A top-class card at Hove stadium this evening with the highlight being the Category One £10,000 to the winner Coral Olympic Final. No fewer than 4 other finals support the main event with the Coral Brighton Belle and George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial Final’s each being worth £2500 to their respective winners , the Kathleen Kis Memorial Final worth £1000 to the winner and the Christmas Cracker A2 Sweepstake Final see’s 6 locally trained greyhounds competing for a winner’s prize of £500. With each of the remaining supporting opens worth £500 to the winner this is Saturday night racing as it should be.
First up at 609pm is the Coral British Bred Puppy Open staged over 500m and worth £500 to the winner. John Mullins Signet Goofy put up the best performance of a lightly raced career when running out a good winner of a Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Towcester last time out. He does lack a look around but he has the early pace to get himself to the front and that’s a big plus in a race which is otherwise extremely within his compass. ‘Goofy’s’ litter sister and recent English Puppy Derby semi-finalist Moments Of Magic trained by Kevin Hutton looks along with Richard Yeates locally trained Ballyblack Speed to be his main dangers.
A £500 to the winner Coral Sprint over 285m at 628pm and a tough race to call with question marks over the whole field. David Mullins Matts Malibu hasn’t been at the top of his game just lately but has still run with credit against some types that would be long odds on in a race of this nature. He’s well drawn here to smash out and make all.
The £500 to the winner Coral Standard over 500m at 643pm. Belinda Green’s Freeky Pumbaa has won many races around this venue and can add another here. Eliminated from the Olympic at the semi-final stage last time out he stuck on gamely despite not leading and encountering trouble behind an excellent winner in the shape of Trumps Benefit. Pumbaa can gain the early lead he craves and though Carol Weatherall’s Fight The Power can make a race of it ‘Pumbaa’ can hold on in the closing stages.
The Coral Stayers over 695m and worth £500 to the winner at 658pm. This race looks set to be between David Mullins Troy Suzieeq and Kevin Hutton’s Southfield Code. Both are classy sorts and neither can be discounted but slight preference is for Hutton’s greyhound although not by much in a race which could well turn into a terrific head-to-head battle.
The Coral Olympic Consolation at 718pm over 515m and worth £500 to the winner. Richard Yeates Lanzo wouldn’t be the fastest in this field but what a draw he’s got to work from. He can break quickly and as both the inside pair and outside trio are crowding on the run up and at the bend he can kick away to secure enough of an advantage to seal the race by halfway.
Another Coral Sprint over 285m and again worth £500 to the winner at 736pm. Nathan Hunt’s Scala OMeara lacks a look around and that is a negative however he’s enough pace to take this. Eliminated from the National Sprint when fancied to land his heat recently he was subsequently picked up after leading over 400m on home soil at Romford. He’ll have to be on his toes in what is a better race than the earlier event over this trip but he’s selected to get the job done.
The Christmas Cracker A2 Sweepstake Final over 500m and worth £500 to the winner at 756pm. Seamus Cahill’s Pocket Elvis looks all set to lead once more and he will have to and by a long way if he’s to win. Off the front is generally the place to be and no greyhound running that way can safely be ruled out but it will take a fair bit of in behind crowding or a sudden increase in stamina reserves if ‘Elvis’ is to hang on. Picked up last week by Jason Heath’s Walk On Dave that can once again be the case here. So long as ‘Dave’ avoids too much in the way of crowding from Derek Knight’s Maireads Lion drawn to his inside then he can begin to up the pace from halfway and come through strongly on the run in to reel in ‘Elvis’.
The first of the night’s big finals at 817pm with the George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial Final over 740m and worth £2500 to the winner. A real classy final with 6 of the leading stayers in the UK lining up to take the honours in what is a competition many seek to win. Mark Wallis’s Blueberry Bullet as with his rivals is a really classy sort capable of mixing it with and beating the best around. A little in and out at trap rise take a chance that she finds one of her better breaks tonight which if doing so would see her right up with the pace. She’d be tough to beat if gaining the lead early on and though she’ll have to cast one eye over the shoulder for her trio of kennel mates , Antigua Lava , Aayamza Dream and Aayamza Royale she can have enough in hand to hold on without too many worries. Slippy Eva for Seamus Cahill and Burgess Elite for John Mullins complete the field for what is yet another high-class stayer’s final in a division currently brimming with talent.
The Coral Brighton Belle Final at 838pm over 500m with a winner’s prize of £2500. Kevin Hutton’s Lights Out is one of the fastest greyhounds around. Make absolutely no mistake this bitch has an engine which few greyhounds can compete with. Usually out the back of the field she really begins to wind up the pace from halfway and the manner in which she tears after some hugely classy runners is a sight to behold. The problem is and always has been with Lights Out what she chooses to do when she gets to the leader. At what is likely to be fair odds she must be backed in the win and place markets and also act as the cornerstone of forecast and tricast combination bets. From the win perspective a chance is taken that her head will be in front at just the right time but if she is there or thereabouts then the chances of that happening are a lot slimmer than the likely price which will have been secured. Seamus Cahill’s Pocket Lola ran a storming race last week to win by a couple from the selection and could well do so again albeit will be priced accordingly.
The main event of the night at 854pm The Category One Coral Olympic Final over 515m and with a winner’s prize of £10,000 to the winner. On betting at least this race looks a match between Carol Weatherall’s Trumps Benefit and Seamus Cahill’s Smurfs Machine. Preference is for Trumps Benefit who having just this month reached 2 years of age has the greyhound world at his feet. A dog with an attitude to dream of and an ideal competition greyhound who simply never knows when he’s beat. He can take up the running rounding the final two bends to land the first and unlikely to be the last Category One success of his career. He’ll need to be at his best though as Seamus Cahill’s Smurfs Machine looks plotted up for a run on the wide outside of the track and is far from anybody’s fool.
The Kathleen Kis Memorial Trophy Final over 500m and worth £1000 to the winner at 912pm. Jason Heath’s Indesatchel missed the break in last week’s heat but managed to get away with it as the middle runners crowded. Running a good first couple of bends he had the race sewn up as he headed onto the back straight. He’ll need to be sharper at the boxes tonight but should be well suited to the move slightly off the rail and if coming away in reasonable style he looks a good bet to land the spoils.
The Coral Bitches 500 staged as the race title suggests over the 500m trip and worth once again £500 to the winner. Kevin Hutton’s Anniversary Girl reached the final of the Oaks at Perry Barr in October and though beaten a fair way behind classy Irish winner Billys Diva she was far from disgraced. A pacey bitch but a girl who often makes life difficult for herself with some poor starts. This race has fell perfect for her though with trap 4 now vacant after the withdrawal of Richard Rees Whats Up Eva and the inside trio all likely to be taking each other’s ground this really is the perfect set up for Anniversary Girl to display her undoubted talents.
The final race on an excellent card is the Coral Standard over 500m and worth £500 to the winner. Derek Knight’s Doorus Jet Olympic semi-finalist has a lovely draw to work from here. Diamond Lisa for Nathan Hunt is one of the tightest railers around and she will immediately be heading rails from her trap 3 draw. Anything like a level break for ‘Jet’ and he should comfortably make the bend in front before setting sail for home.
