An excellent evening of racing at Nottingham’s Colwick Park stadium see’s the semi-finals of the BGBF British Breeders Stakes take centre stage. That’s not all though as we have two heats of the BGBF British Bred Midland Sprint which will see the qualifiers from tonight’s two races progressing to the final next week. Two further opens on the card in the shape of 730m maiden’s add further interest whilst the beginning of the card see’s five high end graded races for the locals.
First up at 6.26pm is an intriguing A3 and definitely one of the better A3 races. Helens Beauty won by just shy of 5 lengths in this grade last time out in a more than decent 30.47 (+10) but the fact she remains opposable tonight highlights the strength of this race. It’s not really a race I’d be wanting to get heavily involved in from a punting perspective but for selection purposes a chance is taken on Colin Wilton’s A Perfect Boy. He was a young dog firmly heading to open class in the early stages of 2020 until injury struck having moved swiftly through the grades from A6 to dual A2 winner. An attempt was made at a comeback in November but despite leading he obviously wasn’t right and has been off the card ever since. His most recent trial of 30.51 (+20) off the back of an excellent 504 split was a more than decent effort and importantly he looked sound and galloped strongly all the way to the pick up. He looks capable of leading here and given the make up of the race he could find that is enough to see him home. Santas Slick for Alec Stone as ever will be doing all of his best work late and would be a danger with a little luck in running. Churchill Duke is an interesting young pup for Lynn Cook and is firmly heading in the right direction. He looked a moderate type on career debut in A6 but found massive improvement for the run when finding a second in the grade just ten days later. Thankfully the going allowance of plus 40 ensured that it was only a double upgrade that followed but he handled that with aplomb despite missing the break. Duke again won impressively and completed the hat-trick next time out when easily accounting for the opposition in this grade of A3. With pups like this you just never know when the improvement will stop but this is his toughest assignment to date and he will need to be a little sharper from the boxes if he’s to make it four in a row. I’ve seen youngsters absolutely hammered in their grading for months after finding such improvement on occasions so credit to the Nottingham team who have been extremely fair in allowing this youngster to progress nicely.
A top grade A1 at 6.41pm where Lynn Cook’s Waltham Blue Boy is likely to hold the key to the race. He’s stepping back up in trip to four bends but this distance is at least 40 to 50 metres further than he wants to be seen at his optimum. He’s inconsistent at lid rise but anything like a level break will see him leading up. He’ll be crying out for the line in the latter stages though and can tee the race up for one of Kilara Yeates for Colin Wilton or for his kennel mate Droopys Bargain. I’d be playing the forecasts and trios combining the three mentioned runners but for selection purposes Yeates may just be laying a little handier to Blue Boy by halfway and can come through late.
Another A3 at 6.59pm and a tricky looking puzzle to solve. Take a chance that Peter Harnden’s Salacres Jet can clear Caulry Daisy by the turn and if doing so becomes a big runner. Lynn Cook’s Plaza Beauty won well last time out when finding huge improvement on her run from the previous week. She’s inconsistent but if turning up in her best form again wouldn’t be without a chance. Not a great betting race.
Lynn Cook’s Churchill Lulu finds herself quickly back down to A2 at 7.16pm after just the one outing in top grade company. The result can be the same as the last time she appeared at this level QAW EP ALD.
The last of the graded action at 7.34pm with an A4 and despite heading towards his 5th birthday later this year this looks a more than winnable opportunity for Terry Munslow’s Our Pit Pony. He does do things the hard way but remains in decent enough form as highlighted by a trademark come from behind win in this grade last time out. Any kind of run and he will repeat the dose.
Heat one of the BGBF British Bred Midlands Sprint at 7.51pm can go the way of Michelle Brown’s Signature Callum. He’s a high-class sort with countless top class wins to his name with the highlight being when taking the final of the Rose Bowl at Crayford last October. He subsequently showcased his liking for this course and distance running out an impressive winner of his heat and semi of the National Sprint before finishing a good runner up in the final to Loggies Lito. He’ll need to be sharp at the boxes to clear King Bruno but he looks the pick in a good class affair.
Heat two at 8.06pm looks a match up between litter brothers King Sam and King Drake. Sam would be a little more consistent at the traps in my opinion and on that basis from what looks a good make up is the selection. Macnish is interesting running from trap 1 as a rails seed given that he’s a confirmed middle runner whenever he’s lined up in graded company at Peterborough , Romford and Crayford. It will be interesting to see how he performs running from the red jacket given that he’s never once run any nearer the rail than trap 3 in a career spanning 32 races to date.
The first semi-final of the Category One BGBF British Breeders Stakes at 8.21pm and a terrific race in prospect. Kevin Ferguson’s Acomb Jenny can strip fitter for what was her first competitive outing in almost two months in last week’s heat (see below). Jenny looks all set to lead clear again from a good looking make up but she’ll have to be at her best with a whole host of top-class rivals in opposition who are more than capable of back running if she’s not foot perfect.
Kevin Ferguson landed a double in the heats with his brother and sister duo of Acomb Jenny and Acomb Winston and it can be a case of Deja Vu with Winston fancied to land semi-final two of the BGBF British Breeders Stakes at 8.36pm. As with his sister in the first semi-final Winston (see first round win below) appears to have been laid out for this competition with he also not having ran competitively since mid-January. That careful planning looks set to pay dividends whilst Kevin Hutton’s Lights Out who is never far away at the finish can run on to fill the forecast slot.
Semi-final three can go to the Liz McNair trained King Louis. From trap six, he was slowly into stride last week and didn’t really get running until heading onto the back straight. Showing great pace down the back the stripes runner took up the lead rounding the final turn but was just picked off late by Kevin Hutton’s Boca Junior (T5).
Neither greyhound were exactly at their best despite filling the first two places but Louis left more on the track and with a better break tonight can get himself into front rank much earlier in the race. Pat Cowdrill’s Elderberry Sky once again looked in need of the run last week though a return to top form shouldn’t be too far away now.
The first of two 730m maidens at 9.11pm can to Michelle Brown’s Slippy Mick and give the Romford based handler a double in the process. Already a maiden winner over 575m at his home venue he can complete a ‘maiden double’ before embarking on a staying career in full opens that looks sure to prove fruitful. He’s well drawn here and did have a look around the venue in December where he posted a decent 30.48 (+40) over the 500m trip. He’s improved since then and these testing trips are right up his street.
Last but by no means least Crashblingwallop can give Michelle Brown a treble on the night by taking the second of the 730m maidens. He’s run well in defeat in 575m maidens at Romford over the past couple of weeks but looks tailor made for this test on a galloping circuit. He has experience of the venue having run here in trials in October ahead of a puppy open engagement and though well enough beaten on that occasion his 30.44 normal trial at that stage of his career stands out. He should be much further forward now and should take all of the beating.
