Just the one track today. Hopefully we can have the Yarmouth section back up and running shortly.
As for Central Park last night. . . its just too embarrassing to talk about. Rab McNair managed to tip one winner but clearly thought he had developed X-Man powers by going for a huge priced treble that would have paid out two islands and a yacht if it had come in. Tony The Syrup returned to his extended losing sequence and while Big Patrick might be leading the trainers table, the tipsters table is under no immediate threat.
NOTTINGHAM
Nottingham tonight as owner Gary Howson joins Mark Pierrepont and Peter Harnden – the ‘Mick McManus’ of greyhound tipsters. Don’t pretend you don’t remember. When he wins, everybody boos.
The form
The views:
Easy Rocco (R8 T2) August 2018 pup for Anna Thompson who has yet to win in 3 career starts but has run well for a long way in her last two races. Fitness should be improving with every run at the minute and drawn between two consistently slow starters who are moderate at best in the early pace department she should soon take command of the inside. Nidderdaleherald who had previously been easing at every turn when in company after falling here in May took advantage of running off the front of the handicap last time out. I’m not convinced that will have solved the easing issue and there could well be trouble in store at the first bend , Dotty Dot has her own ideas about the game and the make up of this race is likely to prove a hindrance rather than a help to the ultra wide running Swift Broom. Away and gone for Rocco.£100 win
Gary Howson
Eamos Sophie (R12 T2) Lynn Cooks bitch was running well in A1 company at Shelbourne and stayed well enough to convince connections to try her over six bends there. Was somewhat surprising to see her picked up so easily on the run in on her final 500m trial here last week even if it was by a dog who does stay well. There is surely huge improvement to come from this bitch as quite simply A1 / A2 staying well at Shelbourne doesn’t equate to A3 at Nottingham and in the hands of Lynn Cook a trainer more than adept at getting improvement from her greyhounds I don’t think it will be long before Sophie rattles off a succession of victories. Sophie wouldn’t be best suited by trap 2 as she’ll move off from there but with a moderate breaker in one and with a bitch in Salacres Pebbles drawn 3 who steps off even when in trap 4 she looks set for a clear passage £100 treble
Peter Harnden
Clonkelly Mol (R1 T1) – Looking at the Racing Post forecast price of 14/1 this morning I’m wondering who put the programme together that comes up with these prices ? Laughable isn’t the word. I’ve watched this bitches Irish videos and she stays well enough and her 500m trials here haven’t yet been upto that level. Her last two sprint trials of 18.03 and 18.09 have beenn much more like it though , those kind of runs don’t equate to the 500m times which have seen her graded into A3 level and I’m prepared to take my chance that she’s now finding her form here in the UK. Blythe Calamity drawn in trap 2 will step right on the run up so there will be plenty of room to manoeuvre £50 win.
Salacres Mafia (R9 T3)- A dog who looked to be heading to the staying division in open class when first coming over to us , went from A4 to a brilliant win in A1 for us but was found to be lame the next morning. A real shame as we had real high hopes for this dog over a trip. Since coming back he’s won an A2 but like a lot of dogs who have had injuries he looks after himself a little bit when crowded. This can give the appearance that all isn’t right. That simply isn’t the case it’s just that they’re being that extra bit careful. There was a comment made on TV a few weeks back about a dog of mine not striding right and he must be feeling something. He’s the same, in company he looks terrible but give him some space to run and he’s a different dog. The game is about opinions but if you’re going to accuse a dog of being lame then you best be 100% and know for sure, despite being 4yo in November the same dog did 3026 a couple of runs later when surprisingly enough he got room to run so maybe he is lame and he’s actually a Derby contender when I get him right? Anyway I digress so back to tonight and the race should be run to suit Mafia as any early pace is on his outside , with a break he should clear the inside dogs easy enough and if coming off the second bend in a good position he’s a big runner. Just a note about Barry Denby’s Riley Ray here in trap 2 , a stunning looking fawn dog and one of the most promising pups I’ve seen at Nottingham in a while. Couldn’t have left any more on the track when absolutely walking out on his career debut in A3 on Tuesday but eventually came through with a wet sail to beat some decent opposition easily and pull clear to the pick up. He’s a pup to put in your notebooks. £50 win
