Nottingham tonight
*** 9.28 – Mallogs Calvin
** 8.36 – Links Weapon
*9.11 – Away And Gone
A new week and again we head to Nottingham trying to find more clues ahead of next week’s first round of the Jenningsbet Puppy Classic.
There are two trial stakes tonight for the competition at 8.01 and 8.19. In the first, March On Freddie will be looking for a repeat performance from last week in trap five. However, this is a much tougher assignment with Millbank Boiler well drawn in trap one. He also has trial stakes winner Swift Underwater in trap two and newcomer Clona King in trap four for the Carol Weatherall team.
If March on Freddie repeats a 4.96 sectional and turns on the heels of Millbank Boiler I would fancy him to have too much for his rival later on in the race. Swift Underwater was impressive last week but he faces stiff competition this evening. Connections will be hoping for a clear run for Clona King, a new purchase for the Weatherall team. Platinum Honey has it all to do.
Trial stakes two at 8.19 is a much more open affair where local runner Kilgarren Jay can make the most of a nice draw in trap one to lead and make all. Senahel Sydney in trap six would be the biggest danger to Kilgarren Jay but in an open contest, I will side with trap one.
Monday’s Tips
The Nottingham-Greyhounds Standard Trophy Final at 8.36 over 500m can go the way of Links Weapon in trap one. March On Kit will go off favourite from trap three but needs to avoid the middle runner Droopys Trouper on her immediate inside. That rival will be moving off from trap two so Links Weapon can use the inside draw to his advantage and follow up last week’s heat success.
Two heats of the JenningsBet Maiden 480 Trophy take place this evening where Good Romeo for Lynn Cook can land heat one at 8.54 from trap one. John Lambe’s Away And Gone from trap four can land the spoils in heat two at 9.11.
There are also two heats of the Arc 480 Trophy. Mallogs Calvin has a brilliant make-up on the inside in heat one at 9.28. Trap two Velvet Madrid is a middle runner who will move off on the run to the bend so Mallogs Calvin can take advantage of the draw.
Salacres Tipster for Peter Harnden can land heat two from trap three at 9.46. Harnden’s charge was an impressive winner on Derby Final night beating a strong field including Coss Tokyo and Miracle so finds himself in a winnable race if doing things right.
Trials full of interest at Nottingham
Links Maverick in trial action ahead of a potential Select Stakes bid.
Tom Heilbron’s multiple Category One winning star is having a sprint trial at Colwick Park this evening. He has not been seen in race action since exiting the Derby in the first round. The 2023 Pall Mall and Gold Cup winner has only raced at Nottingham once in the past, that was in November 2022.
Fire And Ice has been hugely promising so far, winning three opens at Hove. He has been runner-up in a pair of sprint races at the south coast track of late, including behind the promising Cree Jo Jo.
Holland looking for Dollar selection
Graham Holland is to bid for a second consecutive victory in the event after the news that Untold Dollar is to be nominated for a place in the JenningsBet Select Stakes at Nottingham on Monday, August 26.
Winner of the Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby at Monmore in March for Carol Weatherall, Untold Dollar signed off his UK career with victory in the Hove Puppy Cup in April before joining the Derby-winning trainer in Co Tipperary. He recently clocked 27.93 for Cork’s 525 yards and posted 18.40 in a sprint trial at Shelbourne.
Worth £12,500 to the winner and won last year by Holland’s Clona Duke, the JenningsBet Select Stakes shares the stage with the final of the JenningsBet Puppy Classic at the Bank Holiday fixture. This is also the fixture that kicks off National Greyhound Week.
Guys & Dolls report
Racing manager Danny Rayment hailed a great training performance by Dave Lee after his Laughil Jess, the ‘Queen of Crayford’, was among the winners of Sunday’s Ladbrokes Guys & Dolls heats at the Kent track.
Back from retirement, Gold Collar heroine Laughil Jess won the Dolls heat two in runaway style in 23.16 for the 380m trip to secure her place in Sunday’s semi-finals – and help local trainer Lee to a clean sweep of the Dolls heats after a fastest-of-the-night effort from All Along (23.03) and success for Mini Eva (23.11).
This unique competition sees the dogs and bitches kept apart until the £5,000 final on Sunday week.
The Dogs heats went to Ricky Holloway’s local star Slick Sabo (23.36), Newcastle trainer Tom Heilbron’s Romeo To Victory (23.23) and Maxine Locke’s Romford raider Droopys Rarity (23.16).
The card also included the final of the Ladbrokes.com Summer 540 Trophy which went to the Ricky Holloway-trained Razldazl Amanda who rode a bump off the second bend before going on to score by two lengths in 34.44, winning from kennelmate Razldazl Barkley in 34.60 for a Holloway one-two.
Crayford RM Rayment said: “It was a really good night’s racing all around, with the Guys & Dolls heats being particularly good, clean races with six fast runners in each race and some running the track well first time – especially Tom Heilbron’s dogs
“They’d travelled down from the northeast and acquitted themselves really well – Tom will have been delighted with a one-two in heat two of the Guys.
“However, the obvious highlight is the return to winning ways of the Queen of Crayford – and Laughil Jess will be the one they all have to beat in the competition now, although she has the tough task of clearing her two kennelmates in the Dolls semi.”
ALL ALONG wins her Dolls heat in 23.03, fastest of the night.
Ladbrokes Guys & Dolls heats.
Crayford 4th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
SLICK SABO wins Guys heat 1 in 23.36
Ladbrokes Guys & Dolls heats.
Crayford 4th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Tom Heilbron lands the forecast in the Guys heats, Romeo To Victory (t4 left) leading home Madabout Peck (t5) – as Moaning Zoff (t1) narrowly misses out on qualifying for the semis.
Ladbrokes Guys & Dolls heats.
Crayford 4th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Venus taking off ahead of Empress Stakes
Avongate Venus was once more the star of the afternoon at Towcester on Sunday. Phil Milner’s daughter of Droopys Sydney stopped the clock just nine spots shy of Barntick Bear’s recent track record.
Owner Sean O’Connor is over the moon with her and is looking forward to the Empress Stakes and then onto the Oaks. In her current heart, it would take some run to stop her at Towcester.
Northamptonshire Sprint winner Broadway Murty didn’t miss a beat on his return to action. He had looked in good shape in recent trials and in his first race since April 6, he won in 15.70 for Sean White.
Laurence Tuffin had five winners on the afternoon. Fabulous Trick and Fabulous Dyna were both open race winners while Fabulous Lara, Fabulous Salsa and Alien Shade picked up graded contests.
Half a century up for Draper
Barrie Draper had four open winners at Sheffield on Sunday to pass the 50 mark for the year. Distant Rover and Westway Lucy bookended the card with Marlfield Diaz and Slippy Keith also on target for the kennel.
Kevin Ferguson picked up a pair of successes. Acomb Felix was the quickest of the day over 500m with a 28.77 display while Acomb Johnny landed a British Bred contest.
Toddy’s Thunder won for Tom Heilbron in the stayers while Bramble Linton clocked 15.84 at the other end of the spectrum in a sprint contest.
12 in a row for Tuono Charlie
Top Irish stayer continues his winning sequence.
Tralee on Saturday night bore witness to the extension of Tuono Charlie’s winning streak. The stayer has won 12 in a row and 15 of his last 16. Along with Tralee, he has won at Shelbourne, Cork and Kilkenny in this unbeaten run, setting new figures for the Tralee clock at the end of July.
The St Leger at Perry Barr could be under consideration for Sharon Hunt’s charge. The race was won by Irish raider Redzer Ardfet in 2019 for Brendan Maunsell. Jacktavern Bella and Garfiney Blaze both made the 2023 decider for Graham Holland. The latter was a non-runner in the decider, however.
Norah McEllistrim with a winner on her final night
Skilful Jack didn’t quite read the script on Saturday night. He led the final race of the evening but the dreams of a Norah McEllistrim winner with her final runner were short-lived. There was a winner for the kennel with Voltage Flyer with the presentation below. Good luck to Gemma Byford who now takes over the reins at the kennel.
