By Rob Abrey

Your favourite regular read is back after a one week hiatus. Those who read this column would have known all about Roxholme Nidge and may have scooped up the 4/1 ante post price that was on offer. Back to tonight and with several maidens on tonight’s fourteen race card there are interesting greyhounds making their Romford, sprint and six bend debuts and as ever I have endeavoured to find out more about some of them.

Romford stalwart Methodical is making her sprint and open race debut at the same time at 6.36pm in the opening race at the grand old age of four years and four months. Trained by Margaret Lucas the June ’13 whelp has had all her races around Romford over 400 metres in graded company winning ten from sixty six. The early paced daughter of Scolari Me Daddy and Mrs De has sometimes struggled to see out the four bend trip so the switch to two bends may prove beneficial.

Joint owner Kevin Malone on Methodical said: “I always thought she would run well over the sprint trip. I think she has enough early pace to hold her position at the first bend and will run on strong.

“I would have preferred trap one but being in trap two is not too bad. If she can get a run around the first bend she has a chance. It all depends on what trap one [Aero Fleur] does. If she falls asleep at the traps we have a chance.”

 

Sword of Gold in the second race at 6.55pm over 400 metres for maidens is making his race debut on these shores for trainer Philip Simmonds. The July ’15 whelp has had two trials over C&D clocking good calculated times of 24.24 and 24.22 seconds along with decent spilt times of 3.71 and 3.84 seconds. In just two trials the son of Black Shaw and Newlawn Maeve has shown he has consistency and early pace, commodities that are extremely helpful around Romford. Seeded as a wide runner, Sword of Gold has trap six tonight and if producing a spilt time similar to his first one at Romford he will not be contesting maiden races for very long.

Trainer Philip Simmonds on Sword Of Gold said: “He is a nice little dog. He came into our kennels around four or five weeks ago. He was held up for around two to three weeks then he got a cough. We gave him a nice break and hope he is over it.

“He looks useful and I hope I have left him off long enough. I feel he will put up a good performance on his debut.

“I’m very happy with his draw in trap six. At the moment he looks happy out there and is ideal for him.

“He is quite an interesting greyhound. I have raced a few of his family from the same litter so know what they are like and how to handle them.”

Bet365 make Sword Of Gold 5/2. That should be taken. He has taken to Romford well and if producing his first spilt time the sole wide seed will be hard to peg back.

 

Swift Thoos makes her race debut at Romford at 8.03pm in the first heat of the Friday night standard over 400 metres for Yarmouth trainer John Mullins. The May ’15 whelp has early pace and has shown it by winning a sprint open at Yarmouth over 277 metres back in August. The daughter of vans Escalade and Swift temple has plenty of early and the drop from running 462 metres at Yarmouth to 400 metres at Romford could be ideal. She ran in an A1 graded race on Wednesday over 462 metres and led early on until being picked up on the line. Before that she had built up a decent lead and if replicating that tonight could make it a winning debut.

Trainer John Mullins on Swift Thoos said: “400 metres could be ideal for her. She will definitely get the trip, she will stay 400 metres.

“She should handle Romford first time up without a trial. A tight track should suit her. I’m happy with trap six, it where she wants to be.”

Wiiliam Hills are offering 12/1 for Swift Thoos to take the spoils and that seems quite generous. She is ideally drawn, has early pace and if taking to Romford could be a player. Taking the 10/1 with Skybet could also be an option each way as they offer 1/5 the odds first three.

Forceful Oz makes his six bend debut tonight at 9.44pm in the first heat of the Romford Friday night maiden stayers over 575 metres for Yarmouth trainer Kevin Boon. The son of Godsend and Sandals Oz looks ready for six bends after running on strongly in his recent races. The September ’15 whelp recently won an open race at Doncaster over 483 metres after leading on the run in. He has experience at Romford after running over the 400 metres trip back in August but on that occasion came last.

Trainer Kevin Boon on Forceful Oz said: “I’m just stepping him up to see what he can do. I’ll give him a go and see what he does. I’m not sure he stays but hope he does.

“He ran well at Doncaster over 483 metres recently and appeared to stay. He was beaten by Oscar Junior but didn’t let him go. He was stepped up at Doncaster over 661 metres and won. On the back of that I thought I would try Oz over six bends.

“Trap four on Friday might be a problem for him though. He is a railer and has never run from trap four before.”

Followers of the open scene would definitely have come across Droopys Who. Trained by Yarmouth’s John Mullins the September ’14 whelp is a regular on the open scene and has run in several four bend competitions so far in his career. Last year the son of Tullymurry Act and Droopys Twirl made the Kent derby final and this year was eliminated at the semi-final stage.

He has been running against top greyhounds and holding his own. In his last race at Central Park in front of the Sky Sports cameras he came third, beaten by only five lengths from King Eden who broke the 500 metres track record at the Kent venue. Tonight sees him tackle six bends for the first time in his career at 10.01pm in the second heat of the Romford Friday night maiden stayers over 575 metres. If able to stay and I suspect he can, expect a tilt at the Essex Vase over C&D later in the year.

Trainer John Mullins on him said: “I think he stays and confident he will stay. He has been running against the best and has been knocking on the door. We will take it one step at a time with him but the Essex Vase would be a target further down the line, all being well.

“575 metres will be the maximum distance he will run unless he surprises me. Trap four on Friday will not be a problem for him and is ideal.”

Paddy Power make Droopys Who an 8/11 shot and that should be considered. Although short he has been running against the best and if he stays which the trainer thinks he will the win should come.

 

Regular readers of this column would have had a nice little ante post win in the Coral puppy cup courtesy of Roxholme Nidge. Advised at 4/1 before the competition started he duly went on to win it unbeaten breaking the track record along the way.

It also pays to follow some of the greyhounds covered in this article. Yaya More Pints was covered back in July with trainer Philip Simmonds stating he ‘looks a nice dog’ and that they ‘will be looking for short six bend races for him’. He does indeed look like a nice dog and won at Central Park on Tuesday in front of the Sky Sports cameras over 642 metres clocking the fastest time of the year so far over the trip. Winning in a calculated time of 39.50 by four and a quarter lengths he was available to back at 7/4.