NOTE – THE RACES PREVIEWED ARE PRODUCED FULL FORM BELOW THE WRITE UP.
THE REMAINING RACES ARE PRODUCED FULL FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing: open racing at Romford. In their twelve race card we are treated to two category finals. First up is the Guys and Dolls over 400 metres which is followed by the Cesarewitch over 925 metres. A real treat indeed – writes Rob Abrey.
As ever in the other ten races on show tonight at the Essex venue there are greyhounds making their Romford and six bend debuts. In some cases both. As ever I’ve endeavoured to find out more about five of them.
John Mullins is back to Romford this week after his triumphant victory in the Champion Stakes last week with Smallmead. This week he tries two of his charges at the Essex venue for the first time.
First up is Fantastical. The June ’18 whelp is making her Romford debut in the first heat of the Romford Friday night standard over 400 metres at 6.28pm. Those with sharp memories will remember the daughter of Eden The Kid and Zaras Fantasy made the final of the Ladbrokes puppy derby at Monmore back in March finishing second. Tonight is her first race since June due to lameness and after two trials at Yarmouth everything looks good.
John on her said: “She made the final of the Monmore puppy competition. If she had come back a few weeks earlier we would have gone for the derby with her.
“We thought we would try her over 400 metres in her first race back from injury. She is 100%.
“We were happy with her trials at Yarmouth. She has drawn trap six and we are happy with that rather than middle for her first time there. She does cut the bends but also has nice early.
“The eventual plan is to go for the Oaks with her.”
Coral and Ladbrokes are top price 5/1 for her to make a winning return to racing after injury
Next up for ‘team Mullins’ is Hello Dotty. The December ’17 whelp is not only making her Romford debut but also her six bend one at the same time. In the first heat of the Friday night 500 stayers over 575 metres at 8.17pm she will be showing her potential staying credentials.
In her first race away from home track Yarmouth the daughter of Superior Product and Hather Cookie has been given a baptism of fire. All of her twenty five races on these shores have been at Yarmouth over 462 metres where she won six. Tonight she will be trying to make it seven from twenty six.
John on her said: “I think it is a strong possibility she will get the trip. She gives all at Yarmouth and needs further. She has looked a bit stale recently so thought we would give her a change of track.
“We have had her since she started schooling and has done remarkedly well. She has done a lot better than then we first expected.
“She has not been making any fireworks at Yarmouth recently but the owners are great and thought we would give her a change. Trap four is a good draw for her.”
She is generally available at 10/1 for her to win at Romford and over six bends at the first time of asking.
While John was on the phone he was asked about his potential derby entries. To That he said: “We are entering Notouttheway, Rockmount Ozzy, Romeo Rumble and Swift Lettuce. I would say our best chance would be Swift Lettuce.
“We haven’t entered Smallmead as we plan to go to Crayford with her.”
Monmore trainer Brian Thompson is taking on the Friday night traffic from his Stoke-On-Trent base to give three of his charges a run at Romford.
On all three he said: “We are going to Romford as there is no racing at Monmore this week and thought we would keep a few ticking over. Of all our dogs, we chose these three as they looked the best suited to Romford. We picked dogs that may suit the track.
“All three haven’t got the best trap draws but there is nothing we can do about that.”
First up for ‘team Thompson’ is Bloos Pot Luck. The July ’17 whelp runs at Romford in heat two of the Romford Friday night standard at 6.43pm. The son of Greenwell Hulk and Quaterland Eve has had all of his fifty eight races at Monmore. He has bundles of early pace and you can see why he is one of the ‘chosen three’ to travel to Essex tonight. On paper he looks ideal for 400 metres as the 480 metres trip at Monmore looks a tad too long for the pacey sort.
Brian on him said: “He is running well at Monmore without much success. He has good early pace and could suit Romford. He can be four or five lengths clear down the back straight against very good top graded dogs but doesn’t quite get the trip.
“He has tremendous early pace and could be an ideal Romford dog. Trap five could be a problem though but with four railers in the race could be okay.”
William Hills and Skybet make him 16/1 to win at Romford first time up tonight.
Next up is Bull Run Buff in a bitches only race at 7.36pm over 400 metres. She is having her first run back from a seasonal break and although quite quick back she showed all is well with a good sprint trial time of 15.34 calculated over 264 metres.
The September ’17 whelp looks ideal for Romford and 400 metres after season is just what she could need. The daughter of Mall Brandy and Tullowmac Java has clearly got early pace and needs to utilise that tonight.
Brian on her said: “She is well bred. Her 15.34 trial at Monmore last week was really good. That is an open class time.
“She is well in herself and is absolutely bouncing. 400 metres is ideal for her. She is one of the most early paced dogs at Monmore. She has real early pace and can ping the lids. She can go a long way clear but struggles with 480 metres.
“When we took her to Swindon and Belle Vue she ran the tracks well first time so runs tracks first time, no problem. Out of the three she looks the more suited to Romford with her style of running. The draw is not ideal as she is a bang railer. She ideally needs the one. It is what it is.”
Skybet are 12/1 top price for her to win at the Essex venue on her debut.
Last up for ‘Team Thompson’ is Mustang Rocky in the lucky last at 9.28pm in a marathon race over 750 metres.
The November ’17 whelp is not only making his Romford debut but his eight bend one as well. Everything suggests the son of Holdem Spy and Mustang Chick will get the trip tonight. He is in fine fettle with a recent win over 480 metres in an A4 graded race.
Brian on him said: “He really finishes well and will stay 750 metres. We may have fancied our chances but after seeing Sheldan is in the same race put a kybosh on that.
“He is in trap four but could have done with being a bit closer to the rails though. He is one of those that can find trouble in an empty house. You put him on the inside and he runs to the outside, you put him on the outside and he runs to the inside. I’m not sure he knows where he wants to be.”
He is generally available at 20/1 to win at Romford and over eight bends at the first time of asking tonight.
While talking to Brian I asked if he had any derby entries and if so, what he thought of them. He that he said: “We have entered Jazzers Man and Vixons Lad. We are not under any illussions that we will win it but if accepted may nick a couple of rounds. We love competing against the best and being part of it.”
Regulars readers of this column may have a finalist in both of tonight’s showpiece finals. Last month in a Guys trial stakes Adamant Taurus for trainer Jane Craske was covered and has since made it through to the final. Last week Kevin Boon stepped up his Regency winning Zascandil and said “….I’m confident he’ll stay.” He wasn’t wrong as he won his heat, recording the fastest calculated time of the competition.
It pays to follow this column.
