By Mark Pierrepont

A couple of graded races start the evening off at Nottingham tonight but it’s the first open race of the meeting , the Coors Light Maiden Trophy at 706pm which see’s the first bet on the card.

Well backed Truth Matters (t1) leads early from Onlyattheroyal (t2) and the almost hidden winner Drive On Tipp (t3).
Photo: © Steve Nash

Laurence Tuffin looks to have a nice type on his hands in the shape of Truth Matters (TREBLE) , a leggy black and white dog who has some very decent sprint and four bend form on his card around the likes of Shelbourne Park and Dundalk.  After trialing well once coming over to England he was placed into the Star Sports English Greyhound Derby at Towcester , leading until close home in his first round heat he was beaten just a couple of lengths by Drive On Tipp.

In his second round heat he didn’t get any kind of run and was eliminated from the competition in fifth place.  This is a big step down in class though and I fully expect him to land his first victory on English soil.  He’ll need to trap handy from his trap two berth as Swift Taxman in the 3 box will be edging in , but if he does come away on terms he should make the first bend his own and from that point there should be no dangers from behind.

Ballymac Lynam (NAP) runs from trap 1 in the Carling Maiden Trophy Final at 722pm and I expect Kim Billingham’s brindle pup to reverse heat form with the Jack Williams trained Swift Alba.  Drawn in trap 3 last week Lynam was looking to head rails from lid rise and though moving off again at the bend I put that down to having not had a look around rather than genuinely wanting to be too far away from the rail.  A level break tonight and Lynam should make the bend in front and with the benefit of a look around the track under his belt , he can make every post a winning one.
Princess Aurora (NEXT BEST) lines up from trap 6 in heat 2 of the Twitter @nottingham_dogs Oaks Trophy at 851pm.  Aurora is a top class bitch for the Baker boys and the fact that she was one of just a few greyhounds that were  kept by the lads in a recent kennel sale shows the regard in which she must be held.  Admittedly Aurora lacks a look around the track , but a top class 2767 win over 475m at Hove on her first look at the track , from a similar trap 6 draw and with the 475m trip at that track having a similarly short run to the bend as tonight’s distance at Nottingham , gives me confidence that this top class bitch can handle tonight’s conditions and power away to an early pace always led victory.  At 30 kilo she’s a lovely big bitch and has all the hallmarks of a quality brood of the future.