BGBF Greyhound Stud Book Trophy Final Card Preview & Full Form

The BGBF Greyhound Stud Book Final takes centre stage at Towcester racecourse this afternoon.  Re-introduced by the team’s at BGBF and Greyhound Stud Book this year as a category two event with a winner’s prize of £3000 there is also a prize of £500 for the runner up with £100 others.  Beyond the owner’s prize payments the breeder of the winning greyhound will receive a prize of £200 from BGBF funds with £75 others.  There are 12 supporting opens on the card and of particular interest are two Bet365 English Puppy Oaks Trial Stakes.  With that competition due to start shortly there are bound to be clues aplenty for the weeks ahead.

An open looking Stadium Bookmakers 500m Standard to get the afternoon up and running at 157pm.  John Mullins OHALABAMASLAMA is inconsistent at the start to say the least but does have a fair amount of early pace which he uses well when timing his break right.  He’s drawn wider than he’d ideally like here but given the makeup of the race he can soon take up matters at the head of the field if as noted he comes away.  He was a good winner of a decent A2 here on his last start and a similar level of performance should see him landing this at what should be a reasonable enough price.

The first of two Bet365 English Puppy Oaks Trial Stakes at 212pm can go to Paul Philpott’s SPORTING VIVI.  She has some decent form on the card over in Ireland including a really nice from off the pace winning run around Tralee in 2868.  She looks like she’s been a little bit difficult to get spot on for ‘Potty’ since arriving here in the UK but her last two trials around here have been decent and with further improvement likely she can get her first UK win on the card at the third attempt.  Vivi wouldn’t be the fastest from boxes or indeed to the first bend but she can lay handy enough here before unleashing a good run along the back straight to have matters in hand by the third turn.

A Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m at 232pm and a race which will take very little winning.  A moderate graded affair in all but name and betting should be kept to a minimum if at all.  Eric Cantillon’s DA LAST TYSON is lightly raced and wouldn’t have to find too much improvement if any at all to take this.  From a decent looking make up he’s selected but as noted not with any great deal of confidence.

The second of the afternoon’s Bet365 English Puppy Oaks Trial Stakes at 252pm.  Mark Wallis’s MINNIE BULLET might have failed in her bid to complete a course and distance hat trick last week but she lost nothing in defeat and arguable ran a better race than she had in her two previous wins.  A missed break and crowding at the turn put her out of contention but she again showed a likeable attitude to seriously reduce the deficit by the finish line.  Again today though trap 3 will suit better than the black of 4 which she lined up in last time she isn’t particularly well drawn given that My Girl Mia drawn to her inside can go up well whilst Selsey Bullet to her outside though hit and miss at trap rise will be looking to come across if she possibly can.  So Minnie will have to tread carefully but if she does make the second turn without too much trouble she will be seriously difficult to hold.

A much better class Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m at 311pm can go to the Bill Munden trained SAVANA CHARLES.  Known as Kilbreedy Sydney when trained in Ireland by Brendan Matthews.  His then connections who wouldn’t bring a dog across the Irish sea lightly made the decision to enter him into the Juvenile Classic earlier this year at Towcester.  He run with great promise in the first-round finishing second beaten just 2 ½ lengths behind Droopys Mural in an excellent 2947.  Purchased for what could very well turn out to be a bargain £3850 at the Greyhound Trader Oxford sale in mid September he’s trialled well here since and though this isn’t a bad quality affair he should prove tough to beat with anything like a start sandwiched between two greyhounds not renowned for their early pace.

The main event of the afternoon at 328pm as the greyhounds go to traps for the BGBF Greyhound Stud Book Trophy Final.  Kevin Hutton’s SIGNET DENVER owned by Tony Brealey is an 11-time open race winner including a sensational winning performance in the Laurels at Perry Barr earlier this year before more recently going unbeaten throughout the Seventy Sixth Two-Year-Old Produce Stakes at Swindon.  Including that competition and victory in heat and semi final of this one he heads into today’s final looking to complete a seven timer and it will take a braver man than myself to take him on.  He looks taken to once again smash out and make every post a winning one.  His main danger to success today looks to be Kim Gooding’s Shockwave Onyx owned by Kim herself and Mr D J Wiepen heads into today looking to complete a course and distance five timer.  Gooding’s greyhound has been in superb form around here in recent weeks and with his 37 kilo not easily passed the selection will have to be right on his toes from the word go in order to claim the rail by the first turn.  That being the case however Denver should soon set about his work in a race where it’s difficult to foresee him being backrun.  That said connections of Signet Otis trained by Kevin Hutton and owned by Stephen Harvey , the Patrick Janssens trained and David Firmager owned Romeo Top Cat , Richard Yeates owned and trained Ballyblack Speed and last but by no means least the Jill Llewellin trained Wolf Moon who Jill owns in partnership with Mr A Kersh and Ms A Slinger will all have their greyhounds primed to perfection and hoping to cause something of an upset of the selection isn’t at the top of his game.

Laurence Tuffin’s BOYLESPORTS DASH is a 3-time winner around Kilkenny in Ireland when under the guidance of Paul Hennessy and though the fact he’s been let go suggests he’s not quite at the level of greyhound of some from that famed set up this is still a greyhound more than capable of making his mark in an event like this and quite possibly in small opens beyond today.  He walked out from trap 1 last week in a similar race but showed good pace thereafter despite crowding at various junctures to finish second albeit well beaten behind a good winner.  Drawn slightly off the rail today in the blue jacket he can put himself into contention early and looks the one to beat in the Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m at 348pm.

Stadium Bookmakers Standard Open over 500m at 408pm should go to John Mullins SIGNET GOOFY who is an absolute credit to connections and deservedly got the big race win he deserved when landing the recent Steel City Cup Final in such memorable fashion at Sheffield.  He’s a plot draw to work from and if he comes away this should be no more than a solo trial for him.

A trickly looking Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m at 428pm and not a race for getting too involved in.  Laurence Tuffin’s ROMEO TROOPER isn’t usually too quickly into stride from these boxes but a few recent runs in sprints and first time back over this stand side might just get him away well enough to put him a little closer to the action in the early stages than he usually is.  He stays well and given he’s in a fair enough position at halfway he can come through late and strong to claim this in the final stages.

A 712m Stadium Bookmakers Maiden at 448pm and though Jamie Kingsley’s HELLOFARHOOHAH lacks a look around the track this is a race where if he reproduces the form of his last time out top grade run at home venue Hove he should lead comfortably enough.  He can find his way around from out in front and in what is a very poor affair where it’s difficult to see any of these making much of a mark in full open class he can make the trip to Towcester worthwhile for the Kingsley team.

Back to Stadium Bookmakers Standard company over 500m at 508pm and despite the move to the red jacket not being ideal for Mark Wallis’s ENERGIZE ECLIPSE he can follow up last week’s course and distance maiden victory.  He’s an awkward running style and given his age it looks as if that’s always going to be the case with him but it certainly doesn’t stop him and what looked all set to be a well earned but hard fought victory last time soon turned into a facile success as he pulled right away on the run in and further and further clear to the pick up.  Whether he would get the tough 712m trip around here is still open to question but it could certainly be something to consider and it would be no surprise to see him winning one in the coming week should connections choose that path with him.  In the meantime a level start here will be difficult to see him passed by the bend and if turning in front he’ll once again be the dog they all have to beat despite the raise in class today.

Stadium Bookmakers Sprint action over 270m at 528pm which can go to Geraldine Kovac’s FREEWAY JET who though difficult to get any kind of run of races into judging by the number of trials in between races is a pacey enough sort when things fall his way.  There wouldn’t be much between himself and his main danger Shockwave Amber but the draw slightly away from the rail swings things in his favour from a trapping perspective.  Away and gone.

Stadium Bookmakers Stayers over 712m at 544pm can go to Mark Wallis’s ANTIGUA LAVA who appears to be heading the right way with each passing run on her return to the track.  She looked pace less on her return to the track 3 runs ago but ran well albeit in a moderate enough time to win next time out.  Her run last week was an improvement still even though she could only on that occasion manage second behind Roll On Sydney.  This isn’t a good race and if she can find herself another couple of lengths or more she should soon be into territory which her rivals may well struggle to compete with.