Nottingham Puppy Classic First Round Preview & Full Form

An interesting standard over 500m to get the evening up and running at 626pm.  Mickys Barrett reached the 2022 Derby Final and on the best of his form a race like this would be a formality.  He’s had his issues since and though it could just be a matter of time before he gets back on the winner’s podium for Jason Gray and connections he’s worth taking on from a draw which could well prove troublesome if he doesn’t take an absolute flyer.  The selection if only to small stakes is Colin Wilton’s well drawn BLACKBOY LIZZY.  Obviously a bitch who holds her form reasonably well throughout her season with a number of impressive efforts since doing just that on the 1^st June.  That would make Lizzy around ten weeks post which isn’t ideal however from an absolute plot she’s selected to get the job done.  Regardless of tonight’s result she looks a bitch worth following over the next couple of months and beyond.

Another competitive standard over 500m at 641pm and another potentially well draw runner in trap 1.  Jason Gray’s locally trained ONE DAY TOM won well in a similar event here last Monday.  There’s plenty of early pace in this and the first bend leader will take plenty of beating.  Tom can ping out make the bend and from that point home it should be a race against the clock.

David Lee’s PENSONS DREAM has a nice enough line of Shelbourne Park form on the card when winning there in June.  That run of 2862 and given he’s young enough to improve would be good enough to take this 480m Maiden at 659pm.  Peter Holland’s Velvet Rio and Terry Munslow’s Swift Serena could both prove an obstacle at the bend if Dream isn’t sharply enough away but given anything like a start on his Nottingham debut he can prove too good even if he will improve for the look around.

The Maerion and Wanny Fenwick Trophy over 680m at 716pm can go to Diane Henry’s SAVANA HEROSS.  Successful in a winner of one open over course and distance early in May Heross has gone from strength to strength with open wins at Sheffield , Towcester and Hove on the card whilst his last appearance came in the final of the Regency just last week.  He’s a class act and can come through late and strong to reel in Barry Denby’s likely pacesetter Blue Party.

Mark Wallis’s NEWINN SYD can land heat one of the puppy classic at 734pm.  A real nice lightly raced type who won over course and distance here a couple of runs ago and was far from disgraced in defeat here last time after a poor start.  Jimmy Fenwick’s Coppice Rocket looks the obvious danger but don’t rule out a big run out wide from Peter Harnden’s Salacres Ellie who might just find one or two too good but ran well when just touched off here in a trial stake last week and will keep on galloping throughout.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see a much-improved performance from Gary Griffith’s BRYNHALL BOCKO on what will be his second competitive start here at Nottingham.  He run well in a trial stake here last week at a big price and can smash out and make all for the Griffith’s team in the second puppy classic heat at 751pm.

Nathan Hunt’s ALLOWDALE CAZOO is very lightly raced having just two Irish races on the card and one here in the UK when running a fair second in a Monmore maiden earlier this month.  A fair break can see her take advantage of what could well be a troubled inside of the track with likely market rivals Droopys Doughnut trained by Patrick Janssens and Mark Wallis’s Ballymac John drawn to come together.  Droopys McKenzie should strip much fitter for last weeks comeback effort and can out run her odds for the tracks leading trainer Alex Hopkins.

Angela Harrison’s MOANTEEN WEBBY likely doesn’t have to do much more to win heat 4 at 821pm than he did in a trial stake here last week.  A very winnable heat and Webby can land this in all the way style.

Jimmy Fenwick’s COPPICE KAISER found trouble all over the track when competing here at the end of July but showed himself in a much better light with an impressive trial here last week.  He’s drawn to land heat 5 at 836pm.  The main danger looks to be Lisa Stephenson Sandwood Ava who won well here last week but the time was moderate enough and she’s likely to find it tough to give the selection both a start and a beating.

The sixth and final heat of the first round of the Puppy Classic looks a penalty kick for Graham Rankin’s Sunderland Puppy Cup runner up GLENVALE BILL.  He will be priced accordingly but should have matters soon in control.  Tony Taylor’s Kerrs Tango will keep going when others have cried enough and can fill the forecast spot for those looking to add a little juice into what will likely be very short odds about the selection.

Mark Wallis’s GOUGANE JET 2022 Sprinter Of The Year and National Sprint Champion over tonight’s 305m course and distance can land the penultimate race on the card at 911pm.  He should have far too much class for what is otherwise moderate enough opposition and if he doesn’t land the likely short odds it will be somewhat of a surprise.

The final race on the card is another 305m sprint and Nathan Hunt’s HOPES KNIGHT is selected with his 1867 effort around Shelbourne Park taking the eye massively in a race like this.  He’s trialled well enough but with improvement still to come he is very much the one to beat.