Well it was not the best start for Team Lolly as we lost some of our pawtfolio in the 1st Round, but the performances of the 3 that remain were at least encouraging. The 2nd Round is notoriously fraught with danger from a tipping perspective as I think too much emphasis is placed on 1 race form that we all saw last week. With that barked, there were some useful clues on how my unexposed Irish colleagues are going to run on these shores and with an intriguing card lined up today, the greatest month in greyhound racing rolls on. As ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

20:42 – Heat 1

Farloe Calvin blasted clear on the fast going last week and if the ground is as anticipated and still on the quick side for the early races, he can bolt up here. His early acceleration had me bouncing up and down on the sofa as I reminisced of my glory days and with Salad Dodger on his inside, he can pace up and put this race to his doggie bed. Newlawn Impact ran creditably in the 1st Round having found trouble and would be a danger if he suddenly remembered how good he was as a puppy, but his form has a seriously regressive profile about it now. The aforementioned Salad Dodger will be running on and is a credit to himself for rising so steeply since his lowly A6 days and Gizmo Classic looks the type to stick around for at least the next week or so.

20:58 – Heat 2

My ears were pricked on full alert when I heard about the seeding of Hather George from rails to middle for this tournament (has ran as a middle dog his entire career) and when he got trap 1 in the 1st Round many were dreading the outcome of him impeding others. Apparently showing that the greatest human of all-time, Charlie Lister OBE, knows a thing or two about us mutts, George coped admirably with the red box and can do so again today to go one better and win. He is yet to taste success over the course and distance but he has a lovely chance here with him being able to match the early strides of Millwards Joker and then get after the trail-blazer that is likely to be Brosna King. Jet Stream Duke had a charmed run in the 1st Round and will have to be on his toes this time around and Rayvin Lad flatters to deceive in my dog’s honest opinion. George is as game as they come and can finally win a heat of the Derby in his 3rd year of trying.

21:15 – Heat 3

This is a heat that will take some winning and whilst Ballymac Niall is likely to lead, I doubt he will be able to hold off all-comers as he did last week. Jaytee Seville was a naughty boy when chasing (literally) down Ballymac Vic in the 1st Round and whilst he has pace to burn, I would prefer to back a dog who has his eyes on the prize. Take The Crown ran a shocking first bend last week and whilst he is likely to be more suited to trap 4 than 1, I think he is now drawn too far out as he definitely likes to rail. With all that in mind, it is worth siding with one of the gambles of the first round in Thatchers Champ who has always shown lovely gears. If he can clear the fast bitch in Brinkleys Queen by the halfway point, he can then pick off his rivals one by one as this looks like a scrappy affair to me.

21:32 – Heat 4

The barking dog of this heat is Leameneigh Turbo who was desperately unlucky not to clear Crokers Champ at the bend in the 1st Round: that would have been impressive. Yet, he might have another hard luck story here against the unbeaten in England, Ballygibbon King, whose performance in the first round has gone under the radar for me as he was the winner of the heat of death. As he showed a lovely turn of paw to be up with Coolavanny Bert in that race, most humans were watching to see how the likes of Droopys Odell, Farloe Nutter and Sidarian Blaze were faring, due to their prominence in the antepost market. Whilst all that was going on, King had drawn clear down the back straight and showed that if he can lead or turn handy, he will be hard to knock out of this tournament. Even if Turbo can get to the bend ahead of him, he seemed to fall in a hole on the run-in last week and whilst he is likely to come on from that leaps and bounds, King can punish any chinks in Turbo’s staying capabilities. Bubbly Gold ran very well last week considering it was his first look at the Plough Lane circuit, yet his style will always need luck in-running and the two wide drawn dogs here look useful types.

21:48 – Heat 5

Aero Nemesis confirmed the confidence his human has in him in scintillating fashion and it is worth siding with him now he has that experience under his collar. He showed a brilliant turn of paw to make the bend in the 1st Round and whilst he will have to do the same again to lead the useful bitch Greenwell Lark, Nemesis has looked a powerhouse since clocking a remarkable trial time at Romford (sub-24 seconds). Airport Captain ran well enough in defeat but he is a dog who likes to be leading and it is hard to envisage how he can do so here.

22:03 – Heat 6

The final addition to Team Lolly runs here in Sidarian Teejay. He is yet to run a bad race in his career and his only defeat came at the paws of King Dec (by a head) who is making that form look stronger by the race. Teejay is not devoid of early, has a ping in him and has devastating back straight pace. He will face tougher assignments than this.

22:18 – Heat 7

Another member of Team Lolly goes here in Graduation Day who ran a creditable second in his heat last week. Southern Mesut is likely to blaze a trail here but he was not at his scintillating best to the halfway point considering his sprinting prowess and he will need to be right on his game to beat the Irish raider here in Day. He has shown that he has taken to Wimbledon well and if he can remain fit, Graduation Day can go deep in this tournament: he can show why here.

22:35 – Heat 8

It was an incredible effort from Jimmy to nearly rein in Farloe Calvin on the fast-going this week and the new antepost favourite in places, can lead this field by halfway. Holdem Spy is quite simply awesome and whilst there is a long way to go, it is hard to see how he gets knocked out barring being knocked over. Mileheight Alba has performed appawllingly every time he has been drawn in 5, sadly.

Here are the recommendations:

22:18 – Graduation Day – 1 chewstick @ 3/1

So there are my thoughts on the first night of the Second Round. As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I’ll bark back at you faster than Farloe Calvin makes the first bend today. The 1st Round showed that there will be plenty of shocks and hard luck stories in this Derby, let’s hope they go in favour of Team Lolly and in particular, Jimmy. Go get them, Spy.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

Well what a dramatic couple of days we have had already! The antepost market has been ripped wide open with market principles failing at the first hurdle with remarkable consistency. Whilst the Derby should be a gruelling test from round 1, I cannot help but feel that the going is too fast which has factored in to so many of my fancied colleagues exiting our greatest competition. It seems to me on this track at the moment that unless you lead, it is almost impossible to come from off the pace to win. In my dog’s honest opinion I think I could have won a round on this surface! With Team Lolly now sadly reduced to 3 hounds, we have 2 of them making their bow wow tonight with Graduation Day and Vanrooney: let’s hope they make it through! Elsewhere, after a successful night yesterday, I have found some more value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:25 – Heat 24

A fairly low key affair to kick us off here and the battle for early supremacy looks to go to the way of proven stayer Jet Steam Duke. Salad Dodger has come a long way since losing in A6’s at the start of his career but his style will not be suited if the track is running like it has done for the past two nights, which it will be.

19:39 – Heat 25

This looks like a penalty kick in a game of pawball for Fiery Splendour with no dog on his outside and Droopys Pride wanting the rails. He should blaze a trail here.

19:54 – Heat 26

It is worth taking a slight chance on the fitness of Graduation Day here who hasn’t ran since November. Blighted by injuries throughout his career, he has a lovely turn of foot and is a powerful galloper from in front or behind. If Day can lead the unknown quantity of my Hungarian colleague Attila, he will take some catching. Ballymac Matthew has to lead and is more than capable after watching his brother (Ballymac Niall) ping out yesterday but Day can be too powerful for him. Screen Critic is a class act but his injuries are career defining and he looks like he feels his way around the bends these days, sadly.

20:10 – Heat 27

This time last year Laughil George pinged from nowhere to take his first round heat and he is strongly fancied to repeat the does here with no early pace in the race whatsoever. Bubbly Gold is clearly quick and talented but with no trial and conditions against him, is hard to fancy. Islas Scolari is never out of a race, but will have to work wonders to pick up George.

20:26 – Heat 28

Airport Captain is a very fast hound on the bunny and if he can hold his pitch to the turn against the useful Priceless Bolt, he can start his campaign off in style for a dog that has been slowly nibbled at antepost. Mr Marmite has shown lovely early at Henlow and if he can translate that to the Plough Lane circuit, he could be a lively outsider here.

20:42 – Heat 29

Mark Wallis believes he’s got a Derby contender in Aero Nemesis and who could argue with the human who guided Blonde Snapper and Kinda Ready to Derby glory in recent years. He will have to be on his paws to beat these as Newlawn Impact has some stunning Irish form and Hather George was simply brilliant in last year’s Derby; question marks hang over that pair though (fully fit/age) and Nemesis can lead them all a merry dance.

20:58 – Heat 30

One of the barking dogs of the Derby lines up here in Swift Keith but with some good pace on his inside, and him not ideally berthed in trap 4, we could see another shock here. Leameneigh Turbo when right has beaten and mixed it with the best in Ireland and with a nice draw next to the erratic trapping of Greenwell Mentor, he can swoop round the outside of any trouble and not be for catching.

21:15 – Heat 31

Whether Ballymac Vic will ever claim a Classic which so many humans believe he deserves after bad draws and injuries is neither here nor there tonight; he will blow these away. The only danger could come in the form of Calzaghe George who has pace, but connections cannot be happy with Vic next to him.

21:32 – Heat 32

Hardly the most inspiring affair here but Swithins Way has some half decent formlines and can account for these. Razldazl Butch runs the track well over hurdles but has lost his way recently and Zero Two will have to be at her very best to cope against the big dogs.

21:48 – Heat 33

Borneo comes from a very decent litter and has shown in Ireland that he has pace to burn when given racing room. Underground Paul is likely to give him a start and that could be that. Express Max is a live danger as he is clearly blessed with a lot of pace, but it is hard to see Borneo getting picked up if he gains his anticipated cheap lead.

22:03 – Heat 34

Sidarian Teejay was desperately unlucky to be withdrawn from the Puppy Derby over course and distance due to injury and after being nursed back for this tournament expertly by his humans, he has flown round in preparatory trials. Themoponspeed is no mug, however, having landed some nice prizes as Catunda Joe in Ireland. It would be a great story around the kennels if Teejay could go deep in this Derby, and he will have to be able to beat dogs of the calibre of Themoponspeed to do so. Intriguing contest, this.

22:18 – Heat 35

This will be interesting to see as Vanrooney on a normal surface would hack up here but will he be able to get to the early-paced merchants? Blonde Razor has good early over a longer trip and may be able to pinch a lead here over kennel-mate Benkaat Nero who has had his setbacks. Vanrooney is the type to ignore at your peril, from anywhere.

22:35 – Heat 36

The final race of this mammoth first round – phew! In it, we have the Irish contingent of Tarbrook Taetoe and Brick Lane vying for favouritism but they could do each other no favours at all. With that in mind, it is worth backing Kerris Hawk to produce one of his fliers and repeat his encouraging trial.

Here are the recommendations:

22:35 – Kerris Hawk – 1 core of apple @ 7/2

So there we are, when it is all barked and done that will be the end of the first round of the Derby! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to bark back with as much enthusiasm as I will be showing if Vanrooney and Graduation Day qualify tonight! On a night that promises lots of drama, away you go Vic.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

Well it wasn’t the start to the Derby that the Lolly Faithful were looking for yesterday but there is plenty more action over the next month to make amends and the run of Holdem Spy was of great encouragement for us. It was of particular note that front-runners (on the inside especially) had it all their own way yesterday and whilst I am not at the luxury (even though I am on my sofa) to react to the going because this is a preview, I suspect front-runners to go well again tonight. This round of heats look an intriguing set of races and all eyes will be on Heat 20 where the big gamble and antepost favourite Kereight King begins his campaign. Elsewhere, we have one antepost runner in De Real McCoy who will hopefully qualify and as ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful from the rest of the card:

19:39 – Heat 12

Droopys Ward is progressing nicely into a strong galloping sort and having gone well in a trials stakes here against some classy hounds, he can build on his 2 from 2 wins record out of trap 1. As I barked earlier I want to be on front-runners this evening and that comes in the shape of Boom Boom Hero, but I feel that Ward has a good enough run next to the Hall Green A1 dog (Caribbean Star) to be able to get a run at my colleague in 4. If Boom Boom Hero wins, beware of the track conditions as Ward should have too much pace and ability with a clear run in my dog’s honest opinion.

19:54 – Heat 13

Here we have some unexposed sorts against a classy performer around here in Bubbly Rocket. Whilst the Rocket is always one to consider around this track having gone so well from the front in last year’s Derby, he is a mid-rails sort who will be desperate to come in from trap 6. In his only career start he did win from 6, but that was not against Derby dogs and he was afforded a cheap lead on the inner. With that in mind, he is passable in favour of a dog who could be anything: Take The Crown. This highly-regarded Perry Barr raider has been beating average sorts with consummate ease in the Midlands and stepping up in class today could be the making of him. If he is not up to it, Barefoot Agent will not need a second invitation having looked so powerful and cute against Jolly Bullseye when he backed off at the 3rd when Bullseye slammed the door shut on his nose at the third bend last week. The value has to be with Take The Crown who is capable of being a bit special.

20:10 – Heat 14

A front-runner who will not give his lead in easily is Ballymac Bobbyjo who was admirable in the Monmore Puppy Derby when he poached a lead on the eventual winner, Farloe Nutter. Leading Nutter is no mean feat and Bobbyjo can assert against this field. One of the barking dogs of this tournament is Paradise Silva but he gets beat all too frequently at short odds to be recommended here; worthy favourite though he is, Bobbyjo takes a lot of catching, especially on the anticipated going.

20:26 – Heat 15

Jolly Bullseye warmed up for his tilt at our greatest prize by blitzing out in trademark fashion and doing his all to repel the aforementioned Barefoot Agent. He should come on for that run and he has the ability to poach a lead and not be for catching against another of the same prefix in Barefoot Scholar. Scholar was rated more highly than Agent before the tournament having clearly been impressive behind closed-doors, but he has looked a little too green being such a young, inexperienced type and the grand servant that Bullseye is, is value to lead and repel all-comers here. Express Master clearly has ability but injuries may have taken their toll; his big presence will not do Scholar any favours at all, however.

20:42 – Heat 16

Greenwell Lark is hardly ideally berthed in trap 4 for a wide bitch but it is hard to make a case for any of her rivals being good enough or well-drawn enough to beat her here. Without any real pace on her outside, she can quickly get to the front on the wide and then pick off any dogs that may have slipped her paw grasp on the inner.

20:58 – Heat 17

Exocet is clearly a very fast colleague of mine and will take all the beating if he brings his A-game to work here, but he is yet to win this year (from 4 starts) having been sent of 5/4, 6/4, 9/4 and Evens. With that in mind, he is worth taking on until he shows his confidence has been restored and he will have to be on his paws to match the early of ex-Irish Ballymac Niall. Bred to be a sprinter, Niall has shown a liking for the run-up at Wimbledon and will relish the ground if it is as quick as yesterday.

21:15 – Heat 18

The Heat of Death, so to bark here, with heavyweights Droopys Odell and Sidarian Blaze being the meat in the juicy sandwich of the old-timer Coolavanny Bert (3rd in Derby 2012) and young tyke Farloe Nutter. I just cannot see how there will not be trouble in this as Bert is a reliable pinger and a big old dog. Odell could clear him with an absolute flier, but he is hardly renowned for scintillating early even if he has been pinging a lot better of late. Farloe Nutter is unlucky with his draw as he has the potential to be a useful dog but his role could be more in perturbing Sidarian Blaze, who did not like it out of 4 at all at Sheffield and has looked like he doesn’t like dogs leading him. Of course, like any of these inside 4 he could get an absolute flier but that is hardly comforting at his odds and with the unexposed, unbeaten in England Ballygibbon King looking like he wants the rails too, this could be chaos. That could set the race up for Ballymac Bocko who has disappointed since his debut couple of runs but definitely has the pace to at least be up near to these should it turn into a scrappy affair and he is drawn to outrun his odds.

21:32 – Heat 19

Here we have our outsider of Team Lolly running in De Real McCoy. He has a good opportunity to lead here with Lemon Laveer dropping out and Johnny Kwango normally saving his best for trials (although that best is very fast). McCoy is under the radar for me and if he can put in a solid set of runs (which he struggles to do, admittedly), he can run well in this year’s Derby: it starts here.

21:48 – Heat 20

The Antepost gamble Kereight King will go off a warm order here and if he can trap better than he has done around Wimbledon, he is sure to go close with his ability. Tonight, however, he meets a rapidly improving, pinger of a dog in Brother John who is beginning to show more consistency at the boxes, which is crucial for him. If he can pinch a lead, he will be hard to reel back and whilst King can qualify, John is the value to beat him.

22:03 – Heat 21

One of the few genuine sprinters runs here in Southern Mesut and if he can confirm his stamina (which Charlie Lister OBE believes he can), he will go deep in this year’s Derby. His scintillating early will be a devastating weapon and he can make all here from the erratic King Dec and the well-drawn but stamina doubtful Borna Karma.

22:18 – Heat 22

Airfield Paudie has held a prominent position in the Antepost market without actually really doing anything and whilst he could be a very good dog, I am yet to be convinced without seeing him run around Wimbledon. Farley Champ brings decent puppy form to the table here and he has the ability to lead and assert if Paudie is not quite as talented as some believe.

22:35 – Heat 23

An intriguing affair to end the evening here and whilst Candlelight King is a tenacious sort from Sheffield, he has yet to prove himself effective elsewhere. El Flutter is arguably Mark Wallis’ best hope to regain his Derby crown that he won with Blonde Snapper two years ago and has enough all-round ability to win this concluding race. Gizmo Classic is a strong sort who is of interest given his style of running.

Here are the recommendations:

10:03 – Southern Mesut – 1 chewstick @ 7/4

So there are my thoughts on Day 2 of the proceedings. As ever, if you have any comments please tweet me and I’ll bark back at you faster than Southern Mesut makes the bend this evening! It should be another cracking night of racing and let’s hope De Real McCoy is de real deal.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

So here we are, the English Derby is upon us! With such a deep and classy entry of my colleagues, it is sure to provide us with great entertainment over the next month and hopefully, plenty of doggie treats for the Lolly Faithful. Team Lolly has been assembled to try and claim that winner’s jacket on the 31st May and we have 4 of our antepost team running this evening. Hopefully it will be a successful night for them and as ever, I have found some value in the racing:

19:39 – Heat 1

We don’t have to wait too long before the first of Team Lolly struts his stuff and here, Lough Messi can show his scintillating pace to the bend to make-all. He is in fine fettle and will have enough gears to hold 2013 finalist Bittles Bar at the bend. Westmead Alexis is fast-away but is stepping up in class and Melodys Gamble will almost certainly leave it too late.

19:54 – Heat 2

Scarface produced a staggering run in the First Round of the Monmore Puppy Derby but has had a lot of problems in-running since and I can’t justify why he is so short. The 2 Hall Green raiders of Cu Na Mianta and Supreme Turbo will probably hinder each other’s chances as both have similar pace to the bend. All of that considered, this looks a great race for the Irish to land the spoils in El Domingo who should be afforded plenty of room, particularly if Scarface misses the break, and Domingo looks a sort to last for a while in this Derby.

20:10 – Heat 3

In a race full of early, the draw is crucial and the best drawn dog out of these is Hipower Bucko who is in ominous form. He can lead Reel Trickyone to the bend and it is hard to see how Kippers Usain can get a clear run unless he gets an absolute flier: he is worth taking on with Bucko at the prices.

20:26 – Heat 4

Much has been barked about Pay Freeze and a potential bruising problem but he can allay those fears here by making it 19 wins from 23 starts. I have waxed lyrical about him in my antepost pawtfolio so I won’t bark anymore about him but if he is fit, he can leave these standing still. Pinpoint Finas takes a marked step up in class and will have to be paw perfect and Kielduff Blitz seems to get lost around this circuit. Droopys Norris saves his best for trials, sadly.

20:42 – Heat 5

The Puppy Derby winner over course and distance has a lovely run here in Bubbly Beauty and she can ping out to poach an unassailable lead. Brosna King has lovely early but his role will primarily be stopping the pacey but frustrating Rayvin Lad out wide. Beauty doesn’t need a second invitation round here.

20:58 – Heat 6

Reigning champion Sidaz Jack starts his campaign here for Team Lolly and he has a great draw and therefore no excuses. He has raced this year unspectacularly but he seemed to hit the 3rd bend when challenging last time out, putting paid to his chances, and he can show that if he can improve through the tournament like he did last year, he will take the world of beating. Ecclestone paced up well in his trial stakes but can often be left at the start and find unneccesary trouble: not for me at the price.

21:15 – Heat 7

This is an intriguing affair with Irish form providing a real puzzle. Mind The Net could hardly have been more impressive in success and defeat in the Scottish Derby and after a satisfactory trial, he can be a gutsy winner here. European King and General Wolf have decent early but will have to secure clear passages as drawn. Forest Gavin has had the Derby come too soon for the young tyke, in my dog’s honest opinion.

21:32 – Heat 8

Jordans Brianna is unbeaten out of trap 1 and after connections are confident that his tumble will not have affected his mind set, he can make all here. Calzaghe Jack has not had a look which is a huge concern for an in-and-out sort like him and Airlie Impact, however sad, is simply not the force he was when he came 2nd in the Derby last year: he can qualify though.

21:48 – Heat 9

Mileheight Alba is a draw dependant colleague of mine and especially now the early of Son of Delboy is not in the race, he can assert on the rails and set Roxholme Ted a serious challenge. Ted did not like coming out of trap 4 at all at Monmore and Alba will have too much class for him if he shows any chinks in his armour when not drawn in 6. Buoy Johnny has pace but struggles to find a suitable distance, his presence can further hinder Ted however.

22:03 – Heat 10

The English Derby Semi-Finalist last year and Scottish Derby victor this year lines up in the form of the ever-likeable: Holdem Spy. Jimmy, as he is known, not only has a great name but has a great temperament for his work and he can account for a useful field here. The early of Farloe Calvin and Jaytee Lightning will set Jimmy a target, but he has picked up faster dogs than those in his career.

22:18 – Heat 11

Whenever Garryglass Rodge is drawn outside of his colleagues, they should be wary and out in 4 here he could cause chaos, again. Sidaz Pedro and Metro Jack will really have to be on their paws to slip clear of him and with that in mind, attention should be focussed on the wide drawn dogs. Farloe Trent has been supported but can miss the break on occasion and because of that, the value is for Viking Jack to outrun his price and show the pace he has shown glimpses of in his fledgling career.

Here are the recommendations

22:18 – Viking Jack – 1 rump steak @ 8/1

So there are my thoughts on the first night of our work’s greatest competition! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to bark back with the enthusiasm I will have when I see the hare moving for the first race! Team Lolly is ready to go and let’s hope the Lolly Faithful can be dining in style at the end of tonight and at the end of May.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

On a night where the Regency will be dominated by the greyhound superstar that is Farloe Tango, it’s a surprisingly competitive card at Hove considering how close it is to the Derby beginning. The Lolly Faithful will know that Hove is one of our regular haunts on a Thursday evening and with it’s long galloping straights and smooth bends, it makes it a really level playing field for my colleagues. Due to the regularity of Open racing at the track there are some real course specialists and with so much form for me to paw over, I’ve found some value for the Lolly Faithful, as ever:

19:34 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race to start the proceedings and it looks like a Category One final line-up! Arguably the four best sprinters in training go to the traps here and when there is this sort of quality clash, the draw is particularly crucial. The good draw has fallen upon Aero Twizzle who likes it out of trap 1 and will have the mid-to-wide moving Wee Tiger Tots (who is yet to break well from this close to the rail) setting the race up for him. Twizzle showed he was in good order when he defied a paw draw last week to win the sprint at Swindon and with a favourable position here, he can account for his esteemed rivals. They include Helenas Sailor who would much prefer to come out of trap 6, as would Zenas Boy and with so many dogs looking to course the hare on the outside here, the first bend could have a pile-up to gift Twizzle the race. Express Max looks a good prospect but has fared worst in the draw and Call Me Millie is capable of a flier, further adding to the expected chaos.

19:49 – Puppy

The youngsters have a go here and there are some nicely progressive types to take on the unbeaten over course and distance, Droopys Jarrow. Whilst he clearly loves it round this South Coast venue (5 from 5), he can all too often find trouble in his races by running into the back of dogs (not advised) and he can ill-afford to do that against this class of young tyke. Millwards Teddy was unfortunate not to win last week when showing his usual early to be denied his lead by a freak break from Bailiff Turbo and he can make amends for that defeat this evening. He is yet to come out of trap 5 in his career but with Ballymac Bocko not possessing his early pace and Benkaat Panther looking outclassed, Teddy can lead at the bend. Ballymac Loch has shown good early of late but is desperate for the line over this long 4 bend trip and his toiling in front on the rails could hinder the late challenges of Droopys Ward and Droopys Jarrow. Either of those latter two with a clear run will almost certainly back-run Teddy, but the race has the look to me of get out and go clear: Teddy can do that.

20:04 – Hurdles

Two very good obstacle jumpers line-up here and again, the draw proves decisive in selecting the winner in that Mash Mad Snowy will have a lovely run round the outside as Rummy Lord moves in to the rails. Razldazl Butch would give him a race with a clear but it is hard to see how that will happen with Scolari Express having good pace on his inside and the aforementioned Lord diving straight for him. Also, it is Snowy’s optimum distance as he stays strongly over a normal 4 bend trip so it is hard to envisage him not asserting if he can hold his jumping together.

20:19 – Bitches

I particularly like watching these bitches races and I’ll be on the edge of the sofa as they are paraded beforehand. One bitch I am particularly fond of is Droopys Posh who is versatile and simply adores it round here (7 wins from 9). She will have to ride her luck around the first 2 bends but if she can secure a clear passage, this circuit plays greatly to her galloping strengths to the extent that she once chased down Swift Keith around here (20/1 for the Derby). Express Coral is an in-and-out type of bitch to me which isn’t to everyone’s taste and the presence of early-paced merchant Alarming Jacks on her outside, could mean that those two put paid to their respective chances. Droopys Cottage is progressive but has yet to prove she can be a match for Posh when they meet around here.

20:34 – Stayers

Droopys Ed Moses has his critics due to the way he drops himself out to a ridiculous extent at the start of his races but it was hard to ignore him absolutely motoring in the second half of his race last week at Swindon. The fact there two early-paced bitches and no wide dogs in this race will help his cause (Universal Dream and Rockburst Liz with the early). There is no doubting his ability against this type of class, he could quite easily destroy them for pace when he decides to go. His style is very similar to that of the living legend Farloe Tango (who we have the pleasure of seeing later) and this race can give us an Appetiser of Bread and Water before the Main course of Chicken Breasts and Bread later.

20:49 – Marathon

This is an extremely long marathon even for marathon standards and for that reason, it is hard to back the favourite who has ran-on over the 6 bend trip here and flew to the pick up, but will she stay in race conditions? For that reason, Miss Understated is proven to stay and will take all of the beating if she can lead like she did for the Lolly Faithful when she won for this dog blog at 8/1 last week. She has taken a while to settle in England, clearly, but now she has her paws on the ground and is comfortable on her kennel bed, she has the pace and staying power to give Old Refrain a real target here. Will Old Refrain stay? Evens is not a price I would want to put my beloved doggie treats on that.

21:04 – Standard

Several Derby contenders are put through their paces at their preferred style of track (to Wimbledon) and it should be a fascinating contest between Droopys Odell and Exocet. The former, the Juvenile champion, has always gone for the rails whenever he can and I think that could be a problem this evening for him as Hipower Rhino is a reliable trapper on his inside with a decent turn of paw. If Exocet decides to turn up his brilliant best, which is hugely questionable, then he could make this a formality but he just seems to throw in too many lacklustre performances to be trusted at such a short price. He will also dive for the rails at the first bend as he cuts the corner and if he has not made the bend ahead of his rivals on his inside, this could spell trouble and for that reason it is worth taking a flier on the outsider of the field to sweep around the outside. Regal Bailio is a very frustrating sort who looks a Derby contender one week and then a grader the next; he has pace to burn when he is on a going day and whilst he would still struggle to match Odell or Exocet if they get clear, if there is the expected trouble, Bailio is the one to likely benefit. He has thrown up many a shock result in his career and he is not a 25/1 shot with the make-up of this race.

21:19 – Regency Final

With the unfortunate withdrawal of our antepost selection Fear Emoski due to an injury she sustained when she qualified last week, this race is all about one dog. He could even lead tonight by the second bend. What price that Farloe Tango breaks the long-standing track record at Hove tonight?

Here are the recommendations:

20:49 – Miss Understated – 1 breast of chicken @ 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 at you with as much enthusiasm as I’ll be howling in delight watching the mighty Tango tonight. He divides many, but in my dog’s honest opinion, he’s one of the greatest of all time: savour him.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

My colleagues line-up this evening with their Derby aspirations firmly in the back of their mind and whilst it is not a vintage renewal of The Arc, it has always been a good indicator for the Derby and in particular those in good form for the first few rounds. Shaneboy Alley won this competition around Swindon for the Lolly Faithful last year and whilst there did not appear any real value in the antepost market this time, there is one dog in the final this evening that appears far too big to my ever watchful eyes. Besides the big race, there is a competitive looking supporting card and as ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Bitches

Always nice to start with a mouth-watering contest that the bitches races present and here, I think it will be a battle for early supremacy on the inside. Droopys Cottage is in fine fettle and ran the track OK in a trial but crucially, the comment of “mid-wide” for that effort should be of huge concern to the bitch drawn immediately outside of her in Fairest Royal. Whilst either of those could skip clear, trouble on the run-up could present the race to the game Sharies Miller. She was a no-show in the Arc first round which is not hugely encouraging but Jolly Bullseye is a class act around here and she simply could not live with his early and then rather started thinking about her dog food later rather than chasing the bunny. With the draw in her favour, we can see her put up a much more sprited effort this evening and skip round on the inside to assert.

19:49 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here and what a fascinating contest it looks! A case could be made for all of these but in races like this, the draw can prove the deciding factor and in that regard, Zenas Boy is fancied to skip round the outside. Of course, any of these could get a flier and put the race to bed (as I did so often) but barring that, Skate On and Andlyns Asabat are reliable pingers and drawn the wrong way round which will also do the often slow-starting (for the grade) Aero Twizzle no favours. Brosna King took his chance last week and winning form should never be underestimated but I doubt he is quite up to this class and will have to produce a career best effort this evening to land the spoils. Witcombe Dilemma loves it at his home track but I’m unsure he has genuine 2-bend speed to be able to live with these highly esteemed colleague of mine. Zenas Boy did put in a disappointing effort in his first look at the track in a trial last week, but he is normally a reliable sort and can skip clear around the outside.

20:04 – Standard

This race had me spinning round on my sofa with excitement this morning when I saw the price of Garryglass Rodge and I haven’t stopped howling since. He is a class act out of trap 1, is in the similar type of form he was last spring when he dazzled some high class fields in the Derby and has a brilliant draw to work from with Melodys Midnight far from reliable at the boxes. Rodge has a never-say-die attitude which has led him to lead the likes of then-Derby favourite Ballymac Eske for 479m of the 480m at Wimbledon in the first round of the Derby last year before destroying a good field in the 2nd round from an unfavourable draw (out of 4). I also think that Swindon is a track that favours the railers and with the track expected to be running fast tonight (it has been fast all week), he will be very, very hard to catch. Ballycannon Hope is a fast dog but his trial of 28:29 around here looks out-of-place compared to his efforts in races and he will have to get luck in-running to feature as he is susceptible to missing the break and not being able to go with the faster starting hounds on the run-up. His effort may also be hindered by Guinness Spark who is an in-and-out sort but is a confirmed railer; whilst he has the pace to go close in this he is very inconsistent and will need a career best here to live with Rodge. El Domingo looked like he had never seen a greyhound track last week and whilst Paradise Malibu is a nice, game sort from Ireland, he cannot afford to give Rodge anywhere near the start he gave the field last week. Rodge to show his class here.

20:19 – Super Stayers

This race of performers over a ridiculous distance centres around Storm Pockets and whether she is the force of old: I think not. If she was she would win this by a long way but she just seems to me that she’d much prefer to be lay next to me on my sofa than chasing those pesky hares on the track. With that in mind that she won’t put her best paw forward, I am taking a chance that Miss Understated can reproduce her Irish form: if she does that she will win this. Swift Kennedy looks to have a strange pawtfolio of skills for a stayer so he is best swerved and it is hard to assess the three Poole raiders. Cashen Sarah looks like she has the measure of Francos Causeway at their home track but then Have A Think looks as though she can beat either of them on their day; basically, I think they are all about as good as each other so take your pick. That barked, Miss Understated was a class above these Poole raiders in Ireland and at the prices, she is the value.

20:34 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and in Forest Gavin we have an exciting prospect who has put in some very flashy times in trials and races. Yet, should he be as short as 6/4 against the more experienced dogs? I don’t think so. In his first effort here he got the first bend all wrong and whilst it did not cost him, against classier sorts like these tonight then he may just be found out. For instance, Millwards Teddy has a lovely turn of paw and also has a good draw to work from with Droopys Jarrow seemingly not knowing whether he wants the rails, middle, wide or to run the other side of the hare rail. Whilst Jarrow with a clear run is undoubtedly a very fast young tyke, I much prefer to rely on the consistent Teddy here to assert on the outside should Forest Gavin not handle the step up in class first time out. If Gavin gets on the bunny, there is only one winner in my eyes but Teddy is surely too big to skip clear and utilise his extra knowledge of his job.

20:49 – Super Standard

Two extremely high class performers line up here in Airport Captain and Droopys Odell. With the long run up to the bend and it being his perfect distance, preference is for the latter even though he would much prefer to be drawn inside his main rival here. It also has to be factored into the equation that Ericks Gav is no trap 1 dog and will be moving wide which all leads to this classy affair having a messy looking outcome to it. It is a shame there is not a stand out performer drawn wide of these three as they would have to come into the equation, but I just can’t see any of them being fast enough to cope with Captain or indeed, Odell.

21:04 – Stayers

This is a very intriguing affair with a lot of inconsistent sorts to try and assess. Joscar put in a good trial the other day yet he has failed to sparkle in races of late and so is passed over in favour of the brute, raw pace of Droopys Ed Moses. You have to have faith in Moses as he invariably drops himself to the back of any field before ploughing through them on the outside but on his day, he is very hard to contain. His presence gives Droopys Diop a great chance to lead the outside unopposed and he is a dangerous sort on the bunny but it is always hard to not consider Moses as he has the pace to go past the vast majority of dogs in training. Romantic Rambo save his best for Crayford and sadly disappoints on his travels.

21:19 – The Arc

I barked earlier that this is not a vintage renewal and whilst I hope my colleagues here go on to prove me wrong, it is certainly a race with intrigue following the sad withdrawal of Benkaat Nero due to injury. Sidaz Harris and All About Ya will be fighting it out on the rail and whilst the sectionals may prove to be telling (in that Harris should lead), I think All About Ya will give him a great battle for early supremacy and that could hinder boths chances. This should set the race up perfectly for Islas Scolari who will have the freedom of Wiltshire on the outside with Zero Two darting straight for the rails (she could also join that battle with the 1 and 2 dogs). Scolari is not renowned for his trapping but he has improved during this competition and that is dangerous for his rivals as he is such a strong sort. He can power up the back straight and continue his relentless galloping to victory.

So here are the recommendations:

20:04 – Garryglass Rodge – 3 doggie treats @ 2/1

20:34 – Millwards Teddy – 1 dog bone @ 3/1

21:19 – Islas Scolari – 2 pieces of bread @ 7/2

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 of the fervour that I displayed when I saw Rodge’s price this morning. It should be a cracking night and it should finish with the Lolly Faithful dining in style on doggie treats when Scolari hits the front in the last!

Recommendation:

De Real McCoy – 1/2 bowl of doggie food @ 200/1

Holdem Spy

The most unlucky colleague of mine to not reach the final of the Derby last year was Holdem Spy. It was agonising for the Lolly Faithful who had backed him at 80/1 (20/1 to reach the final) and with him returning in scintillating fashion last Saturday, he is value again.

After he had set the now-closed Coventry circuit alight at the start of 2013 with his trademark burst down the back-straight between the 2nd and 3rd bends, he took to Wimbledon magnificently last year when winning the 1st Round after showing his liking in a rapid trial.

That really got his supporters (including us) excited as he was no 80/1 shot in the Derby from thereon (cut to 33/1 after receiving a favourable draw in the 2nd Round). In that 2nd Round he met the unexposed, eventual finalist Screen Critic on his inside and had a great tussle with that determined rival. Going down a short-head to such a gutsy performer was by no means a disgrace and although criticised at the time by humans for perhaps having his own ideas, Critic’s exploits after that dispelled any suggestion that Jimmy (his nickname) had not tried to win that race in his best fashion.

Jimmy then went on to catch the very useful Arc winner, Shaneboy Alley, in the 3rd Round and gave Ballymac Eske (in arguably Eske’s best race of his disappointing tournament) a real race having seen Eske turn in front of the whole field in the Quarter-Final.

It was the agonising defeat in the Semi-Finals that still sits firmly in the memory when he once again went down a short-head to Screen Critic to finish out of the qualifying places. After that, it could be argued that he has a penchant for Critic but I personally have the viewpoint that they are two very talented, gutsy performers who give their all and therefore, finish in close proximity when they are against each other.

Following his impressive Derby campaign, he went for a crack at the Irish Derby with the long back-straight of Shelbourne Park seemingly perfect for his style: it was. Unfortunately withdrawn after a minor injury sustained in his kennel when he had won the 3rd Round, the only 2 dogs that beat him round Shelbourne were the Irish Derby winner, Slippery Robert, and the then Derby favourite Kereight King (withdrawn also with an injury).

There is no doubting Holdem Spy is an exceptional talent and the English Derby 2014 has always been his target since he ran so well last year. The question was whether he would retain enough ability as a 3 and a half year old to his younger self: his win in the Scottish Derby 1st Round suggests he has. Whilst he will always require luck around the first 2 bends, he has proven time and time again throughout his career that he is capable of riding traffic, backing off if necessary, or driving the bend if he is given a clear run. He will be so tough to knock out and at 20/1 to reach the final, he has to be backed again.

Sidaz Jack

Jack is a classy, gutsy colleague of mine. He won last year’s Derby without breaking 28:40 (Razldazl Jayfkay’s track record is 28:12) and so what he does so brilliantly is get himself in front and repels all-comers. Yet, last year he was constantly underrated (long odds in quarters/semi/final) as humans did not realise what he was doing; they just looked at his times and thought that surely the likes of Droopys Jet or Ballymac Vic will beat him for pace: they didn’t. This year, however, Sidaz Jack is not being underrated by anyone being installed as the 20/1 favourite.

The conundrum, however, about Jack is that he has pretty much everything going for him this year. Perfect age (3 years old), lightly-raced, Charlie Lister OBE, scintillating early, runs the track like a dream, proven to be a proper colleague against the elite. He showed in his first trial stakes back his sensational early which (apart from sprinters) I think only Pay Freeze could live with in this country was still there. So what is stopping Jack turning in front in the vast majority of the Derby and holding all-comers in his modest (by the standard) times? I’m not sure I can answer that question and for that, I would not put off any dog or human backing him. Yet at 20/1, I’m not sure I can fully justify him being too big a price as unless he improves by 1-2 lengths (which of course is very possible), another proper dog could eventually catch him and at 5/1 to make the final, that looks too short for a 6 round tournament for a front-runner who could theoretically miss the break in any one of his 6 races. I understand that this analysis of Jack has hardly been the most coherent of arguments for or against him but that literally is the conundrum that he presents. Is he too short? Or is he too long? I think he is slightly the latter and for that reason, the Lolly Faithful have to get him on side.

Vanrooney

Connections of Vanrooney have been in a buoyant mood recently saying he has settled well into his new kennel for his Derby tilt; after showing his trademark track-craft and back straight pace in both of his trial stakes, he looks sure to go deep in this year’s tournament.

The September 2011 dog rose to prominence when winning the Harolds Cross Puppy Derby in October (typically from last to first) with the likes of Newlawn Impact (40/1 for the Derby), Aclamon Messi (won well in a trial stakes before being withdrawn injured) and El Flutter all left in his wake as he powered past them in impressive style. Whilst definitely being seen as Dublin’s second track (to Shelbourne), Harolds Cross’ comparative layout is far closer to Wimbledon’s than the Home of Greyhound Racing with its tighter bends and shorter straights to its neighbour. Therefore, a dog that runs Harolds Cross well will normally be suited to the challenge of Wimbledon and Vanrooney’s target has been the Derby since his scintillating victory of their premier puppy tournament of the year.

The reason Wimbledon is such a good venue for the Derby is that it gives all sorts of styles a chance. Whilst many will say they prefer a hound out in front, it is far more important to be out in the lead at tracks such as Romford, Crayford and Hall Green than at Wimbledon in my dog’s honest opinion. This is because the bends are slightly wider so dogs can sweep round the outside (or inside on occasion) and the back straight is deceptively long, giving the stronger sorts a chance to unleash their pace: which Vanrooney does expertly at Wimbledon. It is also important to note that the stronger dogs have much more of a chance of recovering during the 3 runs in the space of a week from the 3rd Round, especially since the somewhat absurd and illogical decision to move the pick-up to the 3rd bend (from the 2nd bend) since 2012 so the dogs have to run a full 100m more each time they run in the Derby.

Vanrooney’s first effort at Plough Lane was taking in the Juvenile as he dropped himself out, unleashed his back-straight pace and looked for all the world like he would catch the away-and-gone Droopys Odell: that is no mean feat. Odell is a strong sort who is sure to go deep in the Derby (draw dependent) but the fact that Vanrooney was making such an impression on him, indicates the raw pace that he has the capability of using.

After that effort, he went back to Ireland to be kept ticking over quietly on the gallops before he made his permanent move for his campaign at the start of this month. He posted a decent sprint trial of 16:22 (fastest of the day was 15:99) to show that he runs the 3rd and 4th bends of his races much better than the 1st and 2nd and then followed up that trial by (another) set of striking performances in working conditions.

On this the first of those, he was completely left behind at the start (possibly due to his trap 5 draw indicating he wants to be on the outside on the run-up), and the smartly away Brother John blazed a trail miles ahead of Vanrooney. Yet he was unperturbed, seeing a gap on the inside at the 2nd bend he thought about going for it, saw there was no room and pulled himself round to the outside of the field: that was his impressive moment. Once positioned where he could get a run, he stormed past the field down the back (including Sidarian Blaze) and although he was never going to leave an impression on the winner who is highly-regarded and would have relished the ridiculously quick going at Wimbledon at the moment, Vanrooney never looked in danger of getting knocked out (if it were a Derby round). That race was the Division A of the Trial Stakes (although they were actually named as an acronym of GREYHOUNDS), which would equate in my eyes to a Derby 3rd Round type of field. That is how fast Vanrooney is in that he never looked in danger of being “eliminated” in that quality of field.

The aforementioned fast-going is a concern for backing off-the-pace dogs (and for also the well-being of us dogs) and hopefully the much criticised surface will be slowed down come the Derby (although it is sadly doubtful as they like the Track Record to be ruffled) to give dogs like Vanrooney, Holdem Spy and the like a chance against the dogs that ping like me, but even if it is not brought back to normality, both have shown they are more than adept enough to qualify on this type of going. If you put Vanrooney in a trial against a pinger who does 28:30 on normal going, the pinger would almost always win, but that is not how the Derby works and Vanrooney is too big a price for the challenge of being in the final on May 31st.

Pay Freeze

With his record of 18 wins from 22 starts, it is not hard to make a case for Pay Freeze to go seriously deep in this year’s Derby. The strength of Sheffield as a track was there for all to see as they romped the BAGS Track Championship at the end of last year and with that impressive platform of graders, the class has filtered through to the Open racers where a Sheffield dog is to be feared across the UK these days: Pay Freeze is undisputedly the best of them.

His consistency at the traps is his most potent asset and the fact he has won from all 6 draws is a hugely significant weapon in his arsenal for the 6 round competition as he is arguably draw independent. When winning the Steel City |Cup in September, the fear was that he would not handle his wide berth in 5 as he is a dog that likes to cut across at the bend should the opportunity arise; he handled it with aplomb. Trapping out in trademark fashion he took an expected step to the left before righting himself to avoid his rivals on the inside and go up straight to the bend where he had managed to power his way to the front: that step back to the right, however small an adjustment, showed what an intelligent dog he is.

I was going to back him at 28/1 but he has now been weak in the market over the past few weeks as the dogs towards the fore produce rapid trials on the very fast going at Wimbledon. Yet, lying here on my sofa I think there has been an overreaction to Pay Freeze’s slow times: he always trials poorly. Before his unlucky defeat in the All England Cup final (sent off 4/5 favourite) where he missed the break for only the 3rd time in his life, he posted a very modest time in his first look at Newcastle. This prompted his connections to assume he had picked up an injury and his participation was doubtful. He then took nearly a whole second off of his trial time in the first round, and looked for all the world like he would romp home in the final. That race was indeed the only time he has finished outside of the top 3 (fourth) but the fact that it was in a Category One final, shouldn’t perturb backers that he cannot keep qualifying in the Derby.

Another explanation for his modest trials compared to his race performances could simply be that he is just hugely competitive. His loathe of losing is there for all to see when he races 5 other dogs and the fact he has never been caught when he has led, shows how jealous a type he is on the bunny. His one downside is that his form is unproven against top quality dogs but that is not to suggest he has been beating average sorts in his 18 victories. The Category One tournaments of the All England and Steel City Cups always produce strong fields and besides those, he has accounted for Hather George (Derby Semi-Finalist last year), Jordans Brianna (progressive Lister hope) and Bold Three (Irish Derby 3rd Round) to name a few with consummate ease. Of course, they are not quite up to the required standard to win a Derby when it is all barked and done, but it certainly suggests that Pay Freeze is not just a flat track bully, and can more than hold his own at Wimbledon this year.

Graduation Day

With my Irish colleagues lacking the strength in depth that many expected with the dangling of the 200,000 doggie treats prize, I am not as keen to get as many Irish dogs onside as I was initially. With the Tyrur, Razldazl and in-form dogs not coming over the sea and the question marks over the Irish dogs at the front of the market (like Kereight King and Ballymac Vic) it is the best strategy to look for a dog that may spring a surprise if he shows the form he is capable of: Graduation Day is one such dog.

Graduation Day has all of the ability and class to win a Derby if he remains fit. Capable of pinging the boxes and leading the inside with electric early, his main forté is his staying prowess. Finishing outside of the top 3 in only 4 of his 22 starts, his desire and power is impressive when he sees a gap as he surges up the rails to account for very useful sorts. At his best he has accounted for Paradise Silva by 4 lengths, as too the ever-game Kilbarry Rover, and he has the ability to have given the likes of Kereight King and Holborn Junior a real race when they have turned in front.

Indeed, in his early career Graduation Day struggled like many as a young tyke to get to grips with his trapping. Over his last 10 races, however, he has missed the break (stumbling) on only 2 occasions which shows he has matured and if he takes to the curved English boxes as well as he has been doing from the straight Irish ones, he will take a lot of catching from the front or if he pitches just in behind (has never been caught when leading). It was his pinging break on Irish Derby Final night which first brought him to my attention and whilst he is not totally reliable at the break as mentioned, this is more than factored into his price. On that night, he destroyed a quality field (the early of Ballyhill Sub and Knockglass Billy in particular) to the corner and the result was never in doubt around the 2nd for this stout stayer (won by over 4 lengths). If he can produce a run like that when he needs it later on in the Derby, he will look a very big price indeed.

It would be remiss not to mention the fact that he has had his setbacks. Yet all of these have been little niggles as opposed to career-defining injuries such as shoulder or wrist problems and such is his ability, connections have wrapped him up in cotton wool so to speak. He was knocked out of the Irish Derby last year in the 3rd round which is of concern, yet in that race he faced the best dog in Ireland at the time (Paradise Madison, finished 3rd) and the rapidly improving Ringtown Snowy so it had the feel of an English Derby Quarter-Final in terms of quality. If he has improved as much as he has shown glimpses of in his few races since then, then he will go close in the year’s tournament.

Wimbledon should also suit with his powerful early-pace to the corner as the Plough Lane track has a lovely run-up which means that dogs can afford to miss the break (which he can do) and still pace up. His trial was unspectacular but that was arguably because he was not used to the traps (a slow 5:06 sectional) and it is tough for dogs to move kennels and produce their best first time out. He looks a really likeable sort to me and if he stays fit, he has the pace to win the Derby.

Lough Messi

Whilst Wimbledon is not a track that is all about early, there is no doubting that the best position to be in in a greyhound race is in the lead, on the bunny. That, coupled with the fact you are less likely to be knocked out in one of the 6 rounds if you are consistently in the front down the back straight, it is a great asset to have brilliant early on your side which is epitomised by Lough Messi.

An expensive purchase from Ireland last year for the Maxine Locke kennel, she has always had the Derby as his number one priority since he stepped off the van in Romford. Winning his first two starts at his home track, he was then to race on St. Leger final night against one of the most devastating dogs of his generation, Farloe Warhawk. Messi disappointed and tamely succumbed but he would not be the first top class greyhound that Warhawk has wilt into insignificance. That experience clearly knocked his confidence as he missed the break for the only time in his career in his next start at Monmore and then struggled to reproduce his initial scintillating displays at Romford.

Given a break over the winter (as many of us early-paced sorts do due to the sodden ground), he looks to have matured over the winter (and arguably has forgotten Warhawk) as he has been in superb fettle around Romford, culminating in his unbeaten run in the Golden Sprint. The form of Golden Sprint winners in the Derby is scarce due to most of the winners of that 400m tournament not staying the 480m and therefore not entering the premier Classic, yet Blonde Snapper proved the double could be done two years ago when he famously back-run the entire field (as a sprinter) to win his Derby in 2012.

Due to the lack of genuine sprinters in this year’s Derby (normally there are between 5-10), there is a case to be made that Lough Messi is the fastest dog to the bend in the tournament and whilst he is unlikely to be able to come forward enough to produce a 28:20 run, the fact that he has clocked a decent 28:50 and the ever-growing concern that the track staff are going to make the ground like a road to try and get the track record beaten (a 28:17 from Jaytee Seville would make the track +40 today in my book), Lough Messi will take a lot of beating if he maintains his confidence.

De Real McCoy

It was with great deliberation that I have decided to include a 7th (and final) colleague in our portfolio as with the place money only going to the first 6, the odds of our portfolio are all diminished before they have even run. With his under-the-radar profile, Wimbledon likely to suit, impressive pieces of form and crucially the track likely to be very quick in the first rounds which could catch some stayers out, De Real McCoy has to be brought on side.

Of course, he has hardly set the world alight which is indicated by him not being fancied but he has shown moments of genuine quality in his 40 races. That is definitely the maximum amount of racing I would like a Derby dog to have run but considering his early career was against very mediocre dogs, he has perhaps only had between 20-30 hard races in his life. In amongst those are some very eye-catching performances.

De Real McCoy is all about early. He pings the traps well (although he sometimes hits his head as he anticipates the lids opening) and then shows good pace up to try and claim the rail. That, again, is of slight concern that he will be going left regardless of his draw but this is all more than factored into his price. When he does get it right, he has led some of the best in Ireland including Cabra Buck, Rockview Turbo and perhaps most impressively he held the Easter Cup 2014 victor, Skywalker Farloe, for at least the Derby distance at Limerick at the back end of last year.

Those type of performances show that on his day, he is capable of beating seriously good dogs and with that in mind, if he can keep himself in contention by not missing the break horrendously, he can go deep in the Derby at a big price.

So there is the Lolly Faithful’s team. As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I would just like to wish all my colleagues the best of luck and come home to your kennel safe.

Enjoy this fantastic month of racing,

Jimmy

The best 6 humans from the past year line up at Sheffield tonight and whilst it is sad to see the omission of an actual race between them on the sand, my colleagues will instead battle it out for them to be crowned The People’s Champion. The Rock-solid favourite is Charlie Lister OBE who has his two star stayers on show as well as some members of his strong-looking (as ever) Derby team that will be going down to Wimbledon for the Classic in May. As well as Lister being hard to beat, I can see it being a night for the favourite-backers which hopefully will mean a great night for the Lolly Faithful at the bookies’ expense. Here are my thoughts on the value in the races:

19:34 – Stayers

Here is the first of Lister’s star stayers as Fear Emoski is a fearful proposition on the bunny. In preparation for this race she went close to the track-record over this course-and-distance last week showing she is in ominous form after a lay-off. Droopys Posh is her closest challenger and although she types with her paws and tweets like me, she has not been too clever at the boxes of late and cannot afford to give Emoski any sort of start tonight. AFew Dollarsmore seems to like to do his work from home and appreciates Monmore far more than any other track he goes too.

19:49 – Standard

Jordans Brianna really caught the eye over the Derby course-and-distance at the start of the month; having missed the break he paced up like a Derby-dog and anything like a proper effort at the boxes can see him lead up this useful field. He is well-suited to Sheffield and having his only defeat around here to the track champion Pay Freeze is no disgrace. Brianna will have to clear the local pace of Magna Blaze but his sectionals (and to the eye) suggest he can do that and Benkaat Nero can give him racing room by moving middle. Underground Paul has had a much-maligned career but is blessed with pace, but I feel his draw is a paw one with Chicago and Cluxtons Free being no slouches out of the boxes on their day themselves. I think their could be trouble in the mid-to-wide areas and Brianna could be away-and-gone by then.

20:04 – Puppy

The young tykes have a go here and it could be a sentimental clash between brother and sister Droopys Jarrow and Jaytee China. The latter is preferred having been very impressive in the useful Monmore Puppy Derby and only found the crazy pace of Farloe Nutter too much for her in that tournament. Jarrow also shapes as if he is a stayer in the making and can’t afford to give his cheeky little sister too much ground at the start. A couple of these youngsters seem out of their depth here but that cannot be barked of Sidarian Brash who is frsutrating but has raw gears if he chooses to use them. China will be a great wall to pass on the bunny though.

20:19 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race here has a bizarre make-up to it in that there is only really one genuinely proven Open-Class sprinter in the race. So what do we do? We back him. Murlens Crash has been running out of his hair at Sittingbourne chasing the hare and his times are scintillating. He hasn’t had a look at the track but Southern Mesut has been missing the kick of late and so Crash might not have to be paw-perfect at the break to capitalise. United Leeds and Cape Impact will be heading straight to the rails (especially the latter) which could hamper the useful early-paced (over 4 bends) Bubbly Rocket. Murlens to go crash, bang, whallop here (in that order, of course).

20:34 – Super Stayers

The aptly named super stayers here for the superstar of canine athletes: Farloe Tango. The presence of Hometown Honey in the race means that they will be stretched out enough for Tango to jog behind, weave his way through the field and then unleash his devastating turn of paw like the hero he is and maintain his unbeaten record at the Owlerton Stadium. It’s worth tuning in just to watch him.

20:49 – Bitches

A nice ensemble of bitches here but the one I am most partial too is Jaytee Jules who has a lovely character (it’s not all about looks!). She has an admirable desire to win her races whatever the circumstances and she is well drawn next to Crossfield Delia and Glenpadden Lake. Aayamzamodel and Sidelight have similar profiles in that they can ping out and make-all over shorter 6 bend trips but I think Jules will have too much pace for them over this extended 4 bends. Silverview Pinky is a nice bitch in slightly lesser class and has a nightmare draw to overcome, being a railer.

21:04 – Super Standard

Probably the biggest barking dog of the Derby is Sidarian Blaze who comes with an ominous reputation from Ireland, with ominous connections and an ominous trainer for the Classic. Whether he will be fully wound-up for today is questionable but he has put in some decent efforts in his trials (for a dog of his reputation) and has been supported for the Derby into joint-favouritism prior to this race with some thinking he may lay down a marker here. He will have to clear the sprinter (reserve) in trap 3 but his other rivals look well-held on the basis of his Irish formlines: make-all.

21:19 – Dogs

Whatever has preceded this in terms of the Human Championship, this is an absolutely fascinating contest in which I think there could be serious trouble based on the draw. Jaytee Lightning wants wider, Droopys Odell will definitely be moving to the rail (although he has improved of late) and Redbrick Stuart is arguably the new Droopys Odell: he is coming out of 5! Any one of those three could get a flier and assert to win but if 2 (or 3) of them come out together the first bend could be chaos. With that in mind, the value has to be with Reel Trickyone who is set for the biggest solo since I had a tactical spell of flatulation on my sofa. He is seen at his best around Romford over their short 6-bend trip but Trickyone has been known to ping and he just looks too big to me at 16/1 with the impending trouble looking inevitable. A clean-run race and he will run like a 16/1 shot but he is worth backing still.

Here are the recommendations:

9:19 – Reel Trickyone – 1 chewstick @ 16/1

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 that I have for watching Jaytee Jules (and that is a lot!). It should be a fascinating Human’s Championship and in the last race, the first bend could be a reel trickyone.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy

This is the time of year that really starts to get me salivating as we begin our approach to the Derby in May. With such terrific prize money for our flagship tournament, my colleagues from Ireland have already started to come over in preparation to take on us British dogs for the 200,000 doggie treat prize on the 31st May. Tonight, we get a glimpse of a few of those likely contenders from the Emerald Isle around the Derby location, Wimbledon, and the whole card has a really classy look to it. The Lolly Faithful are especially looking forward to the Springbok Final where we have the fastest Semi-Final winner, Cornamaddy Jumbo, at an antepost price of 9/2: he won’t be that tonight! Elsewhere we have the Greyhound of the Year and all-round dog icon that is Farloe Tango to look forward to and plenty of other top class colleagues of mine. As ever, I have found the value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Sprint

Everyone’s favourite race paws off the proceedings tonight and we see arguably the 3 best sprinters in training at this current point in time: Aero Twizzle, Wee Tiger Tots and Zenas Boy. At the prices, I favour the former as he nearly caught Wee Tiger Tots at Hall Green (with the going against him) over this longer sprint distance and I think he has fared best from the draw in comparison to his closest rivals. If he can clear the very useful trapper in Andlyns Asabat, he can assert on the rails and power up the home straight. Wee Tiger Tots racked up an impressive set of victories before a shock defeat last time out but I feel the presence of Zenas Boy on her outside (who loves the Plough Lane circuit) leads me to think that those two could hamper each other: an eventuality you can ill-afford to do against Twizzle. As with any sprint, if any of the main protagonists ping ahead of the others (like I used to do all the time) then it will be race over but I think Aero Twizzle is the value if they trap on terms.

19:49 – Standard

The first of the races where we begin to see the Derby dogs is here with all of these (barring mishaps) looking to be in the First Round at the beginning of May. The dog with the most scope out of this field for me is Swift Keith who was born to run at Wimbledon and he can assert on the rails with a nice draw outside the determined, classy Blackstone Marco. Laughil George is no mug as he proved last year in the Derby but he has not been seen since in competition since then and that could mean he has been struggling with little niggles. The two wide dogs are both Irish colleagues of mine and are of interest as they have both competed at the top level on those shores. Fiery Splendour is certainly hot out of the boxes and Farloe Trent has good back-straight pace, but based on the trial efforts I would suggest that they have a little to find with Swift Keith who looks a 28:40 dog around Wimbledon as long as I have a tail between my legs!

20:04 – Bitches

I love watching a top quality bitch and here we have 6 of them; I’ll be poised at the edge of my sofa for this one, trust me! Rewind Express has been subject to a gamble this morning and now looks woefully short to me with Silverview Pinky and Jaytee Jules capable of matching her in the early strides if they ping like they can do. Of course, Express could get a clear run if she repeats her 4:79 sectional but she is by no means guaranteed it all her own way on the run-up. With that in mind, the value in this race is to follow the continuing post-seasonal progression of Droopys Posh who has great trackcraft and speed when she finds her racing room. She is undoubtedly a stayer these days, but she still has enough 4 bend speed to compete here, especially with the predicted trouble on the inside. Posh is another greyhound who has learnt to type with their paws to join me on Twitter and with that level of intelligence, she can weave her way through this field. Won’t Fall Behind has a progressive profile at Coventry but this is a steep rise in class and whilst Aayamzamodel posted a brilliant trial, the old addage of “trials are for show, races are for dough made into pancakes”, comes to mind (I had to get one in for today!).

20:19 – Springbok Final

The trainer of Cornamaddy Jumbo, Mark Wallis, could not have been more bullish about his novice hurdler for this year’s Springbok and who am I to disagree with the Human of the Year? I heeded his barkings. The Lolly Faithful were treated to a marvellous display of jumping from this speedster and now he has his draw again in trap 6: he is fancied to make-all in spectacular style. He blasted onto the scene when beating the Grand National champion, Mash Mad Snowy, at Romford and although it was an inadequate distance for Snowy, Jumbo’s effort was scintillating for a dog having his first competitive race over the obstacles. Westmead Bertie and Razldazl Butch are more than useful novices but Jumbo is the most promising hurdler I have seen in many a dog year.

20:34 – Marathon

This looks a two bitch race if ever I have seen one and two potential superstars of the ridiculous-distance scene are on display here. Musical Fawn won the even-more-ridiculous distance race of 1048m (!!!) at Crayford last week but she looks like she will have to succomb to the earlier pace (if that is possible over this trip) of Burgess Borna here. A 28:64 time over the standard trip in a trial from Borna would see her lead this field by about half the track and whilst I do not expect that, she is a proven stayer and anywhere close to a clear run can see her put this to her doggie bed quite early.

20:49 – Standard

Some more Derby hopefuls strut their stuff here and there is great value in backing Chicago to continue his love-affair with this track having only been defeated in the Puppy Derby Final around here to date. On that occasion, he was badly drawn and now that he is back in his favoured 5 box, he can ping out and produce a 28:50 that would win this in my dog’s honest opinion. Jordans Brianna is unbeaten and looks a dark dog for the Charlie Lister camp but he is unlikely to appreciate Jolly Bullseye on his inside who is an admirable campaigner for Kevin Hutton. Sidaz Eagle could also prove a problem for Brianna unless he gets a flier and Chicago looks much better drawn than those three. Airlie Impact was a worthy Derby finalist last year but us dogs only have so many great runs in us (as my exception to the rule strike rate would suggest) and he looks a slight shadow of his former self these days. He can allow Chicago the freedom of London on the outside and allow Seamus Cahill’s exciting prospect out of the Irish superstar Milldean Panther, to assert.

21:04 – Stayers

You simply have to love this dog. He’s got a character as nearly as great as mine and he is building a fan base across greyhound racing and further with his enigmatic, exciting and explosive turn of foot that really can come at any point of the race: Farloe Tango is around his favourite circuit tonight. He disappointed many at Newcastle when beaten at long odds-on but we all know that is who he is and anyone backing against him around here where he is the brilliant Track-Record holder, needs their heads testing! In this race, he faces the on-fire Golden Jacket winner that is Hometown Honey but not even she can get far enough away from the Tango. When will he make his move? Hold on to your sofas!

21:19 – Juvenile

This is a remarkably competitive renewal of the Juvenile with no real sense of their being a superstar lining up, but also not a sense that it is a disappointing assortment of 2 year-old invitees. It should be a great race! In these high-class, competitive affairs it is absolutely imperative that the draw is taken into account and this is where I have found the value in the race. Mileheight Alba has the best pace to the bend out of any of these but he misses the break so often that he is almost inevitably going to be squeezed by the mid-moving Jaytee Lightning and the confirmed rails-mad Droopys Odell who both trap out pretty well. I cannot have Alba to win this unless he gets a flier which happens about as often as I go a whole day without having 4 naps! There is no question that Redbrick Stuart is well-drawn but he hardly set the track alight here in the Puppy Derby last year and looks certain to become a stayer after this year’s Derby. Whilst Adageo Bob has won numerous high-class affairs, he has yet to meet a dog of this calibre in my opinion and with him in trap 6, he could set the race up for Van Rooney. Rooney is notorious in Ireland for his slow starts but he has a great draw to work from with Odell going left and the potential to lead Bob. If he can turn handy (which there is every possibility), he is the fastest dog in the race for me and he can power down the back straight to get into contention. He will, of course, need luck in-running but he will need less luck than the others in the field and certainly represents value at 7/2 for me.

Here are the recommendations:

8:19 – Cornamaddy Jumbo – 1 chewstick @ 9/2

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings! As ever, if you have any comments please don’t hesitate to tweet me and I’ll back bark at you with even more enthusiasm than I will be showing towards the bitches race tonight! It truly is a cracking card this evening and whilst I am big on Jumbo, Rooney can also score for the Lolly Faithful.

Well, this looks a fantastic night in front of the Sky cameras and it could end up being a memorable one for the Lolly Faithful as we have antepost runners in two of the finals this evening. The main attraction of the night, however, has to be the return of Greyhound of the Year Farloe Tango who runs in the 19:34. He really is the star of our sport at the moment and it is worth going to Newcastle this evening just to see this living legend run live. I would love to go but unfortunately I would get mobbed by pawprint hunters! Apart from that, we have a good card from Newcastle and as ever, it is imperative to remember that this track has some of the strongest local runners in the country: ignore them at your peril! It should be a fascinating evening and as ever, I have found some value for the Lolly Faithful:

19:34 – Stayers

So here he is. Farloe Tango. If you haven’t seen him run yet, then you are in for a real treat here. If you have, you will know what I am on about. His style is simply devastating as he jogs around with the rest of his colleagues (while they are running at top speed) before he decides to unleash his freakishly awesome pace to make top quality greyhounds look like they are running backwards. He is a great character as well with his quirkiness leading to him stopping during trials if he feels like it. That takes nothing away from him though in my dog’s honest opinion. He has enough pace to live with any greyhound over any trip when he unleashes his speed and this should be a stunning spectacle against a moderate field. I’m spinning around in excitement thinking about this “race”!

19:49 – Standard

It is hard to get away from the All England Cup winner (over this Course and Distance) that is Calzaghe Davy from a good draw in trap 3. He has admittedly put in a few moderate trials coming back from injury, but that is more than factored into his price and he should be backed. He has a nice turn of foot on this long run-up and the staying power to see his rivals off here. He beat Glenpadden Bolt in the aforementioned tournament last year and whilst Bolt has speed, he is 0 wins from 7 now. Aghaburren Paddy has always been a dependable dog when on the bunny, but he will struggle to match Davy to the bend here.

20:04 – Bitches

This is a must-watch affair here (as all bitches races are) as the inside 3 have superb early to the bend and it really does depend on which one of them can assert around the first for me. Akerview Gem and Caseys Wonder reoppose here after the former just managed to squeeze round last week, but I think it is the turn of Silverview Pinky to use her draw on the inside to get round the first bend in front here. She has not had a go at these traps which is a concern for her pinging abilities but she rates the value here as Caseys Wonder wants the rails and Akerview Gem can hold her pitch like she did at Sheffield against her. In these type of races (as last week showed), it is often best to be on the side of the bitch drawn on the inner, and Pinky can utilise that fact.

20:19 – Standard

I barked last week that Hather George is probably the most consistent dog of his generation and he did not disappoint. Yes, he did not win but he ran with huge credit and he does not face a class of rival like Candlelight King here. Greenwell Mentor loves it round here and is 3 from 4 when drawn in 6 over the Course and Distance, but I think that George has a touch more class and is certainly the value here. Lister’s stalwart can also ping the boxes at this track which he showed last October (out of trap 5) and so Mentor might not even get his way up front here; you don’t see many dogs passing George. Calzaghe Mario is constantly hyped but has been paw for some time now.

20:34 – Puppy Final

The young tykes have a go here and in a race full of inexperienced railers, it is probably best avoided. Farloe Nutter doesn’t headbutt the boxes like you would expect, but he has got nice early and could make up into a useful sort. He will have to clear the progressive Cashen Maureen though, as she has a very useful formline behind Sidarian Blaze (28/1 third favourite for the Derby this year) at Shelbourne. Bailiff Turbo has also shown a bit of pace and his railing antics will not do the field much good from trap 6. It’s a tentative selection for Nutter to avoid trouble and assert.

20:49 – Sprint Final

So here is one of our first antepost runners of the night and he still looks overpriced to me: Farkland Impact. One of the reasons that he was recommended for this tournament is that he runs this track so well and looked very impressive when winning at 7/1 in front of the Sky cameras around here last year; could it be a case of dógjà vu this evening? I think so. He slightly missed the break in the heats and whilst connections suggest his best box is in 3, I’m not too worried about him drawn out wide. Ballymac Best is a worthy favourite being 7 wins from 8 starts over the Course and Distance but the discrepancy in prices between him and Impact does look big to me. Indeed, Best did miss the break in the heats and Impact does not need a second invitation around here as we found when he beat Jumeirah Dubai (who also missed the break as favourite) at the back end of last year. Calzaghe Sunny is a pacey sort but was no match for Best when they met last and I see no reason for that formline to be reversed.

21:04 – Stayers Final

Lagganmore Milan was running in a different race to Farloe Tango at Monmore in December last year, but that does not mean that Milan should not be feared over this trip. He has great early and stays strongly which should be too much for his rivals here as he has a lovely draw to work from. Calzaghe Lilly will need trouble in-running for Milan but rates as the only real danger to this powerhouse.

21:19 – Standard Final

What a race this looks on paper and the Lolly Faithful are relying on Pay Freeze to win us another Category One final (after he won the Steel City Cup for us last year). In that race he was drawn in trap 5 and after taking a step left (as a natural railer) he corrected himself like a really good dog and went straight up to the bend to finish the race as a contest: I expect the same here. Mileheight Alba has huge pace to the bend but often misses the break (like he did in the heats) and whilst his scintillating early normally gets him to the front anyway, the much more reliable trapping of Pay Freeze could have finished the contest before he makes the bend. He also looks like he craves the rails move than the selection so his draw in 5 is a lot worse than Freeze’s in 6 to me. Hadrians Wall is one of my favourite colleagues in training and will never stop trying to win.

Here are the recommendations:

9:19 – Pay Freeze – 1 breast of chicken @ 4/1

So there are my thoughts on the proceedings this evening! As ever, please tweet me if you have any comments and I promise to bark back at you faster than Impact and Freeze make the first bend today (and that will hopefully be very fast!). It could be a great night for the Lolly Faithful and if not, the pleasure of watching Tango will be entertainment enough.

Enjoy the racing,

Jimmy