason other than to chase that pesky hare kick off the action and in it we have two very well-thought of hurdlers in Jetsream Reason and Con Te Partiro.  Both of those colleagues are very fast timber-lovers but they are prone to errors and paw performances so the vote for me is the well-drawn Scolari Express to run his usual solid race and account for the two more fancied, and probably more talented on their day, hounds.

19:26 – Marathon

Droopys Bear is favourite for this and whilst he looked a different dog in his first two efforts round here as he pinged the boxes like yours truly, he went back to his napping ways in the Semi-Finals of the Jacket and he looks vulnerable here.  He has never been comfortable coming out of 5 and with Kakantu capable of pinging next to him, Bear could find himself in bother as he tries to mow down any colleagues in front of him.  Kakantu is just not running the track well but I suppose he could be a danger if he was given a solo; he runs the 3rd bend extremely wide (even for his standards) and that could let another hound in.  That dog is Borna Champ.  The Kent St. Leger winner round here runs the track particularly well and was making eye-catching progress in the Semi-Finals before being stopped in his paw tracks abruptly (hence why it is an advantage to be in the lead at this circuit) but he has a nice draw to weave his way through the field here and you could easily see him turning 3rd or 4th here round the first circuit and picking these off.  9/4 is too big and the 3/1 this morning made me miss one of my 3 naps before breakfast as I just couldn’t sleep with excitement, which is rare.

19:43 – Stayers

Without doubt the most talented dog in this field is Sidarian Blitz who made an eye-catching staying bow-wow round here (his first look at the track) last week where he stayed on well once he worked out where he was (Crayford).  He can gain on that experience and provided he can overcome what does look a slightly iffy draw (the 4 and 6 have pace) he can score in impressive fashion here.  He has never quite hit the heights of his potential as an ex-Irish dog who was touted as an Irish Derby runner in some circles in his youth.  He mixed it with the likes of Boylesports Hero (once Irish Derby favourite) and Laughil Blake (2014 Irish Derby champion) in Ireland so this is a huge class drop against Crayford regulars.  He has shown glimpses of real ability in his UK career and whilst connections must be frustrated with his lack of top quality progress, he can surely account for these and should be odds-on.  Hearthill Fairy has been running very well the past couple of weeks and looks too big as well if the jolly has an off-day.

19:59 – Marathon

Market Heights was unfortunate to meet a rampant Roxholme Magic last week where she picked up a useful lead only to be absolutely blown away by that extremely classy looking ex-Irish bitch.  Incidentally, Magic does not run here as connections have thrown their toys out of the pram (which is a shame) for the Golden Jacket antepost favourite being clipped in the Semi-Finals in an unfortunate incident that saw Farley Rio not seeing the bend coming at him in time and so he ran off taking out the tiny Roxholme Dream with him: that’s racing I bark!  Anyways, Heights possibly did not stay in that aforementioned marathon as whilst Magic was impressive, it could have been exaggerated by Heights running up-and-down on the spot in the final yards.  With that in mind, it is worth siding with Painted Craft who has been running consistently well round here and I am more than confident that she will stay this trip: she is too big at 9/2 if the 3 doesn’t stay, which is entirely possible.

20:16 – Stayers Hurdle

An intriguing contest here with the all-conquering Never Doubt Me running from his favoured box but he looks on the short side now and it is therefore worth having a tickle on your tummy of the 6: Soviet Military.  He is nowhere near the force of old which saw him virtually unbeatable over this course-and-distance a year ago and beyond but he still has enough life in his tiring legs to utilise his pitch out-wide and out-jump this lot.  Newinn Hawk is a gutsy competitor but has it all to do to overturn the recent form with Never Doubt Me so he’s priced about right.  Lollylips is nearly worth a speculative doggie treat at what looks a big 14/1 for a local who can put in a solid round of jumping.

20:33 – Peter Bussey Final

A tough looking affair to bark confidently about which is reflected in the prices and it looks to me that whoever gets on that elusive bunny wins this.  That could be 2, 3, 4 and 6 for me so it is a hard race to gauge.  The 3 is probably outclassed for me and whilst Farneys Cookie won well last week, he is not one to overtake so you simply have to be on the bunny for him to score, which he could do but there’s some useful early in this for the trip.  Jimmy Nailed On has a similar profile to Farneys Cookie and like him, is capable of putting up a long losing streak but still looking like he’s running well: he could turn up tonight, however.  I’m going to side with Castlelyons Sevi who can’t be in finer fettle and has the inside to potentially rail these off and poach a winning lead.

20:51 – Maxi Marathon

In what has to be the most ridiculous concept that any entity has ever come up with, this lot are going to have a go at running 1048m: good luck!  There are only so many hounds that can get this far in the world, let alone England, and here we have two that definitely stay this ludicrous trip.  Supreme Rossie is running OK and needs this sort of distance but this trip is simply Musical Fawn’s speciality and she nearly looks a play at odds-against in a 4 runner affair.  She stays longer than my bitch-in-law and she can utilise this somewhat unique affair.

21:08 – Golden Jacket Final

Racenight Jenny is a worthy favourite as she has put in some intelligent performances to weave her way through the field in both races round here to win, but I cannot have her this short to repeat the feat: she could be stopped at any point.  Bubbly Time came out like a rocket in the Semi-Final, which is a rarity, to put the race to her doggie bed in the first few strides as she stays longer than this but I can’t have her repeating that either.  That leads the 2, Black Francis, who could not have asked for a better draw to make the bend, get on the bunny on the inside, and set these a target as whilst he doesn’t get the trip strongly, he battles gamely in front.  Wiki Waki Woo has a bad draw for such a tight railing bitch and whilst she has ran the track well, her job will be to hold up Jenny and Time rather than win herself.  Millwards Amy was backed in the heats but didn’t get the precious lead she needs and Malls Pride has done well to get here, but both look held.  Francis to make-all in an exhibition of how to win at Crayford.

Here are the recommendations:

19:26 – Borna Champ – 1/2 dog bone @ 9/2

19:43 – Sidarian Blitz – 1 doggie treat @ 6/4

19:59 – Painted Craft – 1 breast of chicken @ 9/2

21:08 – Black Francis – 1 piece of bread @ 11/2

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 Black Francis gets on that bunny tonight!  It should be an entertaining night around a notoriously difficult track, let’s hope I’ve worked out the puzzles!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy