The action starts to come thick and fast on Sky Sports from now on and tonight we have an intriguing card from Newcastle to get stuck into – howoof!  The Maiden Derby Final is the feature which looks a wide-open affair but before then we have a decent card for the time of year and plenty of pointers can be found for the likes of the Scottish Derby (in particular) coming up in the Spring.  As ever, Newcastle has a strong local kennel strength so it is always worth treating my colleagues from the Toon as serious hounds.  It is a tough card on the whole to come up with any strong fancies, but as ever I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful.

19:11 – Puppy Maiden

A truly baffling decision by the humans that claim to be in control of running greyhound racing that they have put this race on for the main Sky program.  An impossible race for punters (without inside information) and you might as well throw a dart at the card and hope it drops off and you move on to the next race unscathed.

19:26 – Standard

Likeitalot proved a class apart to his rivals at Hall Green last week when he missed the break and still had enough early to make the bend from trap 4 to chop his rivals off.  He has to be taken on here though, despite his obvious class, as he ran a shocker from trap 1 in the Northern Puppy Derby final (when fancied) and just looks a dog that needs 3 or 4.  He could just be too good for these and make the bend regardless, but at his price it is prohibitive.  His full litter-brother is interesting in 3 but he has had an interrupted start to his career and whilst he hails from a spectacular looking set of young tykes, he may just need this run and in particular to miss his brother who will be coming for his room.  Gainstown Beaver in 2 needs a mid-tag on him as he does not rail so this race all shapes up to be a bit of carnage.  A tentative vote goes to Bua Farah who is a local who sprung onto the scene in impressive fashion last year with all-the-way efforts before losing his way slightly when upped in class to take on the real class hounds that turned up for the All England Cup.  After a decent trial, Farah looks too big to make the bend and account for his pawly drawn colleagues here.  The 6 has a cracking draw and had two decent trials here, whether that can be translated into a race scenario remains a doubt and looks about the right price in my dog’s honest opinion.

19:43 – British Bred

The best nation to breed hounds from take each other on here and it looks to me as who can make the bend out of Eric Court and Pond Beethoven.  Preference is for the latter as this local lad has good early and is a dependable sort round his beloved Brough Lane circuit.  Eric Court is the type of dog you take on at short-prices (particularly out of his unfavoured trap 1) as he can put in a really flashy run in a good time (his two victories against the Greyhound of the Year runner-up Newinn Yolo spring to mind) but then he can put in some woeful efforts if not getting on the bunny.  Beethoven is more dependable and that is music to my floppy ears.

19:59 – Maiden

This maiden could see the start of a useful sort’s career in Pinpoint Classic who has been bought to be a class early-paced hound (as many of Alan Findlay’s are) and he could blow these away if he pings like me.  His early in the first round of the Maiden Derby was scintillating and whilst he didn’t get home that day, he looked like he needed the run so he should get the trip today.  He totally blew the start in the Semi-Final and that can be more than forgiven considering he is as big as 7/4 to effectively lead these tonight: that is too big.  Tarmons Jet can punish him if he fluffs his lines again but I cannot see Jet leading Classic with a level break.  The others look a level below the required standard here.

20:16 – Stayers

Blackhouse Heidi is a talented bitch who can mix it with the best 6 bend performers in the country.  Whilst she can be a bit clumsy when she gets trapped in behind, she has now won an A2 and A1 in succession around her home track and over a trip still arguably short of her optimum here, she should still have plenty enough time to mow these down.  The 3 was fancied in the BAGS Track Championship over a trip but must surely be miles clear of Heidi to beat her today and that is very hard to envisage.  Odds-against quotes on Heidi look way off the mark to me and she can make the layers feel klum.

20:33 – Standard

All the doggie treats have been for the local raider Magical Reid here and punters are looking to land two gambles on Sky in successive weeks.  Now that his price has gone it has made one or two of the others look attractive.  A chance is taken on the class act in this field Calzaghe Davy to have too much all-round pace for these as he is no doubt capable of.  Whether he can muck it with the cream of the greyhound world is still very debatable but he has a habit of demolishing moderate sorts, of which these could be.  The other negative for him is that he has had a lay-off and might get a whack from the 4 out of the boxes, at 4/1 though he is still worth having on-side for the purposes of this blog, though.

20:51 – Invitation

The best race on the card here sees a young tyke (and the third of the aforementioned quality litter that is emerging) that has been underestimated by the layers at 5/1:  Northern Puppy Derby winner Kneejerkreaction.  Subject to a huge gamble in that final, he shot clear out of 3 (which he has today) and never looked like losing against some seriously nice young sorts.  He will have to be at least as good today to account for, in particular, Maum Legend, but he could just be as good as that dog and is more than twice his price from a better draw.  Legend is a game colleague of mine who has devastating Category 1 pace when he can use it and Newcastle definitely plays to his strengths; he can however miss the break which could give Kneejerkreaction enough room to boss him at the bend and show him a clean set of hocks.  Swift Hoffman has been continually purpawted as a superstar in the making but not only will he have to contend with the ever-dependable old gal Greenwell Lark, he is becoming overrated in my eyes and looks plenty short enough.  He could beat these by a way if he gets on the bunny, but I can’t see him getting an uncontested lead here and certainly he is not a consideration at his price.  Kneejerkreaction could just be as good as Legend and is a must-bet at the prices.  The 2 is of interest if it can get on the bunny but I cannot envisage him leading any of these, even from a great draw.

21:08 – Maiden Derby Final

A tough race to bark with the market reflecting that and whilst the bitch in 1, Musical Storm, was impressive in the Semi-Final it was sort of a flash-in-the-pan type of run and it will be interesting to see if she can follow it up tonight.  If she can she should win this but it is better to look at a more dependable sort for me.  Farran Heaslip needs further and would need it to get messy up front which is by no means unlikely.  Burgess Oscar could be better than these in time but he has looked green to me so is respected but is one for another day.  Farloe Quest ran well on the bunny but I cannot see how he clears the 4.  The 6 will need it to get very messy but is well-drawn nonetheless as the 5 will be going left.  With all that considered, the slight value here is the stalwart Valentia Frosty to beat these to the bend and not be caught, which is a possibility that is less than 9/2 for me.  He is a proper dog who always gives his all and the fact that his connections are barking about a tilt at the Derby suggests he could have even more in the locker than we have seen already: he will need it in the Derby!

Here are the recommendations:

19:59 – Pinpoint Classic – 1 doggie treat @ 7/4

20:16 – Blackhouse Heidi – 1 breast of chicken @ 5/4

20:51 – Kneejerkreaction – 1 piece of bread @ 5/1

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 Classic makes the bend tonight!  It looks a tough night punting-wise but that’s never stopped the Lolly Faithful in the past and we all need a challenge once in a while, we have one this evening!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

It could be a huge night for us hounds at work as humans across the land (and abroad) attempt to win a life-changing sum of doggie treats as they play for the Totepool Pick 6 Jackpot estimated to be £500,000!  The action is at the perfect venue for an event like this as Hall Green provides remarkable results so favourite backers who think they can go through the card on the shorties for the half-a-million pool should think again twice!  Local knowledge is a huge asset at the Midlands circuit and it is almost imperative that a dog has had a look (at the second bend in particular) as the amount of dogs that run off at these tight bends is numerous!  As ever I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful and I have also provided insight for you to get your paws on some of the jackpot; I would advise to follow my perm selections at the bottom of this page if you want to dine in style with me tonight:

19:11 – Puppy

The young tykes kick off the excitement this evening and in what is a limited field in terms of potential, Likeitalot is a worthy favourite.  His lack of course knowledge and the fact he is out as wide as 4 suggests the Northern Puppy Derby finalist could be worth taking on here with a well-drawn local in Ballymac Eil.  Eil is gradually working his way up the ranks here and he can lead the 1 and Teejays Panther in order to poach a cheap lead here.  The presence of Panther and the fact he moved so wide in his trial around the second bend (typically) could be a hazard for Likeitalot unless he can get a flier and clear the wide-moving Panther inside him.  See No Gamble is well-housed out wide but his trial round was hardly electric and he was woeful when well-backed at Romford last time.

19:26 – Stayers

Chaotic Dotty has been the subject of a gamble throughout the course of the day with her superb 39:19 trial round here looking impressive in the context of this race as she can follow Farloe Lara around and give her a beating.  That barked, however, is that whilst Dolly is unexposed she is also unproven and is too short to back up the fast trial.  Look instead to the erratic and sometimes appaling Farley Rio to have one of his good days and show his Sunderland Grand Prix winning form against much inferior opposition to those tonight.  His main rival for class is Borna Champ but a slow-away weaving galloping dog is not what you need at this track and he looks too short based on his reputation rather than his suitability.  Rio is arguably too big but the clear value in this race has long gone with the 9/2 Dolly disappearing faster than I used to come out of the traps (and that was quick!).

19:43 – JACKPOT LEG 1 – Maiden

Those pesky humans have not made winning this jackpot easy with two maidens out of the 6 races to become a half-millionaire and we luckily begin here with a 5 runner affair.  River Ali looks well-drawn and should be included in those permutations but Tyrur Susan has an absolute solo with the wide dog being withdrawn and this progressive local bitch can hopefully get us through to the next round; making it through this race looks the toughest assignment of the jackpot!

19:59 – JACKPOT LEG 2 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race gets us back to normality here and this can go the way of the experienced reliable pinging railer Cape Impact.  He will have to clear the dropping in trip but useful early of Ilewin Allot but he is more than capable of mucking it with the best and Impact looks a big price to outclass these.  Mister Hondo is running-out-of-his-skin and should be included with a decent looking prep trial as part of his form.  Kavarna has been flying out of the traps at his home track and not only can he hold up the favourite, Goes Hot, he could also spring a surprise as he flew out of these traps in a trial, too.

20:16 – JACKPOT LEG 3 – Standard

A pretty decent affair here but when Express Master is in form and pinging he is one of the best dogs in the country for me and he can follow up his extremely useful 28:22 over the course-and-distance.  He will have to clear the Monmore raider Whittle Eagle who can show some class on his day but Master has mucked it with the best around the country.  Sidarian Blitz will have to clear Fred The Pilot but he has huge pace (especially when he was in Ireland) and he is worth including should the Master fluff his lines.

20:33 – JACKPOT LEG 4 – Super Stayers

There’s nothing particularly “Super” about staying in my eyes but nonetheless this is a decent race and it is worth getting three dogs onside in an intriguing affair.  Black Francis is in the form of his life but he has no look at the track so is impossible to back solely on his own, he is however worth including.  Great Deal has a ping in her and won well at the Monmore Winter Festival in a similar race to this when the classy Millwards Teddy had no answer for her once she got on the bunny.  A tough decision here for the jackpot should also include Kakantu who ran the track very well in a four bend workout and whilst he is perhaps not the most reliable week-in-week-out, he could ping out and not be caught here as he gets the trip with ease at Romford.

20:51 – JACKPOT LEG 5 – Maiden

If you’ve made it this far you are now starting to dream of huge leather sofas covered in chewstix, pieces of brown bread and breasts of chicken but the job is not over yet and back the best local Droopys Gooch to account for a paw field here.  Not much beats Gooch around here and his ever-dependable 28:40 should be far too much for these.  It is worth including Carlow Bolt who is well-drawn, has plenty of early and was more than a match for Pinpoint Maxi in Ireland when they met which is an extremely impressive formline in the context of what that colleague has achieved over here reaching multiple Category One finals.

21:08 – JACKPOT LEG 6 – Prestige Final

The concluding leg of this mammoth night for us hounds sees the Prestige Final which is a worthy prize in itself!  It’s not quite £500,000 though and so here we should give a chance for Dinzeo to poach an unassailable lead.  When he was caught by Supreme Turbo in the Semi-Finals he was arguably waiting for his colleague but he only lost by a short-head and his time reflects well in terms of the 6/4 favourite, Billys Bullet.  15/2 is simply too big on Dinzeo being ahead at the line (where it matters) as he has competed with the best at Sheffield with huge distinction and deserves his place in this big final.  For the purposes of the jackpot, it is worth including the favourite here too who, as a brother of Touch Tackle, could simply be too good for all of these by a long way with a clear run.  As she won her Semi-Final by 8 lengths and is the reigning Midland St. Leger champion, it would be hard not to include Wiki Waki Woo to complete that elusive jackpot combination!

Here are the recommendations:

19:59: Cape Impact – 1 doggie treat @ 5/1

20:16 – Express Master – 1 piece of bread @ 5/2

20:51 – Droopys Gooch – 1 chewstick @ 2/1

21:08 – Dinzeo – 1 dog bone @ 15/2

JACKPOT RECOMMENDATION:

Leg 1 (19:43):  5 – 1
Leg 2 (19:59):  2 – 3 – 5
Leg 3 (20:16):  2 – 6
Leg 4 (20:33):  1 – 4 – 6
Leg 5 (20:51):  4 – 6
Leg 6 (21:08):  1 – 2 – 3

216 lines*£1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings!  As ever, please tweet me (especially with YOUR Jackpot bets) and I promise to bark back at you quicker than Express Master comes out the traps tonight!  It should be a packed grandstand and I will be in attendance, in my expensive shades so nobody recognises me!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

So here we are in 2015!  With the extension of the Sky Greyhounds coverage to give us hounds even more of the spotlight that we deserve (7 to 9:30pm tonight) it promises to be a great year with even more events being televised!  The first of which is the final of the Coronation Cup at Romford where Adageo Bob looks to land the major prize over this course and distance that he deserves.  He has been hindered previously by one instance of paw trapping and one of being stuck in a van on the motorway to deny him a title at his favourite track but tonight he can makes amends.  Those on him antepost at 3/1 should be sitting (or lying) pretty comfortably on their sofas and it will take a great effort to deny him cruelly again.  Elsewhere, there is a decent card to paw off the year and as ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:11 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and even if he can’t envisage it himself, there looks certain to be some doggie treats down for See No Gamble.  He has recently found his paws at Towcester (which is increasingly looking a Romford-esque track) and then clocked the fastest time of the day in a bumper trials session last week; that included many of my colleagues that are running tonight so it was a serious time and with his draw, he has to be backed despite being so inexperienced.  It is always a bit of a lottery in backing these young tykes as they can do anything at any point but he is in a rich vein of form and I fancy him to power to the bend and draw clear of these down the back for an unassailable lead.  Lenson Jed is of interest having posted some decent trials and having mixed it in better company than this, but he has never come out of trap 1 in his short career and whilst he may enjoy it, he is an uneasy favourite due to this in my dog’s honest opinion.  Aimnfire has ran against the best of his generation in the country but has always come up a bit short and whilst he does look slightly big, he would prefer a berth in 3 or 4 for me.  See No Gamble to land the spoils in an impressive display here.

19:26 – Marathon

Much has been made of the pros and cons of match racing but this looks a fascinating contest between Festival Time and Burgess Borna.  Whilst it is not totally out of the question that Supreme Rossie can get involved, she has benefited from trouble in running (particularly for Time) to beat her at Towcester and with so few runners it is hard to see the necessary hold-ups for Stuart Buckland’s bitch to be a factor here.  Based on the prices, it has to be Time here as she nearly made the bend at Crayford when losing to Borna (sent off odds-on favourite that day) and whilst Borna stays and should get into the lead early enough, Time has gears that are very impressive.  It is also worth noting that Borna lost on this very card this time last year so she is not bulletproof and at 4/7, she looks plenty short enough against a frustrating but pacey competitor like Time.   This should be a good one!

19:43 – Standard

Putdownyourfoot won the Monmore 416 competition at their Winter Festival for the Lolly Faithful and back at his favourite track, he is overpriced to account for the grand old servant that is Bubbly Rocket.  Rocket has been running out of his hair recently but whether trap 1 truly suits him is questionable (tends to step right from it) and he will have to be on his paws to beat a pinging Putdownyourfoot to the bend.  It is probably a race to leave alone but Lann Jacob is also of interest as he nearly landed a pretty sizeable gamble last week when he very nearly made the bend at a big price (half a length in front when brought down by a running off Razldazl Banjo); he could run well at a price if he breaks like he did there and perhaps the tricast is one to look at for those humans desperate to get involved.

19:59 – Standard

A classy affair here which has the look of a Trial Stakes for the Golden Sprint that is coming up in March.  In that, Geelo Vegas could be a big player if he confirms his Irish form that he stays 400m.  The National Sprint winner is all about pinging like me and dashing to the bend nearly as quickly as me and with that brilliant combination, he is always a force to be reckoned with.  In Ireland (as Boher Cashen Joe) he used his early over 480m in the Munster Derby to great effect at Clonmel and whilst he was struggling to finish the full trip, he stayed at least the 400m there (which is required here) and was still not caught on his final 2 efforts over that true four bend distance.  It will be interesting to see whether his humans are considering a Golden Sprint to the Derby route (famously executed to perfection by Blonde Snapper) but for now, he is way overpriced to lead this field and not be caught.  Dower Matt is the local hero but he is a confidence dog who puts together a sequence and then finds it hard to win again for a while; if he can lead here he will not be caught but it is wise to wait for him to win again before considering him, especially considering he will have to clear the useful early of Evanta Fantasy and Puckane Joe on his inner.  Joe has never won out of 1 (from 3 attempts) and has some slow away comments from that box which should worry his backers but he can prove himself enough of a nuisance to hinder Fantasy and Matt.  Express Max is erratic at the start but he is a danger if trapping (which is not that often in all honesty) but even then a level break should see Vegas have too much for him.  Buoy Johnny is the only dog that really stays further than this in the race but he will have to produce an absolute flier for him to get competitive (unless it becomes very messy).  Vegas is drawn here to go straight up the middle, lead off the second bend and now he has got his lungs following two trials over the trip, he won’t be caught.

20:16 – Stayers

The Coronation Cup consolation here and Blonde Razor will have too much for these if he can ping out.  He did, however, fluff his lines last time out and any sort of break like that can see these pretty solid Romford performers capitalise on his weaknesses.  Perhaps the least dependable is Farley Rio but he is the wrong price to produce the sort of run that saw him win a heat of the 2nd Round of the Irish Derby and be sent off favourite twice round here last year (ahead of Razor).  He is an inconsistent sort but 12/1 is simply too big for his ability as when he is on a going day, he can lead from the front or overtake dogs when he fancies it.  He is well drawn here with the 3 and 2 railing and the 5 and 6 being restaurant-wide so Rio can get himself into a useful pitch and unleash the pace we have all seen that is there.  If Razor gets a flier this race is over in a matter of 2 yards but Rio is the value if that does not happen.

20:33 – Bitches

I love watching a good bitches contest and here we have a decent one to salivate over.  Aayamzaone is undoubtedly a very talented bitch but she has found one too good the last few weeks and whether her bubble has slightly bursts suggests she is worth taking on at a prohibitive 11/10.  That and the fact that Paradise Abbey has useful early inside her suggests that the favourite could be held up here long enough for one of the others to get away.  That could be in the form of Millwards Katy who posted the 3rd fastest time ever round this track two weeks ago, but her effort on Friday brought her back down to Earth and anything like a tardy exit as that will see her challenge ended.  That brings us to Slick Seaview who is well-drawn, has course form and is being underrated as her form as Miss Ballatelli in Ireland reads very well in the context of this; she must have had her injury problems leading her to question “why always me?” but she beat some useful pingers here at the end of last year on the 7th November to back-up her very-quick-away antics at Shelbourne when posting decent times like 28:87 for their standard trip in A1s.  She can lead up the 2 and Katy will be looking for at least the middle ground so Seaview can squeeze round the inside and rail these into submission.  Well, at 7/1 at least, she looks too big to do so.

20:51 – Marathon

The interesting runner without question in this race is the once 2014 Derby favourite Vanrooney stepping up to 8 bends for the first time.  It isn’t as big a step as first pawceived though as he has won handsomely at Towcester over their 686m 6 bends and he hasn’t looked like he was in particular discomfort at the line when winning those races.  He could well and truly be miles clear of these after 3/4 of the race and so it may actually become immaterial if he stays or not.  Whilst he is no value at such a short price as 13/8, Borna Champ is probably the only colleague of mine capable of getting near him if he does fluff his lines.

21:06 – Coronation Cup Final

This race is all about the run-up and whether Adageo Bob can get a clear run.  If he does, it is all over as whilst he has not been finishing his races this calendar year in the flourishes that saw him equal the track record here last year, he is still posting the fastest times consistently out of any of these.  His draw isn’t disastrous as Soviet Kenny stays wide and he should lead the 4, so he can turn at least handy enough round the second before unleashing his scintillating middle pace.  Much has been made of how well Vanfrenchie is drawn and whilst he does have the rails to himself (Hometown Day does not rail ever), it is hard to see how he can catch either Bob, Marian or Kenny on the bunny so arguments for him are relying on a lot of trouble in front (which is not inconceivable).  Bob deserves this title and whilst that doesn’t entitle him to it, it would be a shame for my colleague not to collect this prize.

Here are the recommendations:

 19:11 – See No Gamble – 1 doggie treat @ 9/4

19:59 – Geelo Vegas – 2 pieces of bread @ 11/4

20:16 – Farley Rio – 1 dog bone @ 12/1

20:33 – Slick Seaview – 1 breast of chicken @ 7/1

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 Geelo makes the bend tonight!  After he wins, we can all get out our doggie passports and head for a Winter trip to Vegas!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

The Sky Sports cameras descend on Romford tonight for the Essex Vase final and whilst that competition is sadly missing the participation of Adageo Bob, it should be great final nonetheless! The track has been on the quick side of late round the Essex venue and with these television nights tending to make the surface even quicker, it looks a front-runners card (when is it not at Romford?). With all that in mind, you want a hound who pings like me and gets on that pesky bunny this evening in my dog’s honest opinion. As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Bitches

I love watching these bitches race and I’ve got two this evening to salivate over! In this first, the well-bred Domino Storm attempts to defy some pretty tame efforts over this course-and-distance and whilst she is respected, Farran Lisicki is an in-form bitch who looks the bark in this field. Without a trial at Towcester recently she would arguably be a bet, but that trip to the new venue might be detrimental to her chances of pinging this evening. If she does come out, she is in fine fettle and with On The Razzle being wide enough to let her owners give her a pat on the way round, Lisicki can hold her pitch and assert down the back. Storm could of course turn up and beat these comfortably, but her course-and-distance performances have been mediocre based on her overall profile, to put it lightly!

19:49 – Stayers

This type of race looks all about the draw and local favourite Hometown Day can capitalise at a decent price from a really good make-up. He needs to be on the bunny or at least very close to the action, but he is drawn to dominate the middle here. Franks Dream is a pinging bitch who can hold up the favourite, Vanfrenchie, significantly enough to hinder his chances. Trap 3 is slow-away and Buoy Johnny is high wide and not-so-handsome as me so Janoan will have to be plenty sharp enough as the lids rise. This all looks set for a big strong-running display on the bunny from Day and on a quick track, none of these will pick him up if he leads, which he is expected to do so.

20:04 – Bitches

The second mouthwatering bitches race here and Aayamzaone has been on my radar for a while now and after her run on Friday, she is worth siding with to follow-up. Swooping around the whole field after she missed the break (which she can do) she showed a remarkable gallant attitude to suggest she is in the form of her life. Jaytee Columbia is running below-paw for a bitch of her class (ex-Silverview Rosay) and is arguably not suited to this tight track; that with the fact she has the likeable but often outclassed pinging bitch Mikes Machine next to her makes the 1 no appeal at all (unless she is of course reading this and I’ll take her for a doggie treat anytime). Wotnobubbles finally showed what she is capable of out of trap 6 in a Maiden over the c&d but she has question marks out of trap 4 and whilst she could lead, she will need a career best to account for these. With the 5 being slow-away, Aayamzaone can swoop round the outside again and the fact she could even lead, makes her a very tempting proposition here.

20:19 – Hurdles

My favourite colleague who attempts to jump over these obstacles for no apparent reason is Cornamaddy Jumbo, but whilst he should be a certainty for Greyhound of the Year, his form has dipped because of his exertions in winning the Triple Crown for Hurdlers this year. He is worth taking on with the track specialist Jetstream Reason who won the Irish Grand National before coming over to the proper racing nation and he is drawn to attack here. Lenson Razldazl is hit and miss for me and Mash Mad Snowy needs further so if Reason can beat Jumbo to the bend or turn second, he can account for his flagging rival. Jumbo winning this would be no surprise to me or many of his admirers, however.

20:34 – Stayers

Providing Adageo Bob makes the track today, he should show why he would have taken all the beating in this evening’s feature. He will have to clear the useful local Fivestar Clipper, but he can account for these with consummate ease.

20:49 – Marathon

On a very quick surface that is anticipated, Flawless Floyd will be hard to beat here with the kipper in trap 5 next to him, but the run of Festival Time on the last Sky card confirmed the promise she had shown for a while. She arguably needs further but she can lead the dogs around her and turn handy enough to overhaul Floyd. Time led King Kane last time out who confirmed that form when he chased gallantly in second on the Night of Stars on Saturday and that type of form comparison, is too much for Floyd.

21:04 – Standard

This is a fascinating contest that could go the way of any of these in-form hounds but the real class act around this circuit at the moment is Ibiza Rocks. He can turn handy enough to a rejuvenated Dower Matt to barge him out of the way and assert. Express Max is always respected over his optimum distance but his trapping will have to be paw perfect to account for these as Headford Joe is not devoid of early. Joe probably lacks the class of trap 2 especially, and for that reason I think class will tell in this very competitive affair.

21:19 – Essex Vase Final

If the track is not ludicrously quick this evening, a lot of these write-ups will looks silly but the Lolly Faithful know I rarely got my trapping or get my tipping wrong and for that reason, Any Dak is too big to make-all here. He is about as tired as I am over 315m by the end of his races over this trip, but on a quick surface and a repeat of his fastest-sectional being required, he can have too much of a lead to be caught here. Airport Captain is of course respected but Ballymac Aalto and Tuna Crunch want the rails and both can ping at any given time. Teejays Powerhawk for all of his quirks and the fact he doesn’t seem to like trap 1, showed in the St. Leger that he has early when he comfortably led Fear Emoski so Captain will have to be at his brilliant best, which he normally is, to get a run here. If Captain leads it is all over, but Any Dak is the clear standout value to gain an unassailable lead.

Here are the recommendations:

21:19 – Any Dak – 1 dog bone @ 6/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I promise to bark back with all of the enthusiasm if I see the track is +30 in the first race! It should be a great night’s racing and whilst it will be sad to see Adageo Bob contest a minor race instead of the real prize, Any Dak can ease the pain for the Lolly Faithful.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

The action returns to Nottingham this evening in front of the Sky cameras as an intriguing Eclipse Final takes centre stage. I bark that it’s intriguing because the usual Category One protagonists are nowhere to be seen with them either eliminated or not entered (the Laurels begins soon) so the race has an open-looking feel to it as my lesser known colleagues have a chance to win a big competition. Besides that, the supporting card is a decent one and whilst those pesky bookmakers were definitely on top the last time the cameras were at Nottingham earlier in the month, the favourites and shorter-priced dogs look drawn to be very competitive tonight. As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – 480m

Two of the brightest young tykes for 2015 line-up here in Laughing Gravy and Swift Hoffman and whilst the former has really come-of-age since winning the Romford Puppy Cup in scintillating style, Hoffman is the track record holder and any odds-against on him vanished quicker than when I see a rabbit in my field! Gravy does have great pace to the bend but he is arguably better out of 6 and so whilst Hoffman will have to be paw perfect round the first bend, he has the pace and track-craft to become a serious contender for the big tournaments next year. Redbrick Stuart has always been blessed with pace and desire but his antics in the traps (often lying down like he’s on a sofa) are often a very costly downfall. If he turns handy he can cause an upset, but it is very hard to hassle the Hoffman round here.

19:49 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and it looks to me to be a race to the bend between Salacres Pele and Aimnfire. The latter will appreciate this draw in 4 more than his draw in the Puppy Derby Semi-Final where he cut inside when coming out of 6 but Pele has been mixing it with the best youngsters around and he can appreciate a drop in class here. He has not been disgraced by any means against some serious young colleagues of mine and even won a round of the Northern Puppy Derby: that form is too much for these. There have been doggie treats for Perrys Bid this morning and humans giving away their beloved snacks must be respected, but it is hard to envisage a jump from A7 at Henlow to a Sky winner, even though we can jump pretty high.

20:04 – Bitches

The race that always gets me on the edge of my sofa and Skywalker Alice has finally settled into her UK kennel and can show why she was the most feared bitch in Ireland before breaking into season earlier in the year. Elwick Glory has lost her way and doesn’t really rail so Alice can go up the inside and begin mowing down the front-runners in the back-straight. That barked, she is not devoid of early based on her Irish efforts, but the likely early of Golden Apple and Clounamon Queen should see them turn in the lead. Queen has won over 6 bends but her form is not especially impressive in top class company and although she could be value to get a cheap lead if Apple doesn’t break well from 3 or moves violently left which could happen, Alice still has the class to overpower here. Quiz Book won the scrappiest race I’ve seen in a long while when virtually being on the floor in her last run and managing to get back up to win, but her presence here is mainly to deter Toosey Fern from turning as handy as she did when winning on the last sky card at Nottingham. An intriguing race but Alice should be clear favourite in my dog’s honest opinion.

20:19 – Marathon

The lunatics are on show here as they go for a ridiculous 905m and there is no better dog over this sort of insane trip than King Kane. He has looked virtually unbeatable since stepping up in trip and his efforts in the St. Leger over 6 bends were very admirable. He was beaten fair and square by eventual winner in the heats, Roxholme Dream, before showing his desire is still there in claiming a hot Semi-Final by overhauling his rivals. The final was run 3 days after which does not suit the true stayers like him, so his run is forgiven in that he was also drawn pawly outside of 3 wide dogs, so he should be fully raring to go here at his optimum trip. Fizzypop Magic was impressive on his marathon bow-wow last week but Kane showed superior form at Wimbledon over 6 bends in the Leger and it is very hard to see how Magic can improve enough to beat Kane over this distance. Festival Time was a real eye-catcher at Wimbledon in the race won by Magic, as she got in all sorts of bother and ran a mighty race to come second but she is drawn again next to Mays Petal, which is hardly ideal for her. Petal seems to get herself in bother (although she did set the Track Record over course and distance when getting loose) and her presence should be enough to stop Time from getting a clear run again. Kane to harry his opponents on the first circuit before unmasking his awesome gears over this trip and burning his rivals for speed.

20:34 – Standard

The strength of the Nottingham roster isn’t what it used to be but that still does not mean the locals should be ignored and Bromwich Tom is the pick of that lot; with a good draw to work from he can win one for the Nottingham faithful here. Benkaat Nero is very hit and miss and to be honest, more miss, so Tom can lead the inside as Droopys Cortez comes out like he’s been having a nap in the boxes. Scarface is a talented but frustrating individual who I cannot think will appreciated being in trap 4 so he will be going straight right which should sadly put paid to the chances of Viking Jack. Jack is a fellow tweeting greyhound (@VikingJackDog) who I have been mentoring and whilst he has barked that my wisdom reminds him of “Yoda. But bigger. And faster” (I hastened to add that I was less green, too) he will have to ping like me to avoid the trapper in 4 tonight. He could do it (like his famous win in the Monmore Gold Cup) but he is not reliable enough to fancy this evening as drawn, sadly. Tom has enough pace to go with these and is a jealous dog on his home track when he gets a sniff.

20:49 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here and it is all about the draw when so many classy competitors meet over the optimum distance for a hound to run. Calzaghe George is too short with the pinging railers of Lemon Pluto (off the track for a year but scintillating comeback trials), Aero Twizzle and Droopys Alessio to all give him something to think about, unless he gets a flier of course. If he pings like me then George will win but he is not value to do so and the definite bark in the race is the well-drawn Dragon Big Bux. He has beaten George fair-and-square round this track (lost next time out, admittedly) and if he can clear the enigmatic (and maybe disappointing) Salmon Fishing, he can swoop around the outside to land this. The early morning prices of 9/2 on him were way off the mark, and the 11/4 is still too big as drawn for the bottom to earn the big bux here.

21:04 – Stayers

Touch Tackle was eliminated from the St. Leger as the-then favourite because his human can’t drive a van to the dog’s workplace on time and with that in mind, he can start to make amends here by winning in front of the Sky cameras (if they make it to the track, that is.) There is plenty of early in the race with Rearguard Bond, Dinzeo, Droopys Hawaii, Airmount Paco and even Lowgate Jasper all having a bit of toe. With so much early, it is hard to see one of these hounds getting a clear run and that is where Touch can tackle his opponents as he picks them off one by one.

21:19 – Eclipse Final

As I barked earlier this is a real opportunity for one of the lesser known dogs to claim a Category One prize but the dog with a touch more class has to be the value here: Maum Legend. He ran with great credit in the All England Cup at his home track when defying some bad draws to make the final and has since been unbeaten in this tournament. He can miss the break horrendously but that has not been the problem at Nottingham so far and whilst that is a concern, if he gets a level break he has too much pace for these. Snappers Lad is turning into a real competition colleague and is drawn to out-run his odds, Killglen Chief hasn’t won in this sort of company and will need to prove he is Category One class and Burnfoot Alpha is a revelation since changing his kennel. If Alpha continues to progress he is the danger but Be Up Front (Swift Hoffman’s brother) is not short of pace and Alpha will need to be paw-perfect to clear him. Even taking all of that into account, Maum Legend should be not odds-against to win his first Category One event.

Here are the recommendations:

21:19 – Maum Legend – 1 chewstick @ 11/10

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 King Kane asserts this evening! It should be a great night for the punters, human and hound-alike, and let’s hope the Lolly Faithful are saluting a Legend with our paws at the end.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

What night we have in store at Wimbledon as we are treated to a fascinating conclusion of the St. Leger and a glimpse of the potential stars of next year in the Puppy Derby Final. I’m so excited I could only manage 3 naps today! It’s an intriguing card with some interesting looking draws for some of my colleagues and on a night where the track is expected to be fast, a hound on the bunny is the priority in my dog’s honest opinion. As ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race starts the proceedings and with the class of Mustang Blitz and Wee Tiger Tots in the race, it is a tough bark to find the value. Slight preference at the prices is for Tots who just seems to have an extra level of pace to Blitz, but she is not guaranteed to clear the useful Express Max. He has good early and is a live-danger over 400m at Romford but his often tardy trapping can leave him behind against these class acts. If he pings like me he can be competitive and cause trouble for the tiny Tots but in barking that, she has the pace to show why she is a little sprinter to be feared.

19:49 – Maiden

Greyhound racing continues to shoot itself in the paw and on such a huge night, it is disappointing to see a Maiden feature on the card. The local Tintreach Willy sets a good standard in graded racing over the course and distance but the interesting runner here is the ex-Irish On Alert who has been subjected to a little gamble. That is down to his Irish form looking patchy, but strong when he gets it right and if he is on a going day on his English bow-wow, he should be too good for a maiden.

20:04 – Hurdles

My vote for the Greyhound of the Year (when they eventually allow us dogs to vote in the procedure) would be for Cornamaddy Jumbo who completed an unprecedented treble of hurdling crowns this year. He has had a tough campaign and 480m does stretch him however so he looks vulnerable. Jetstream Reason could be the value but if Jumbo jumps well and pings out in his effortless fashion, he is an aeroplane worthy of being crowned as the best dog of this year.

20:19 – Bitches

This is the race that always gets me salivating and it has an intriguing make-up with the favourite far from certain to appreciate her draw in trap 3. Babooshka can have howlers out of the boxes and with traps 1 and 2 being local bitches with pace to the bend, Aero is an uneasy favourite in my eyes. Borna Karma is an awesome bitch at Romford but you have to question why she has only been away from that venue once (losing over this c&d) and she has never been as good out of 5 as she is out of 6. With all of that in mind, Forest Sara is too big to run straight up the middle here and show her strength down the back and on the run-in. She will need luck as she does not quite have the early of Babooshka or Karma, but her draw leads her to be a must-bet at the prices.

20:34 – Marathon

The lunatics are on show here who like to go 6 bends too many and it can go to the dog who has been crying and howling to step up to an 8 bend trip: Fizzypop Magic. He won a round from off-the-pace in the St. Leger in game fashion and he could easily get on the bunny here and stretch this field. Mays Petal set the track alight with a track-record performance in front of the Sky cameras last time out but she might not get things all of her own way here with trap 2 looking to take her room. Live Queen continues to frustrate and Storm Pockets has been a grand servant over this sort of trip over the years but age seems to be telling with her. Magic to make-all.

20:49 – Standard

The standout value here is with the draw and King Dec can use his Arc winning pace to good effect from an ideal berth. Ballygibbon King has never been a railer and whilst he does not really like trap 5 or 6 either, the decision to take the mid-tag off him is a bold one as he runs off at the bend. Being such a big dog, he could cause chaos as Sparta Flame has pace up to the bend too and King will be with him. Screen Critic has been valiant throughout his long career but runs the bends these days like I would do (and I’m 7 years old!) so it is hard to envisage him winning from trap 4 (moving wide also) and that could be perilous for the dogs out wide. Dec has the Freedom of London today given to him by that human lunatic Boris Johnson and he can win over his optimum trip.

21:04 – Puppy Derby Final

The young tykes have a go here in their premier competition and with Derby clues for next year on full display, it is a race to make note of. Lenson Sanchez has been a powerful brute in the competition and whilst he would prefer trap 3 (or possibly even 4), he has the early to cheat a potentially hazardous draw next to Northern Puppy Derby beaten favourite Likeitalot. Likeitalot does not like trap 1 a lot and so he gave a game performance in behind Sanchez in the semi-finals but I worry that he won’t break as well from the inside box. Ballymac Gordie is a fellow Irish raider to Sanchez and utilised his plum draw in the semis to good fashion but it is hard to suggest he has the pace to beat the favourite here. Watch Your Face is a litter-brother to Likeitalot and suggestions that he was faster as a pup on the schooling tracks should not go unnoticed as he has a great draw next to the slowest dog in the world to the bend, Dragon Posse. Regular readers of the dog blog will know my admiration for Posse, however, and he is possibly my favourite dog racing at the moment. Hopefully, we will see why in due course but Wimbledon is not his track over 4 bends. Sanchez looks a proper dog to me.

21:19 – St. Leger Final

The Lolly Faithful are clutching onto 50/1 slips with our paws for Killieford Khali and all is not lost after he has fared OK in the draw and produced a scintillating turn of early paw in the Semi-Finals from a middle slot. He will have to be brave at the first bend to fend off 4,5 and 6 but it is not forlorn that he can do so. He is no 40/1 shot and so we have had to go in again with the potential that Roxholme Dream will not like it out of trap 2 (16:47 as opposed to 16:07 sectional when in trap 2 last). Chicago is well-drawn but he does not like to drive the bends like a brave little doggie when he feels others around him and so he will have to be a length clear at the bend to win this in my opinion: if he is clear he will not be caught. Teddy is badly drawn, Chicken runs into dogs and so I fail to see how King Kane gets the run that he got in the Semi-Finals to collar the long-time leader Khali. That coupled with the fact that Kane is a bad kenneller means that this late race is not going to suit him and it is hard to see how he is so short compared to the Lolly Faithful outsider. A fascinating contest which the outcome will almost certainly be known around the second bend with whoever is leading, or whoever gets a run in behind.

Here are the recommendations:

21:19 – Killieford Khali – 1 chewstick @ 40/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to woof right back at you with all the enthusiasm I’ll show if Lenson Sanchez leads the first bend this evening. I apologise to my neighbours in the kennels around my sofa if Killieford Khali leads!

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

Celebrating the best bred dogs in the world (like yours truly) is the highlight this evening as the final of the British Breeders Stakes is live from Nottingham on Sky Sports. Nottingham is a great track so the card has a real quality feel to it and as ever, it is always worth remembering it is effectively that human Charlie Lister OBE’s home track! There are plenty of angles to get my teeth into today with this card and as ever, I have found the Lolly Faithful some value:

19:34 – Stayers

The stayers kick off proceedings and with Droopys Hawaii being far too inconsistent, it looks an absolute sue-in for Moss Lane Sue to complete her five-timer. She has previous experience of the track, is devasating out of 6 over a trip and it is hard to see any of her rivals back-running her this evening. Sidaz Dippy is respected as a game bitch and was somewhat farcically left out of the St. Leger by the racing humans at Wimbledon, but even her staying prowess can’t match Sue this evening; she should get us off to a winning start and is too big to do so.

19:49 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here has an intriguing make-up with 4 wide seeds and it is the one drawn on the inside of that quartet that is fancied to atone for her disappointing exit in the Scurry Cup: Wee Tiger Tots. She is not brilliant out of trap 3 and will be moving off at the bend, but she should have the legs on her rivals outside her with a level break and she is always capable of pinging like me. 305m is definitely as far as she wants but she can obtain a race-winning lead at the bend. Baliff Cairo is respected as the Scurry Cup winner but much prefers a middle draw and Calzaghe George produced a career-best trapping effort to win last time out, can he do it again? Doubtful. Tots has a touch of class at her best and is too big to conquer her paw draw.

20:04 – Bitches

I have a certain thing for foreign bitches and Skywalker Alice is surely too big on her English debut here. She put in a lacklustre trial but it appears she stepped out of the boxes and is capable of much better. A leading contender for the Irish Oaks before she went into an untimely season, her price of 8/1 is too dismissive of her chances against the fairer sex here. Her chances are enhanced by Aero Babooshka not having a look at the track or more importantly, the boxes, as she can put in some howlers out of the traps sometimes. She will also have to clear the potentially useful Tyrur Annaleen who steps out of Maiden company in the UK for the first time here. Annaleen will be railing and has a nice turn of foot so Babooshka could suddenly be faced with a real problem to clear up the inside. Greenhill Beauty was quietly fancied to upset the very useful Jaytee China in the Angel of the North final and she will definitely be railing as well. Can Skywalker Alice clear those three? Based on her Shelbourne Park efforts she could take all the beating here and this work is all about price. Clounamon Queen is respected and could also run well at a big price, but Alice represents the outstanding value in this line-up.

20:19 – Dogs

It’s really pleasing to see 2013 Derby winner Sidaz Jack back to near his scintillating best and he will surely lead this field. That barked, he is vulnerable over anything longer than 460m these days (and arguably throughout his career) so he is no value to last home here. The presence of Ballygibbon King in trap 2 makes it a race to avoid though as he will be moving middle, has early, is a big old boy and it is too hard to call who can get a run on the outside. A tentative vote goes to Monmore Gold Cup winner Viking Jack who can ping out like me or do it the harder way. If he can be a clever doggie and turn close, he can mow down Sidaz Jack. Calzaghe Davy can beat anything on his day, Bromwich Tom is the best local around here and Coolemore Joe has shown promise but has yet to build on it. This should be a great race! Who will catch Sidaz Jack?

20:34 – Marathon

The lunatics are on show here who like to run for at least 600m too long and in it, there is a bitch who can build on the promise shown at Hove last time out. Slaneyside Aine had no chance of chasing down Droopys Bear once he got on the bunny but she ran a good race in behind all the same and this distance is just what she’s asking for based on her Irish efforts. Fearsome Liberty is feared over a marathon trip as she has early and stays but whether she is quite as ahead of these as the market suggests is questionable as she seems to just beat up average fields, Aine might not be average. She has paw formlines when Ballymac Bonnie caught her but any human (or dog) watching the St. Leger on Saturday would see that Bonnie only starts racing after 650m so those efforts from Aine in defeat can be forgiven. She has a great chance to turn second to Liberty and give her a real race. Crazy Weasley lives up to his name going over this sort of distance but he is hardly well drawn in trap 1 and whilst he’ll be making late headway, a good bitch beats a good dog over a marathon trip in my dog’s honest opinion.

20:49 – Puppy

It was devastating for the Lolly Faithful to see Dragon Posse get eliminated from the Northern Puppy Derby when he just hated being drawn in trap 1: he is not drawn there tonight! Ideally berthed next to the rapid, but short-running, Thirteen Bags, he can turn behind that rival and use his immense galloping pace. It is a race full of useful looking young tykes, Posse has the potential to be something pretty special in my eyes. He has had a sighter of his crucial part of the track (the third bend) with a sprint trial on his card and he looks a dog ideally suited to the straights of Nottingham. We shall see tonight!

21:04 – Bitches Final

There’s a nice bitch in the final who I’ve got my eye on in Burnfoot Belle but trap 1 has too many uncertainties for the previous wide seed to make her value at evens. She could destroy this field if she can get to the front at any stage, but the slight value is the far better drawn Toosey Fern turning handy enough to replicate some of her nice trials. She’s well bred and can assert down the back straight should Belle not deliver from trap 1.

21:19 – British Breeders Stakes Final

King Dec is the quickest of this lot but this is where our work becomes more complicated as he is not a natural railer and Golden Apple seems to have got some of her verve back following a bizarre incident when she ended up in the middle of the track after falling! I’ll give her some advice that the hare is never in the middle of the circuit, but besides that she can show enough pace to give Dec enough problems on the inside. That leads us to looking for a strong type in my opinion and Lowgate Zircon is the preference of the litter-brothers to hunt this field down. He hasn’t got the best early but Nottingham is hardly a track where you need devastating pace and he can turn close enough to the action down the back to start picking them off one-by-one. If Dec gets a clear he’ll beat these with ease but Zircon is the value in the race as he has been quietly impressive of late.

Here are the recommendations:

21:19 – Lowgate Zircon – 1 piece of bread @ 7/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to woof right back at you! It should be a great night with some fascinating contests and let’s hope the Lolly Faithful see what the Dragon is capable of tonight. Come and join the posse.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

One of my favourite nights of racing comes to us from Newcastle this evening in the form of the William Hill Festival and it could be a fantastic one for the Lolly Faithful. We are clutching with our paws 7/1 tickets on Swift Keith in the feature at 21:19 and he is a dog to always depend on to give his all, more on that later! Besides that, we have another Category One final, Category 2 finals and a whole host of classy racing from this quality track at Brough Park. With the weather set to be cloudy with the slight possibility of showers (always a concern about a rain-sodden track in the winter), it should be a fantastic night and there is a lot of value about for the Lolly Faithful. I’ve found it for us:

19:34 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here in the consolation for the Northern Puppy Derby and it is hard to trust Thirteen Bags at odds-on after he completely blew the start last time. Presumably for the same connections as that awesome early-paced Ten Large Down for Diane Henry, if he rediscovers his trapping boots he won’t be for catching but the value is the nicely drawn speedster on his inside. Tromora Tyson has been coming out of wide draws in the Northern Puppy Derby but this trap 2 slot should allow him to turn slightly right out of the boxes (3 is normally slow-away) and have the beating of Bags to the bend and assert from there. The track is normally lightning fast on Sky nights so you want to be on the front-runners, I think Tyson leads this. He is perhaps two lengths slower than Bags but that could be immaterial if he gets on the bunny. Millwards Davy is inconsistent but that’s these youngsters for you: dangerous if he leads.

19:49 – Standard

Conna Trigger is like his litter-brother Pinpoint Maxi (runs in the final this evening) in that he does not get 500m (tired in the Steel City Cup final for instance) but he is a beast over this sort of trip due to his devastating early. There is early aplenty in this field, but it is all drawn badly with Ballymac Bobbyjo likely to just spoil the party for Redbrick Stuart rather than outrun his odds. Stuart was turned over at odds-on in his last effort when he was adopting the same position as I do on beloved sofa as the traps open: lying down! Whilst he can be forgiven for taking a nap if he’s at home, surely he shouldn’t be having a dog nap while at work and it is hard to see him clearing the dependable Bobbyjo. Calzaghe Davy won the feature event this time last year but is a frustrating sort who seems to show more than he is actually capable of on occassions: Trigger can show him a clear pair of paws. Sidarian Blitz is of interest for powerful connections but he is taking a big step up in class and Trigger is a Derby sort who is not inconvenienced by trap 4 and he can make-all here.

20:04 – Sprint

Sadly, I was busy having my third nap of the morning as this race was priced up and missed all of the value (perhaps) on ex-Irish raider Walshes Hill. 8/1 this morning when I was dreaming of squirrels falling out of trees, this dog was only headed by Crokers Champ (English Derby finalist) in the Dundalk Sprint Cup this year and is surely the value to overturn the impressive odds-on Pinpoint Finas. Finas, albeit fast, was slightly fortunate in his last effort in my dog’s honest opinion as he didn’t quite ping like me and had to drive the bend in with other colleagues with real determination. Admittedly he did that well but he can ill-afford any tardiness this evening with the prowess of Hill and the huge dangers of the returning local duo Ballymac Best and Farkland Impact. The golden rule of tipping at Newcastle is never dismiss the strong local contingent no matter how hopeless they look on pawper and whilst Best is of interest, Farkland Impact at 16/1 is surely too big for a dog that has won on this type of card before over course and distance (at 8/1) and is a reliable pinger. The value is to simply side against the jolly that is too short: Pinpoint Finas.

20:19 – Stayers

I just barked about local dogs being underestimated and I think Jimmy Nailed On can ping out here and make-all for a dog that ran with real credit in the Puppy competition this month. He won his heat in assertive fashion and was unlucky to be drawn in trap 1 where he got confused in the semi-final. He still ran on when beaten in that race though and over this sort of trip he can make amends for two costly efforts when previously tried over the course and distance. He is clearly a decent stayer in the making and he can turn handy to Hather George (ran well here on Saturday but does not stay this far) and overcome that rival. Droopys Dave runs this track well but he is hardly one to put your life on (and we know how valuable mine is!) and Calzaghe Vet is continuing to disappoint after such a promising start over a stayers trip; whether Vet is more interested in the bunny or his colleagues is up for debate but he has simply just not been getting on with the race when given room and unless he has a change of heart, he is always worth taking on. Banfid Rizzoli confirmed her owners fears on Saturday when he said she didn’t like other dogs around her at the bend: her human was spot on.

20:34 – Angel of the North

As most of the Lolly Faithful should know by now I like watching a classy bitch and we have a lovely one here in the form of Jaytee China. She has enough early to be competitive against any of her own sex and from a good draw with the 4 moving wide and 2 railing, she can run up the middle and assert here in commanding fashion down the back. Rock Cinta is always worth a look at big prices due to her early but it is hard to see her clearing trap 4 and those two should put paid to the chances of the gamble of the heats, Burnfoot Belle, who was agonisingly close to getting up on the line at 6/1 last time out. China is the unofficial Angel of the South and is value to become the Angel of the North tonight.

20:49 – Great North Run

A cracking race here for those lunatics who like to run over further than 305m and we have the track-record holder Blackhouse Heidi against the once-beaten over a staying trip Airmount Paco. The way Paco came out in the heats made the race into a solo trial and it is hard to envisage him not doing the same here with his 5 from 6 record over a trip and his pinging ability. Heidi is of course a danger to him on formlines if she turns second but Fear Emoski showed us on Saturday just why she was the outstanding staying bitch of last year when picking up a good field and she has enough early and a pawchant to move middle to block Heidi’s path enough. None would be upset if Emoski could roll back the years but Paco is formidable on home sand out of trap 1.

21:04 – Northern Puppy Derby

The young tykes have their final here and with these youngsters having so little experience, the draw is always crucial. La Cuchilla could cause chaos out of trap 5 as an absolute bang railer and so the value is to surely side with Wanted to go round the outside and lead out of the 2nd bend. Ted Soppitt is confident that Wanted will not be for catching if he gets his head in front (believes he will stay 575m) so he is the bark in what could be a scrappy contest. Impressive semi-final winner Likeitalot is an uneasy favourite as he has never been out of trap 1 (ran middle in his racing so far) and has his litter-brother Kneejerkreaction on his outside who showed decent early to land a significant gamble in the semi-finals. Droopys Alessio could lead both of those two and all of a sudden it looks really messy on the inside: it won’t be messy for Wanted if he holds his line. Droopys Cortez is a danger if turning menacingly as he has brute pace.

21:19 – All England Cup Final

With a lovely looking draw on the outside of the absolute ping-machine that is Pinpoint Finas, Swift Keith can claim a memorable victory for the Lolly Faithful here. Finas simply does not stay this trip so is vulnerable to all 5 rivals, whereas Keith has shown a tenacity in the second-half of this year that arguably makes him the best standard distance performer in the country at the moment. If he were to win this then the Greyhound of the Year title that I so gracefully adorned will be on the cards and he will thoroughly deserve it. Keith can lead Newinn Yolo who has abundant pace but showed a rare glimpse of frailty when he would not go past Eric Court in his semi-final at 1/4 (in a fast time admittedly), and can then get after Finas in front. Eric Court is a huge danger if he improves his consistency at the start as he is undoubtedly a very fast colleague of mine but he is about the right price to repeat his semi-final near-miracle. Bua Farah can remarkably run in the BAGS Track Championship after this (primarily against maiden/graded sorts) so dog knows what price he will be when he lines up against that level of colleague. Maum Legend has shown real guts and ability but whether he is quite a Category One performer yet is up for serious debate, especially with the class of Keith in the race.

Here are the recommendations:

21:04 – Wanted – 1 rump steak @ 7/2

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 with all the vigour that I will be barking at my television screen if Keith turns second this evening. He should be too classy for even these rivals, he should be too swift.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

It’s been a fantastic few weeks for the Lolly Faithful and with our two paws clutching 10/1 tickets on the favourite for tonight’s final on Sky Sports 2, it could be a night that we are dining in style. Candlelight King is the colleague in question and whilst I’ll bark about the race in greater detail later, he has a real favourite’s chance of landing the spoils and the doggie treats for us! The supporting card is an intriguing one and as ever with Sheffield’s graded strength being so strong, the value is normally with the locals around their Owlerton Stadium circuit. Disappointingly, it seems the track will be on the ludicrously quick side again this evening as is the norm for Sky cards these days which is a shame for my stronger colleagues as they are not given a fair chance on the biggest stage of them all. That barked, I think those pesky bookmakers are still woefully underestimating front-runners on these Sky Sports nights and with that in mind, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Stayers

An intriguing affair awaits us in this first contest as there has been a significant gamble on Mottos Mixer who has not been over a trip like this before, yet has shown running on tendencies when fancied over the standard distance around here. He very well may prove too quick for these as he is likely to lead on the first circuit and use the ground to his advantage, but the impressive in-form bitch Droopys Gigi looks the value call if there are any chinks in the overcoat of the gamble. Adoremus is pawly drawn and because he likes to lead and doesn’t quite get the trip it is hard to see him scoring. Lowgate Jasper was very disappointing when well-fancied last time out and it would take a leap of faith to back him with the pace of 4 and 5 inside looking to move out. Tambourine Man is a confidence dog who should be feared if he leads at any point, which is highly doubtful in his current mood.

19:49 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and whilst he is not the best drawn and will need further in time, Final Hawk looks a very impressive youngster who could have a real tinge of class. He has a pawchant for the rail which could hinder him if Saffrons Anna comes away well from 1, but she should be clear of Hawk and he can hunt her down. He is 4 from 5 over the course and distance and was very eyecatching in defeat in his last effort in front of the cameras. Billys Bullet is another who will need a trip but with question marks over Anna’s stamina in one (and her temperament after last week’s naughty antics), at least one of Hawk and Bullet can catch her. I think the former has the most potential and so he is preferred.

20:04 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here and what a prospect it is! As ever, if any of these sprinters get an absolute flier it will be all over but they are all pretty consistent trappers so the draw becomes crucial. Bowtime Fella is perhaps not as wide as some humans believe (runs wide at the bends rather than straights for me) and so United Leeds can continue his purple patch by passing his toughest test for a while. He is a reliable pinger who also runs off at the bend but he can assert over Fella and then shove his fellow colleagues out of the way in a decisive move at the first. Pinpoint Finas has yet to fully convince in race conditions and looks an early-paced dog over the standard trip as opposed to a natural sprinter (despite his track-record trial) and Mustang Blitz might quite not be the standard to win a high class affair like this. Cluxtons Free is no mug on his day but he is so erratic that he is about the right price. United leeds them home here with a brave first bend.

20:19 – Marathon

Sadly, this has turned from a race that I wanted to get my beloved doggie treats involved into a procession for Fearsome Liberty. The withdrawals of back-to-form Aayamzabella and the progressive Melodys Rumble have made the favourite unopposable; whether she stays this trip these days is a worry for those who like a short-priced supposed good thing.

20:34 – Standard

Farloe Striker continues to show great early around his home circuit but also continues to get beaten (1 win in 12 stars) when he is fancied so he is well worth taking on here, especially out of the 1 box that isn’t the most reliable at this circuit. Sailor Jerry’s form is standing up to the highest scrutiny as he has been pinging like me with consistency, had no chance of leading Conna Trigger (joint favourite for the feature) when eliminated from the Steel City Cup, and so he can gain compensation for his exit by making-all here out wide. Slippery Sooty has just not been the same dog that got to the 2013 Irish Derby Semi-Final since being on these shores and his regressive profile is a positive for Jerry having a complete solo. Lowgate Rock has been putting in some peculiar performances of late and looks like he needs a rest in my dog’s honest opinion.

20:49 – Bitches

I love watching a classy bitch and in traps 1, 2 and 3 we have some nice pinging ladies who could all steal a march on their rivals. More likely to me, however, is that Catrigg Croft is pawly drawn next to the straight-up, but railing Domino Storm, and Chevy Blazer is a lovely pinger who will definitely be looking to grab the rails. With all that in mind, Flandys First looks nice value to come out of the 6 box well and clear the trouble to build an unassailable lead.

21:04 – Standard

There are lots of question marks over the front of the market here (to put it lightly) and a surprise looks like it’s really on the cards. 2013 Derby hero Sidaz Jack staying 500m is about as likely as me taking less than 7 naps a day and Pay Freeze has been struggling to run the bends when he is surrounded by dogs these days. Either of those could prove me very wrong but I cannot have either of them and so it is between McGiolla and Bar Monroe for the value here. McGiolla runs on but arguably is seen to best effect when leading and due to that, I can see Monroe turning about 3rd or 4th here to Jack/Freeze and overhauling them round the final turns (has won over 575m at Romford). Blonde Razor likes to get on the bunny and he will probably be tapped for early toe by Jack at least and it is hard to make a case for Sacramento at half the price of Bar Monroe: Monroe is too big.

21:19 – Steel City Cup Final

Conna Trigger has been blazing a trail against classy sorts for a while now and if there is significant trouble behind, he will deserve this final. The fact is he is more of a Derby dog (over 480m) than a 500m sort as he doesn’t quite get home so at his price, it is hard to make a value case for him as this is a very good final. The Category One winner in the form of Viking Jack can never be ruled out and has a great draw to work from if turning in the slipstream of Trigger as he comfortably gets this trip, strongly if anything. Underground Paul and Droopys Norris don’t quite have the early to lead these but their middle pace is powerful and if turning handy they could get involved; middle pace is not the asset you need around Sheffield with it’s short back straight, however. Kildare Premier could spoil the doggie treat party for the Lolly Faithful if pinging and taking the room of his kennelmate but Candlelight King is irresistible around here and deserves to win a big tournament at his home circuit. Unlike some, he doesn’t mind the 1 box here and if he can clear Premier (which he is more than capable of doing), he can get after Trigger and overtake him in the final strides in a repeat of his Semi-Final performance. He will need a clear run to overhaul Trigger, but the King is the best dog around here and he can show that tonight.

Here are the recommendations:

Candlelight King to win the Steel City Cup – 1 dog bone @ 10/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I promise to bark with all the enthusiasm that I will be showing when I hail the King this evening! It should be an intriguing night’s action and with the track set to be fast, I expect a good night for the Lolly Faithful, especially when we follow the two word rule at Sheffield: all hail.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

It’s been a cracking few weeks for the Lolly Faithful and with a mouthwatering card this evening to get stuck into I am salivating more than with a pork scratching in my mouth! Yarmouth is a track to follow the Charlie Lister runners (where isn’t?) but with his tremendous record of 11 wins in the East Anglian Derby he bids to make it an historic 12th triumph round this tight but competitive circuit. With the standard trip being on the shorter side of a true four bends, this circuit often favours the speedsters who ping like me and set a target for the others to chase. It is not solely a front-runners track, but the way the Sky cards have been going this year with ludicrously quick running surfaces (for reasons unbeknownst to humans and us dogs alike) we will be focusing on who can make the bend in a prominent position at least this evening. It looks a great punting card to throw a few doggie treats at and as ever, I have found plenty of value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Dogs

The real boys grind it out here in a battle of masculinity and a battle it looks on pawper with the draw not being in favour for any of the three inside runners. Bills Heartbeat has been off the track for a while but showed good speed prior to whatever niggle he has had and can pace up to put pressure on the enigmatic Guinness Spark and the rails-loving (and also long-absentee) Golden Wonder. Wonder was ludicrously inclined to the rails as a young tyke and whilst he has grown out of his pawchant for the paint somewhat, being off the card for a while could result in him returning to his ill-fated ways when drawn middle. That all leads to there being a surprise on the cards here in my dog’s honest opinion and that comes in the form of the quietly impressive King Grant in trap 6. He has shown great early zest around Romford of late (a real front runners circuit) and he can lead the outside here and set a solid benchmark of 28:30 with which the others will not be getting to if there is the expected trouble on the inside. Grant can make-all here for a much deserved victory.

19:49 – Marathon

Hardly the most inspiring of the ludicrous distance type of race here and one wonders how everyone’s favourite race is on before the Sky cameras (at 19:16) and this race has made the cut. Nevertheless, front-runners are the name of the game this evening and whilst Crazy Weasley with a clear run will pick these up with consummate ease, he has not had a look at the track and will be likely to find a bit of trouble on his way round. Unscathed he walks this but a tentative vote goes to likely leader Toosey Beannie to establish a big enough lead on a quick circuit to just about stay this trip, which she struggles to get in normal circumstances.

20:04 – Bitches

This is the race I’ll be on the edge of my sofa for and it has an intriguing make-up to it. Jaytee China is the class act and a lovely trial here last shows she runs the circuit but she has the reliable pinger in Franks Dream on her outside and the early-pace of Aero Babooshka on her inner. She is not value to cheat this draw but with Babooshka tending to nap in the traps more than I nap on my sofa, the vote still goes to China to make the bend and prove to classy for these.

20:19 – Dogs

Another macho display here could see a similarly chaotic affair on the inside. Jaytee Hawaii showed some of the best early out of any of my colleagues in the Derby and will be looking to move middle (although interestingly he won from 1 in the heats of today’s finale) whereas Cathys Clown is a natural railer who loathed being out wide in this year’s East Anglian Derby. Those two have similar early up to the bend for me and with Sidaz Jonathan not completely devoid, trouble at the first bend looks likely. With that in mind, the two local runners in Beaming Javier and Frettenham Flyer look to be the value in the race to me. Preference is for the former based on him beind drawn inside his rival and the fact he probably has a length on him to the bend on recent form which means he can assert on the outside (4 will be moving in) and swoop round to put his decent, consistent A1 sort of time to good effect.

20:34 – Marathon

A much classier marathon here but still one with question marks over a lot of the runners and with his chances of leading looking extremely high, Art Banksy looks a good bet here to get on the bunny and not be for passing. He set the track record over a longer trip at Nottingham when he got loose and this sort of distance is just about his optimum. Aayamzabella is in her favourite trap and whilst her record is 3 from 5 here, she has not won this calendar year (21 starts) and although she is very draw dependent, it is now starting to feel like she has lost her desire to catch that elusive hare. Melodys Rumble is in the best form of his career but can’t give Banksy too much of a head-start and Aero Flamingo is an in-and-out sort of bitch. She could surprise but there is little to be surprised about in Musical Fawn who looks like she needs 2000m, let alone 843m. The writing will be on the wall for Banksy’s competitors a long way out here.

20:49 – Standard

Any Dak was absolutely desperate not to make the bend as he was eliminated from defending his East Anglian Derby title and he can show what a class act he is around his favourite track here. With little early inside him in 4 and 5 he can be high, wide and not-so-handsome-as-me as he powers clear off the second bend. Ballygibbon King is fast on the bunny and whilst he will like trap 3, Snappers Lad has been pinging like me of late and will be moving middle from his berth. This potentially gives Mays King a lovely run up the inside but he looks plenty short enough given his inconsistent efforts.

21:04 – Stayers

An intriguing stayers race here can go the way of the in-form Black Francis who is unbeaten over this course and distance (admittedly from just 2 starts). He has the pace to lead this field along the rails and not be for catching, especially if Farley Rio is still running below par following his exertions in the Irish Derby. Rio just hasn’t quite had his usual early zest in his races since returning from a solid effort at Shelbourne Park and whilst he ran on gallantly at Romford on Friday behind the game-on-the-bunny Blonde Razor, he is a dog seen to best effect when he is leading. He should stay if he leads but I can see Francis turning in front of him this evening. Stainless Steel runs well on tight tracks but often needs luck in-running and local Tyrur Andy could prove to run better than his odds if he can produce one of his better starts. When all is barked and done, on an expected fast surface, Francis to make-all here.

21:19 – East Anglian Derby Final

This final with 6 railers looks like absolute chaos and needless to bark if one of these gets a flier and leads, they will surely go on to claim this coveted prize. Based on the draw and a level break, Rio Quattro is not ideally berthed as a middle sort of dog, Southern Mesut definitely prefers the middle and should be seeded accordingly and 2013 English Derby hero Sidaz Jack loves the rails and shows his best from traps 1 and 2. With Domino Storm not out of this as she has won a valuable race at Monmore from 5 and goes up straight and Swift Keith expected to be completely dumbfounded with his draw out wide, the value call is the outside in Forest Gavin. He is undoubtedly as quick as these on his day (he caught Southern Mesut in the heats) and whilst his early isn’t in the same league as some of these, his draw could prove crucial and he loves to ping out of trap 4. His human, Kevin Hutton, was at dismay at his draw so connections must feel he wants the rail more than I do but they often trial him solo from traps 4 and 1 to get him used to coming out of different positions. That has led to some of his best performances coming from the coffin box with 3 of his 4 efforts out of the trap producing a “Quick-Away” comment from the human that nobody sees upstairs. He will have to do a lot of things right and get a bit of fortune on the way, but he is no 16/1 chance with his make-up, ability and efforts from trap 4 in the past.

Here are the recommendations:

21:04 – Black Francis – 1 dog bone @ 11/4

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I promise to bark back with even more masculinity than the dogs will show in their races tonight! It should be a cracking night in East Anglia this evening and let’s hope the popular dog Any Dak gets some consolation for his desperately unfortunate attempt to retain his East Anglian crown.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy