TONIGHT’S PUPPY CLASSIC/SELECT CARD FROM NOTTINGHAM

A tricky looking 500m contest to get the evening’s open race action underway at 6.41pm.  Jason Gray’s 2022 Derby finalist Mickys Barrett got himself and his loyal connections back on the winners podium a couple of weeks ago but the win came under sufferance and he will need a much-improved effort to land this.  Colin Wilton’s Sambar Seamus is well at home around this circuit and may well put his excellent early pace to good use to get gone on the inside and make all however from I’m siding with the Chris Jones trained WINTERFIELD DUKE who comes into this off the back of three sprint graded races at Monmore but was notably beginning to stride clear in the most recent of those as they headed to the pick-up.  Duke is another with good experience of this track when trained by Paul White with some real good efforts on his card over both four and six bends.  He can come through late to claim the spoils.

A Dash at 7.16pm over the little used 255m trip.  This shorter sprint trip see’s the greyhounds emerge from the boxes very near to the turn and allows sprinters to utilise very little of the raw early pace which makes them so exciting to watch.  The trip is ideal for steadily introducing pups and for bringing greyhounds back from injury but from a racing perspective it’s very much one for the bookmakers. Mark Wallis’s QUARTEIRA is one of the fastest sprinters currently around in an admittedly weak sprint scene at present and he’s selected to take full advantage of his draw right on the rail.

A maiden stayers over 680m at 7.34pm and Jimmy Fenwick a regular and successful visitor to Nottingham looks to hold the key to this with his extremely well drawn DROOPYS ARABELLA.  A daughter of Flying Penske and Droopys Cuckoo she’s bred to stay this distance with ease and she very much indicated that to be the case when competing in the Puppy Classic here recently.  Fenwick’s eyes must have lit up with delight when he saw the draw for this on her step up and she can win here before progressing to bigger and better things in the six-bend division.

A Winner Of One race at 7.51pm and a very tricky puzzle to solve.  Barry Denby’s Rebel Lake may well go on to become the best of these by quite some margin but he will likely need to experience on what is his career debut.  Terry Munslow’s SWIFT SERENA could well find herself with plenty of room to run if Lake does miss the kick as those to her outside will be giving her plenty of room with which to run.  Jimmy Fenwick’s Coppice Indy is likely to move off run up and particularly at the notoriously difficult run first bend at Nottingham and all of this should play into the hands of Serena.  Alex Hopkin’s Cronskeagh Lad is a nice sort who would be a player if clearing Indy early but that’s not guaranteed by any means.  Serena could well be away and gone by the time they hit the back straight.

The Stayers Trophy Final over 680m at 8.06pm and a very good race.  Jimmy Fenwick’s LIGHTFOOT CLARK was over turned at short odds last week by Diane Henry’s Savana Jazz who ran particularly well and is likely to do so again.  He could just find himself drawn a little wider than ideal here though and with Clark well capable of a better start and from a nice draw to work from he’s selected to reverse the form.

The Category One JenningsBet Puppy Classic Final at 8.21pm and another terrific renewal between six greyhounds who will undoubtedly go on to become leading players on the open competition scene over the next couple of years.

Mark Wallis’s first round heat winner Newinn Syd is capable of some big runs off the front and even when not leading is far from beaten.  A youngster with an extremely likeable attitude he has a very bright future ahead of him.  An ideal competition greyhound whose tenacity will take him far.

Ballymac John was purchased from the Greyhound Trader Pre-Derby sale at Towcester back in March and has since gone on to show why connections paid £17,000 for him.  Always highly thought of by Liam and Shane Dowling John has already attached the Seasons Scaffolding Puppy Cup Final to his CV and comes into tonight’s final unbeaten with a hard-fought heat win followed by a much-improved effort in his semi-final.

Graham Rankin’s Glenvale Bill is a class act with four victories from his six career starts.  He’s been absolutely flawless in the competition so far with wide margin wins in both heat and semi-final.

Moyar Brow has been handled superbly by David Welding progressing from mid-grade at Perry Barr to tonight’s big final with a second place finish behind Coppice Rocket in his semi final after winning his first round heat.  He’s a bright future ahead of him and though he’d need a little luck on his side to emerge victorious in this he has the right kind of attitude to take advantage if the gaps did open up.

Jimmy Fenwick’s Coppice Rocket is a real nice type and is still very much on the improve. He was much stronger when winning his semi-final last week than when picked up in his heat and though he’ll need a smash break and to lead at the turn to win this he would then take some amount of picking up if that were to be the case.

Last but by no means least is Allowdale Cazoo trained by Nathan Hunt. Cazoo encountered all kinds of trouble in her heat and despite not having anything like a clear run in her semi-final she improved massively on the clock to qualify for tonight in behind Glenvale Bill.  Whatever this lady does tonight she will improve upon massively in the coming months and is very much one to keep on the right side of.

A quality final which will provide many clues and will throw up many future big competition winners but for selection purposes I’m siding with Graham Rankin’s GLENVALE BILL to smash out and complete an unbeaten run through the event.

The JenningsBet Select Stayers over 730m at 8.36pm can go to Diane Henry’s SAVANA HEROSS.  He’s already a two-time winner around this venue in good company and though both of those victories came over the shorter 680m trip this 730m should suit even better.  The longer run to the turn should play both to his own strengths and work against the likes of Matt Dartnall’s superstar Space Jet who might just find that as at Perry Barr on her last start she becomes too far detached before making huge late gains.  Heross won’t be stopping in front and the roars from her connections might well be heard from some way out if as anticipated he’s skipped clear.

The JenningsBet Select Stakes at 8.52pm and a quality affair even allowing for the puzzling omission of Patrick Janssens Coolavanny Shado.  In my opinion and after all this is a game of them but Shado would have added that little bit extra to the race.  That aside this is still a high-quality renewal.  I’ve gone on record as saying that when Romeo Command arrived in England he did so as an extremely pacey and talented sort but also one who would lose races he should really be winning.

Whatever clicked since arriving with Patrick Janssens it did so in spectacular fashion and maybe that just came with experience but he’s very much a greyhound who wins races for fun.  Incredible pace and a will to win that only the very best greyhounds possess it would be no surprise if the 2023 English Derby runner up was to come out on top here.

Graham Holland’s Clona Duke is another who reached the English Derby Final and his class is unquestionable. He’s looking to land this having already won the Time Greyhound Nutrition Select Stakes at Waterford earlier this year.  It would be a very memorable double for a greyhound who is all class.

Derek Knight’s recent Sussex Cup Champion Cadolim Monsoon went unbeaten through the Sussex Cup in July a feat which takes some doing.  He posted a top class 2924 in a trial here last week and though he’s not ideally drawn he most certainly has the ability and will to win to overcome it.

Jimmy Fenwick’s Brookside Richie as an October 2019 whelp is the oldest in the field by some way but retains a high level of form.  He’ll need a career best effort to land one of the hottest four bend races we’ve seen this year but his North East handler is far from a stranger to success here at Colwick Park and is sure to have him primed to run yet another huge race.

Graham Holland’s Gaytime Nemo saved his very best for last in the final of the English Derby and once smashing out he turned the biggest race in the calendar into a procession.  From a draw much wider than ideal he’ll need a similar smash here and a dose of luck as they approach the first bend but he’s already proven he can find one when it matters.

BALLINABOLA ED lines up in six for Pat Buckley and what a greyhound he is.

An absolute pleasure to watch when in full stride he can take full advantage of what could quickly become a nice draw.  He took a middle course in his trial around here but he’s a clever greyhound who will bide his time on the outside before moving in only when the space allows.  He’ll have to tread carefully but once hitting the back straight if he’s within touching distance he will begin to really open up before taking command heading into the third.

The penultimate race on the card is a 500m Invitation and can go to Pat Buckley’s Irish trained superstar BOBSLEIGH DREAM.  Though she lacks a look around the circuit she’s a quality performer who has a real nice make up to work from.  A strong runner with the Irish St Leger of 2022 and the Irish Cesarewitch of 2023 on her CV amongst many other high-profile victories she can land the this for the Buckley team and if all has gone to plan in the previous race with it the completion of a memorable UK double.

The final race on the card looks to be a match between the two Imperial Kennels runners. In their decision making punters may be interested in the following stats.  In 40 races, GOUGANE JET has only been beaten 12 times.  Take out the middle distance races, and three attempts at Towcester a track which doesn’t appear to suit and it is 26 wins from 32 sprint efforts with wins coming from traps 1-6.  His Nottingham record to date ?  A perfect 5 wins from 5 efforts.  Tonight he attempts to make it 6 from 6.