Select Stakes night is always a night’s racing that no true greyhound racing fan wants to miss writes Mark Pierrepont.  The race until this year has been sponsored by Betfred , until media rights issues put end to that partnership. Thankfully RPGTV have stepped up to the plate and I am sure that they will embrace the race every bit as much as Betfred have done. Full card form

Bar the first race of the evening , an A2 graded race , the whole evening is a card of quality open races.  The RPGTV Puppy Trophy gets underway at 706pm but it’s in heat 2 at 7.22pm that we have our first bet.  The Barrie Draper trained Newinn Missile has been off the card since being soundly beaten by Droopys Verve at Monmore on the 7th March.

Prior to this he had been in terrific form here at Nottingham , a winner of two of his three races here and not beaten too far on his other career start behind Ballymac Defo in the final of the Stadium Bookmakers Unraced Puppy Trophy.  As you’d expect , Barrie has shown patience in bringing this pup back to the track , a 3050 calculated trial here at Notts a couple of weeks ago was soundly improved upon as he recorded 30.25 last week off the back of an excellent 5.04 sectional.  Fawn Tango is running well for Julie Bateson and rates the main danger but I’m happy to let that one make the market for Missile , who firmly falls into the ‘could be anything’ category and looks sure to take alot of beating given a reasonable break.

It’s the RPGTV 480m Trophy Division 2 Final at 737pm.  I felt that Sensual, trained by David Pruhs was worth taking on in her heat, likely to turn last and around a track she’d not previously been around and running over a trip short of her best , she looked to have it all to do.  The truth is she was in a different class to her opposition and despite having many lengths to make up as they headed down the back straight , she eventually ran out a comfortable 2 length victor.

Sensual has 3 1/2 lengths to find on likely market leader Courts Ad Lee based on heat form , however with the benefit of a look around now under her belt I fancy she can come through strongly on the run in to land the spoils.

It’s the RPGTV Maiden Trophy at 752pm and Pat Rosney’s Swift Melodic looks the one to side with.  Melodic came to Nottingham last week without a trial and that showed , slowly away she then stumbled upon leaving the traps , already in what looked a hopeless position approaching the first bend she then swung off wildly losing many lengths in the process.

Showing great pace in behind , this September 2016 bitch pup ran with huge credit to close the gap down to just a couple of lengths by the finish.  I’m expecting her to run the track much better tonight and if doing so she looks sure to take the beating.
The RPGTV Oaks Trophy gets underway with heat 1 at 822pm.  Barrie Draper must be cursing his luck a little with Bull Run Button at the minute.  In my opinion this bitch should have been an automatic pick for the Select Stakes itself, She backed up this theory to an extent when clocking 29.48 (+40) in last Monday’s trial session.
Faster than any of the dogs trialing in preparation for the Select Stakes itself , I’m sure Barrie Draper had a wry smile to himself.  Quite simply she’s one of the fastest bitches I’ve ever seen running around Nottingham.  There’s no doubt she hasn’t fared well in the draw for this race , trap 5 is definitely further out than she ideally wants to be but she has the early pace to soon get clear and take up her position at the head of the pack.

Likely to be too short for many to consider backing singly , she could be worth doubling up with the Carl Perry trained Geelo Zip who runs in heat 2 at 8.37pm.  Zip can take command of this race early and if doing so there should only be one winner.

In heat 3 of this competition I’m siding with the Phil Simmonds trained Courts Ad Darcey.  Phil and his assistant Nathan Hunt have been regular and extremely successful visitors to Nottingham in recent months and I fancy that this bitch can be another winner for the team. With all due respect to her opposition this is a major step down in class upon what she’s been running against for the past couple of months.  Darcey has good experience of the track and anything like her calculated 3018 run when winning here on the 19th March should be more than good enough.  I was pleased to see Droopys Dresden winning the Ladbrokes Gold Collar for Phil , Nathan and the team , they work hard at the sport and deserve all the success that comes their way.

At 9.07pm it’s the big race of the night , the RPGTV Select Stakes.  For me personally it’s a race to watch and enjoy , good luck to the connections of Shaneboy Freddie , Sporting Dave , The Other Reg , Brinkleys Poet and the Irish raider Innocent Times.