With The Derby now less than two weeks away the action on the track at Towcester in both trials and in competitive action is really beginning to gather pace. Tonight we’re treated to a full twelve race card of Star Sports And TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby Trial Stakes.
Mark picked five winners (5-4, 7-1, 2-1, 2-1, 7-4) from 12 selections last Tuesday
First up at 6.09pm Jazz Toes is taken to lead all the way for Ireland’s Peter Cronin. He’d be far from one of the leading Irish hopes for outright honours but Peter has done well with similar types in previous years. Jazz Toes possesses a nice touch of early and in a race which won’t take too much winning he can make all.
Surprisingly for a greyhound who possesses fair pace Keefill Finn has just the one open race victory to his name so far. That coming in a puppy affair at home track Sheffield early in 2020. Barry Drapers greyhound subsequently reached the BGBF British Bred Derby Final at the back end of last year and though he’ll likely come up short against the real cream at Derby level he’s enough about him to win a race of this nature. In a race which could well get messy at the corner he’s take to ping out and make all.
A race full of quality at 6.43pm which sees the return to competitive action of 2019 Irish Derby Champion Lenson Bocko. Graham Holland’s charge stopped the clock in a rapid 29.48 in a trial here last week however the fact that he’s not an automatic selection highlights the quality of this field. Richard Rees’ Hilight Arkle is improving at a rapid rate of knots and last week’s effort when holding off Irish superstar Newinn Session’s persistent challenge was a best yet. He’ll need to improve again and he will need to smash the bars down from his trap 5 draw but he’s well capable of both and is selected if not confidently. A terrific race to watch which should provide plenty of clues for the weeks ahead.
Another really competitive event at 6.58pm where future clues over immediate betting opportunities look the order of the day. For selection purposes I’m siding with Patrick Janssens Bockos Belly. He looked a superstar in the making when routing Central Park maiden opposition on his UK debut back in November by fully 12 lengths.
Although the going on the night was particularly slow and much of the form could be considered questionable his winning time of 29.17 read particularly well against the 29.21 recorded by Tenpin who also won impressively on the same night. Shortly after the finish line Belly attempted to take a short cut across the middle of the track and ended up getting himself entangled under the inside running rail.
It was an incident which halted his progress without question though he showed glimpses of the ability within when finishing runner up to Jaguar Macie in the Ladbroke Puppy Derby Final at Monmore in March. Belly has since spent some time over in Ireland with Graham Holland and though eliminated from the Kirby at the second-round stage the change of scenery may not have done him any harm with two good sprints around here followed up with a more than decent 29.72 (-10) trial over course and distance last time out. If getting around the first two bends unscathed he can pick his way through late.
Graham Holland’s Romeo Magico looks an exceptional talent. His 28.18 run when winning an open around Limerick last month was some effort for such a young inexperienced greyhound. Less than 3 lengths off the 27.95 track record set by College Maybe in 2013 it was a run right out of the top drawer. Stopping the clock in 29.76 in a trial here last week there’s more to come and in a race where he should get plenty of room to run on the inside he can showcase his undoubted talent.
Paul Hennessy’s Boylesportsbingo reached a classy final of the Best Car Parks Gold Cup at Shelbourne in February and ran a game race when finishing second behind Fatboyz Fury on what was his first competitive start around Towcester last week. As is more often than not his way Bingo was slowly into stride and hit trouble when coming with his run. Despite this he went down by under 3 lengths. Likely to get plenty of room to run on the inside he can make his move rounding the third turn and prove too strong in the latter stages.
After being steadily brought back to fitness with a succession of sprint trials Queen Beyonce was pitched back into competitive action without the benefit of a four-bend trial last week. Drifting in the market from as short as 5/4 out to 5/2 at the off the suspicion of the layers was that Liz and Rab McNair’s superstar bitch might just need the run. That assessment proved correct as despite not coming away she showed good middle gears before folding late. The run can only have brought her forward and from a perfect draw in trap 3 she’s taken to smash out and make all. Graham Holland’s Gaytime Milo will need no second invitation to take advantage if Beyonce is not at her best.
Aussie Captain can get his UK career off to the perfect start for champion trainer Patrick Janssens at 8.17pm. He’s a high-class sort with numerous top-class efforts to his name on Irish soil. Winning his last two starts over there including the last of which around Shelbourne when beating off 2020 RPGTV Derby Plate winner Doolin Duke by 3 1/2 lengths in 28.23. His trial here last week of 30.10 (-10) will need to be improved upon but that’s more than likely and from a fair looking make up against the rail he can get the better of Angie Kibble’s Westway Blake who might just need a run or two to get back to his best having been pulled out of his intended Laurels semi-final engagement at Perry Barr in mid-April.
Kevin Hutton’s Forest Gold is going to have to be lively at the start with all bar one of his rivals likely to be keen to claim his 8.38pm rails pitch at the earliest available opportunity. If trapping on terms however Gold isn’t likely to give it up easily and he can get round in front before setting sail for home. Matt Dartnall’s Mister Brentford is well drawn on the outside even if he’ll likely make his way nearer middle than wide. He can steer clear of trouble and claim the forecast spot.
With just four career races under his belt and a winner of three of those Paul Burr’s Yarmouth raider Drumdoit Bomber falls firmly into the ‘could be anything’ category. A trial stake victory here a few weeks ago was to be followed up by a comprehensive defeat in the race in which Priceless Jet set new track record figures of 29.11 before he made light work of puppy open opposition here last week. He’s perfectly drawn at 8.54pm to smash out and make all from trap 3. Gary Griffith’s recent KAB Maiden Derby finalist Brynhall Respect is a greyhound with huge pace and warrants maximum respect but the suspicion is he may just be seen to better effect drawn slightly away from the rail.
Liz and Rab McNair’s Warzone Tom was a leading fancy for the KAB Maiden Derby but found himself eliminated from that competition at the semi-final stage behind eventual winner Thorn Falcon. Tom showed what all the fuss is about though when destroying trial stakes opposition by fully five lengths here last week in a new track record of 29.08. It was a super run off the back of an equally impressive 4.16 split. He’s going to have to be on his toes from trap 5 at the start but if reaching the bend in front he’ll not be for catching.
The final race of the evening can go to Nigel Saunders Sheffield raider Maximum Security. A lightly raced youngster he possesses all the necessary tools to prove successful around here and can ping out and make all at 9.28pm. Coming into the race off the back of a hattrick which has seen A2 and A1 victories at home track Sheffield followed up with the first and so far sole open race victory of his career in a Northern Puppy Derby Trial Stakes at Newcastle. He’s a talented sort who can hopefully begin to string a run of races under his belt which can only see him take huge steps forward in his career.
