Third round evening of the Star Sports and TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby at Towcester racecourse and what an evening of racing we have ahead.  Eight top class greyhound derby heats are supported by the Diane Henry sponsored King Kane Memorial Marathon as well as two quality graded races to start the evening.

First up at 6.24pm an A3 of very high quality that can go the way of dual attached Mark Wallis’s open race stayer Tiffield Maximus.  A comfortable winner when last seen in action here a couple of weeks ago in A4 company he can follow up despite the raise in class.  Seen to much better effect when running over tough six bend trips Wallis’s greyhound who reached the final of the Champion Stakes at Romford last year over 575m and with open race wins over as far as 750m at the same venue can turn handy here and prove too strong for his rivals in the latter stages.  Kevin Hutton’s Cleopatras Boy looks a pup of extreme promise.  Just a December 2019 whelp he was an impressive winner of an A4 here on his sole career start to date and he looks a pup to keep onside in the months ahead.
An A1 race at 6.42pm that would be of better class than the majority of opens staged around the country.  Champion trainer Patrick Janssens can provide the winner courtesy of his Perrysblueyedboy.  He’s been competing in the Derby itself before being eliminated in the second round.  He’ll keep himself to himself out wide and I fancy he can get himself into a menacing position approaching the third turn before swooping wide and late on the run in.
Open racing all the way now and we start off with the King Kane Memorial.  Diane Henry’s Savana Volcano who is owned by stadium promoter Kevin Boothby can run out a decisive winner.  She’s really stepped forward since being stepped up to the trips for which she was bred and there should be no excuses here.  If she did need any help she’s got it with the five box being vacant.  Volcano can soon be at the head of affairs and it should be a race against the clock for the majority of the 942m trip.  Our Supreme Sue for Kelly Tobin runs some big races at decent prices and can chase the selection home for second and land the forecast in the process.

The main event gets underway at 7.

SIGNET ACE is clear of Jaguar Macie (t2) at the turn after recording a 4.09 sectional in Friday’s second round heat, going on to a 29.16 overall. Photo: © Steve Nash

17pm with heat one of the Derby and Kevin Hutton’s Signet Ace (15-8) can smash out and make all from a perfect draw in trap 3.  Most of his rivals would need to be leading to be seen at anything approaching their best but if Ace boxes anything like he did when hitting the line in a fastest of the competition so far split of 409 last time out then they’re all in big trouble.  Newinn Session (11-4) for Graham Holland can chase him home in second with Patrick Janssens Kilara Lion (13-2) claiming the third and final spot in the quarter final draw. Others: Warzone Tom (6-1), Frankies Jet (10-3), Glenlara Mac (40-1)

 

BALLYMAC FAIRONE (t3) leads home Native Maestro (t1) in a superb 29.09 Photo: © Steve Nash

Heat two at 7.35pm can go to Liam Dowling’s precocious Ballymac Fairone (7-4).  Though reaching 2yo this month Fairone has just five competitive starts to his name.  A young greyhound who put up a second-round performance that showcased exactly why he carries a lofty reputation with his trainer.  Liam has stressed on more than one occasion that this competition may just come a little soon for his talented greyhound but it’s a learning curve for him that can only help him develop both for now and the future.  His draw here could have been much worse.  A quality heat of that there is no doubt but the make-up looks to have fell nicely.  Anything like a fair break and he should have enough early pace to claim a first bend lead from which point he should prove very difficult to beat.  Kennel mate Ballymac Ariel (3-1) hasn’t recaptured her flying trial form yet and though she will likely move off from her trap 4 berth she can soon take command of the middle to outside of the track.  She can follow Fairone home with Toolmaker Sydney (5-2) for Robert Gleeson taking third and making it an Irish one-two-three in the process. Others: Swift Cope (9-1), Chelms Prince (33-1), Drumcrow Brent (8-1)

 

BALLYMAC WILD clocks the fastest time of Saturday’s batch of 2nd Round heats, beating Toolmaker Sydney (t2) in 29.05. Photo: © Steve Nash

Heat three at 7.54pm and a race which no true greyhound racing enthusiast will want to miss.  It absolutely has it all with the key to the race maybe being with who gets first run on the inside between Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Wild (15-8) and Dave Mullins Tenpin (10-3).  Wild has won both of his two heats of the Derby so far but really set down a marker as one of the leading candidates for outright glory with a stunning 29.05 (+10) victory when holding off Toolmaker Sydney in the second round.  It was a brilliant performance from a greyhound who is all heart and I’m siding with him to clear Tenpin by the bend and hold off all challengers once again.  Brendan Matthews’ Unlock Unlock (9-4) was equally as impressive at least on the eye if not the clock when coming from an early last place to running out a comfortable enough in the end 3/4 length winner over Queen Dolly in her second-round heat.  ‘If you’re running from six in the Derby forget it’ they said , ‘If you’re slow away you may as well stay at home’.  Sure there’s been a change of traps which has undoubtedly helped but this was a performance right out of the top drawer from a bitch who not long ago whelped a litter of pups.  She’ll be staying on stronger than anything and can finish second to Wild with Tenpin taking third. Others: Forest Gold (18-1) Coney Wonderland (11-1), Kameko (11-1)

 

BUBBLY MAGNUM (t4) wins heat 3. Photo: © Steve Nash

Another race of high-class quality at 8.14pm with heat four.  Graham Holland’s Native Maestro (5-4) was overturned at short odds for his second-round heat but running Ballymac Fairone to 2 3/4 lengths is far from a poor effort.  He’s well drawn against the rail here and should turn in a very handy position to Paul Young’s Bubbly Magnum (4-1) who is likely to set the early fractions.  I fancy Maestro to have got to the lead before the third bend which could prove troublesome for the qualifying chances of Magnum so for the qualifying spots I’m siding with Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Kingdom (11-2) to run on for second with Beach Avenue (4-1) keeping on late for Paul Hennessy and making it another qualifying clean sweep for the Irish. Others Magical Silas (20-1) Aussie Captain (10-1)

 

ROXHOLME SHEIKH (t1) leads Minglers Popeye (t2) at the first bend on the way to a fast 29.06 Photo: © Steve Nash

Heat five at 8.34pm is arguably one of the most intriguing races on the card.  Roxholme Sheikh (7-4) has clearly determined that he actually likes running around Towcester.  A 29.06 (+10) winning effort was much more like his true self, and when you consider it was achieved off a moderate enough 4.27 split, it was a run which suggested a track record breaking performance from Hayley Keightley’s greyhound is more than achievable.

Can he break well enough from trap one though? That is the question and in this heat he really will need to be a little sharper at trap rise.  Given the question marks I’m siding with Patrick Janssens KAB Maiden Derby Winner Thorn Falcon (5-2).  I opposed him in last week’s second round due to what looked a somewhat lacklustre albeit winning performance in round one.  Owner Keith Allsop told me to expect a much livelier performance last week and that’s exactly what we got.  Sparkling from the traps the result was a formality from an early stage with Falcon eventually running out a 3 3/4 length winner over Chelms Prince in 29.24 (+10).  Neighbour Brynhall Allstar (66-1) for Gary Griffiths has done superbly well to reach this stage of the competition but he wouldn’t be the quickest into stride.

With Pat Buckley’s now re-seeded middle Knocknaboul Syd (3-1) running from trap 4 there should be nothing stopping Falcon from enjoying all the space of Towcester he needs on the wide outside and he can strengthen his claims for outright honours by making it three wins from three outings in the competition so far.  Sheikh can take second with Syd claiming third place. Others: Minglers Popeye (33-1) Dualla Prince (12-1)

 

FRANKIES JET (4.10 sectional) races clear at the first bend in heat 8 from runner up Queen Beyonce (t3).
Photo: © Steve Nash

Heat six at 8.51pm see’s Graham Rankin’s superstar bitch Jaguar Macie (evens) drawn to perfection to smash out and make all from trap 3.  It was touch and go as to whether Rankin would enter Macie but he’ll be glad he did now after a 29.23 (normal) first round victory was followed up with an equally as impressive second place finish behind Signet Ace when stopping the clock in 29.20 (normal).  Macie can lead from the outset and really shouldn’t then be for picking up.  Graham Holland’s correctly in my opinion now re-seeded Gaytime Milo (9-1) can benefit from his middle draw in trap 4 to run on for second with Jimmy Fenwick’s Cold As Ice (11-2) also staying on well to join them in the draw for next week’s quarter finals. Others: Queen Beyonce (9-2), Notouttheway (50-1) All About Ted (5-1)

 

First Round winner ADELES DUKE scores again for Lee Field. Photo: © Steve Nash

Heat seven at 9.09pm is a tough race to call with more questions than answers against the winning prospects of most of the line-up.  Brendan Matthews De Machine (4-1) will have to perform to a higher level than he did when finishing second last week but that’s more than a possibility.  De Machine can turn handily enough to the early paced duo of Bandicoot Sammy (3-1) trained by Rob Gleeson and Lee Fields Adeles Duke (4-1).  Field’s greyhound has put up a couple of stunning winning performances so far but his chances will rely on claiming a good early lead and from a draw wider than ideal out in six the prospects of that though not impossible aren’t exactly easy.  I fancy that he and Sammy will become embroiled in an upfront battle that will serve neither greyhound any good and tee the race up for De Machine with Graham Holland’s Sweep The Yard (5-1) keeping on for second and Richard Yeates Faughan Rebel (9-1) claiming third. Also: Jonno You Go (15-2)

 

DEERJET SYDNEY wins Derby heat 15 in 29.13. Photo: © Steve Nash

Last but by no means least on a night of top-class action a race which would grace any quality evening’s racing on either side of the Irish sea.

The greyhounds head to traps for heat eight at 9.27pm and the selection is 2020 English Derby Champion Deerjet Sydney (6-5).  Though Pat Buckley’s greyhound had ran out a ready winner of his first-round heat there was more than an element of luck on his side on the way to that victory.  There were question marks over him heading into his second-round heat but he answered them in no uncertain terms.  Much better away this time round Sydney was soon in command and never looked in a moment’s danger on his way to a 4 3/4 length win over Tenpin in 29.13 (+10).  There’s plenty of early pace in opposition but a similar break to that in the second round and I can see Sydney in control as they head down the back straight.  Hilight Arkle (3-1) is a greyhound I rate highly but from a wider than ideal draw in trap 5 he might find things as tough as he’s had so far in his career.  If he’s not in a clear lead heading onto the back straight he could find himself in a major battle to qualify.  Reluctantly I think that would be a battle too far at this stage and so I’m siding with Patrick Janssens’ Bockos Belly (5-2) to qualify in second with Pacemaker Ted (28-1) taken to fill third place for Tom Heilbron. Others: Soul Warrior (28-1) Queen Dolly (16-1)