By Rob Abrey
For most today is the last day of work before Santa starts his rounds. With Romford racing tonight Christmas may be coming early if getting on the right selections. So which of tonight’s runners might help provide a bookmaker sponsored Christmas?
Some trainers are again using the maiden stayers opens as a last chance to see whether their charges have the required stamina credentials for the Coronation Cup starts next week. At around 9.40 and 36 seconds, we should be wiser as to the ability of Droopys Arma. Trained by Tony Collett at Central Park the August ’14 whelp is coming on leaps and bounds and is progressively looking like a stayer in the making. The daughter of Blackstone Gene and Droopys Laramie has won two of her last three at her home venue over 480 and 500 metres and back in June won an open around Romford over 400 metres.
Collett said: “She won early in her career over 400 metres at Romford and it always seemed to me that 575 metres would be right up her street. With the Coronation Cup so close, we have put her straight into a 575 race. Ideally we would have liked to trial her first but do not have enough time before it starts. She has run around Romford before so does know the track”.
Will she stay though?
Collett said: “To me if you get 480 metres at Central Park in around 29 seconds you can get the 575 metres at Romford. I haven’t any doubt she will make the trip. For her it is all about getting in front or lying handy”.
Cunning Tommie in the maiden marathon over 750 metres in the 9.56pm can make it a quick fire double for the same handler. The August ’14 whelp has been looking increasingly more at home over longer trips so the step up to eight bends could be ideal for him. He came 3rd in an open over 714 metres at Crayford back in October and ran a blinder in defeat. How he even managed to get within one length of the winner was nothing less than impressive after getting mullered at the first bend. The son of Godsend and Tommys Inluck won over 695 metres at Hove last week, winning by a comfortable 5 ¼ lengths from trap to line.
Collett added: “He went around Romford over 575 metres back in September but found trouble. He is the sort of dog that you would like to see in front or turn handy. He won a maiden over 695 metres at Hove last week and wasn’t far off of Billys Bullet’s time which is not bad at all. If you can win over 695 metres at Hove you will get 750 metre at Romford.
“He is nicely drawn and without looking at the race too in depth on the back of last week’s run we are quietly confident about him for Friday”.
Able Winner in the maiden stayers at 7.47pm could well live up to her name tonight. Trained by Mildenhall’s Paul Dale, the September ’14 whelp makes her race debut on these shores after racing mainly in Lifford. She has already shown to the Lifford regulars that her future lies over longer trips when winning a graded race over 686 metres. The daughter of Aero Majestic and Ruby Red has had three trials at Yarmouth over 462 metres and has had a taster at Romford over 575 metre clocking a calculated time of 36.23 seconds.
Dale said: “She was in a little graded competition at Lifford which she won. I saw something in her that I liked and thought I would have a go with her and picked her up fairly cheaply. We trialled her recently over 575 metres and her trial wasn’t bad but wasn’t good either. We are pleased with her but she needs to improve from the traps. She showed good track craft in Ireland and hopefully on Friday comes from behind.
“She is a slow starter but as soon as she finds the rails she is away and can start to pick the others off. Over four bends at Yarmouth she was catching A1 dogs on the line so thought we would put her over the 575 metres.”
