A superb 14 race card at Towcester this afternoon with the Category One Premarket Pets Blue Riband Final taking centre stage. As well as the winner of the competition receiving £10,000 Patrick has very kindly put up the money to ensure that all finalists receive a magnificent silver framed photograph of their greyhound , £500 to the kennelhand(s) of the winning greyhound and £100 towards the drinks bill for each of the finalists. It’s certainly a final which sponsor Patrick Janssens can rightly be proud and with his own Thorn Falcon set to line up as a short priced favourite for the event he will be hoping that his generous sponsorship will be heading in the direction of the Two Dragons And A Lion syndicate of owners.
Just the 1 graded race on the card and that is a D2 event which gets the afternoon underway at 157pm. It’s a tricky looking race and not really one for playing in at least not too heavily. Vicki Lea’s Savana Glory is young and improving and despite missing the kick on her latest start it was still a career best effort to date. A level start and Glory should have enough pace to make the bend in front and if doing so will take some amount of beating.
The first of 4 TRC Events & Leisure Maiden’s over 500m is next up at 2.12pm. Unlikely to be much of a price but this looks a straight forward enough task on UK debut for Chris Hamblin’s Stefans Rocket. This good-looking fawn dog kept good company on Irish soil with many top-class efforts to his name. Trials around Towcester since arriving on these shores have been more than adequate for a race of this nature and he’s selected to land this before moving onto bigger and better things. Owned by Team Hamblin Racing he’s without doubt a dog who could well be lining up in a heat of the Derby in a few months’ time.
A TRC Events & Leisure Standard over 500m at 232pm and a tricky enough puzzle to solve. Any of the inside trio of Chelms Fred , Kantoher Jack and Aussie Captain would be well capable of winning this well if gaining a first bend lead. They could more than feasibly come together on the run up and at the turn here though and that may just open the door on the wide outside for Mark Wallis’s 2021 Steel City Cup Finalist Balterio. A strong running type he could soon be looking a very big price if turning handy heading onto the back straight and is selected as a value alternative to a few rivals who may just have a little in the way of pace on him but on this occasion may soon see that taken away by what looks a great draw on the outside.
A Northamptonshire Sprint Trial Stakes over 270m at 252pm and it’s difficult to get away from Jim Hayton’s Kirabilly Kathy. I opposed her on price last week with Millhouse Turbo who to be fair run a game race in defeat. Everything went right for Turbo though a smash break and Kathy not away from the traps at her best. Taking that into account it’s difficult to see Turbo reversing the form so I’m siding with Kathy but if Turbo did hit silly odds on the machine and he may well touch double figures then a small saver wouldn’t do any harm. Diane Henry’s Savana Biscuit makes her UK debut having trialled well. She’s a nice type but may well be one that’s better suited to the shorter four bend trips than these out and out sprints.
The second 500m TRC Events & Leisure Maiden at 311pm and though beaten two weeks running at short odds it’s difficult to get away from Richard Rees Whats Up Eva. She would prefer to be drawn the other side of her main danger in the race Zazzeras Rosie who was beaten at odds on after a wholesale gamble in A2 last time out however she’s a pacey individual and that money is surely only lent. Given the draw there is likely to be no value in the anticipated price of Eva but she’s difficult to get away from and is selected to shed her maiden tag.
A 712m TRC Events & Leisure Maiden Stayers race at 328pm. Paul Young’s Bubbly Tomahawk drifted like a barge in a 500m maiden here last week and for the majority of the race ran like one. Those keeping a close eye on this strapping and lightly raced January 2020 whelp will have noticed him making huge strides from the run in all the way to the pick-up. Staying is this dog’s game and though he’ll undoubtedly improve for the run over the distance and is drawn wide enough for a greyhound who has shown a tendency to move inside , he’s the one greyhound in this field who could well go on to become a really decent type in good class staying races this year. Providing he steers clear of trouble for the first 200m or so then he can really begin to open up once the gaps begin to appear. Having drifted so badly last week the market may also provide a few clues to this one’s chances.
More Northamptonshire Sprint Trial Stakes action over 270m at 348pm and this looks a straight match between top and bottom. Preference is for John Mullins 2021 Scurry Gold Cup Finalist Signet Goofy. He stays further than this trip and so long as he’s laying handy at worst to his main rival drawn in red Mudtown Moon trained by Jason Foster then he should come through on the run in ‘at the latest’. Likely to be available at around the even money or maybe slightly better mark he rates a good bet with the danger looking a solid forecast selection to enhance the returns further.
The main event of the day at 408pm with the Premarket Pets Blue Riband Final. A category one event with a winner’s prize of £10,000 it’s a final that sponsor Patrick Janssens can rightly be proud and with his own Thorn Falcon holding every chance as a strong favourite there is every chance that the winner’s prize could well be staying in house. Patrick told me “I’ve been delighted with the competition. It’s been a really high-class affair and the final itself is of real good quality. I’m pleased to be able to support Towcester as a venue as I really believe that the sport relies on its success so much. There is a place for the everyday BAGS style racing and it’s needed but anybody in the sport will tell you that it’s the big competitions and the top-class greyhounds that we all strive to be involved with. In my opinion without the top-class events and without a solid foundation of open races throughout the year at all of our tracks then the sport really in my view has no future. We need to support the tracks who are showing a willingness to see successful open racing at their venues and Towcester fall firmly into that category. I’d like to place on record my thanks to Nathan Corden who I’ve dealt with throughout the organisation of the Blue Riband. As always he’s been a pleasure to deal with and quite honestly is a credit to Towcester.
As for the chances of Thorn Falcon in the final Patrick told me “Thorn Falcon (Owned by Two Dragons & A Lion) is incredibly well. He’s in great form and I’m really expecting a big run from him today. As we all saw last year during the big maiden event and then during the Derby he really loves Towcester , it’s a track that plays to his strengths ideally. I’m happy with his draw and have every faith that he’ll smash out and run a huge race. He’ll have to though there is some more than decent competition ready to take advantage if he doesn’t do his job but I’m expecting him to crack out in front , that’s exactly where you want to be in any big race like this and once there he’ll not be caught”.
I also caught up with Kevin Hutton who said of his pair of representatives in the final “I’m absolutely delighted with both Signet Otis (Owned by Mr S.G. Harvey) and Sleek By Design (Owned by Mr J.M. Dickie & Ms S. McNellie). They’re just 2-year-old this month and this was a big step up in class for the pair of them but they’ve taken it in their stride. Otis looks well drawn in trap 3 but obviously needs to lead to win in a race of this calibre so we’ll know his chances from a very early stage. Regardless of how this final pans out he looks all set for a big year. ‘Sleeky’ lines up in her third category one final and is still improving. She’s poorly drawn here though and will need to tread carefully if she’s to secure a run. She’s run some huge races just to make the final so we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. We’ll likely give the pair a short break after this ahead of being readied for the British Breeders Stakes at Nottingham. I’d just like to place on record my huge thanks to sponsor Patrick and his Premarket Pets business. Without sponsorship such as this we’d be lost as a sport and it’s really appreciated and great that he’s putting back into the game. I expect nothing less of Patrick though.
Champion trainer Mark Wallis has got his year off to a flying start and is represented by half the field. I spoke with Mark and he said “First up I’d just like to pay thanks to Patrick for his really generous sponsorship. Not only the prizemoney but the added touches to go with it such as drinks on the table for the day , he’s a man who recognises how to treat people in the sport and things like this really are a touch of class. Looking at our runners I’d have to say Drumcrow Brent (Owned by Ms M. Connolly) is probably our best chance of a winner but it’s going to be very far from easy. He’s a very nice type , ultra-consistent and loves the track. He’s up against it with Thorn Falcon drawn to his inside though and like with our other two he’s going to need things to fall his way if he’s to have any chance. Bryce Canyon (Owned by Pace Partnership) has performed miracles to get to the final and really it would be a huge upset if he were to win today. He’ll be doing his best though and you can never say never. One that could represent a bit of value could be Ivy Hill Skyhigh (Owned by Mr A.P. Curtis , Mr E.F. Johnstone & Mr S.P. Oliver) , he run really well last week to beat off our own Brent and if he did reproduce that kind of break then he might just lead at the bend and if he did well he’d not be picked up easily if at all as he’s a very strong runner. I think we’ve all got to be realistic though and say that Thorn Falcon is a class act , if he does his running then it won’t matter what any of us do as we’ll all be running for second place. We’ll have a great day at Towcester though regardless and I’m looking forward to what should be a great afternoon”.
Back to TRC Events & Leisure Maiden company over 500m at 428pm and despite being drawn wider than ideal Peter Harnden’s Salacres Finesse can pop out and make all. A progressive young bitch who looks destined for a career in open class company she will have to fly the lid but from a middle draw that’s more than possible. If getting to the front early she shouldn’t be for picking up in a race of this nature. Robert Hall’s Sporting Sydney drawn on the wide outside has a terrific make up and though lacking a look around can run on for second to fill the forecast spot.
More Northamptonshire Sprint Trial Stakes action over 270m at 448pm and a really high class two bend affair. Peter Harnden’s Salacres Lee had his winning streak ended with an emphatic performance from David Mullins Shrewd Call last week and that rival is in opposition once again here. Shrewd Call hit the lids last week however and that’s not something which he’s consistent at. It has to be noted too that they greyhounds were placed within and then removed from the boxes after another of the runners turned in the traps and that wouldn’t have done a usually consistent breaker in Lee any good at all. Back in the red jacket he can ping out and make all although once again he’ll need to be at his best in what is a very decent line up.
TRC Events & Leisure Standard company over 500m at 508pm and Diane Henry’s Savana King can gain some small compensation for being eliminated from the Blue Riband at last week’s semi-final stage. He totally missed his kick from this box last week and though he would prefer to be drawn slightly away from the rail the fact he lines up from the red jacket for the second consecutive week should be a positive to his chances. He’s likely to be a little more alert at trap rise this time round and I fancy him to lead by the turn and run on for a comfortable enough success. Richard Yeates Faughan Rebel run really well to win here last week but at November 2017 is no spring chicken and whether he can follow up is debateable.
TRC Events & Leisure Stayers over 712m at 528pm where with any kind of run Mark Wallis’s Antigua Lava looks a good thing. Lava is a class act and is fancied strongly to prove far too good for her opposition and rates one of the strongest bets of the day even if the odds on won’t appeal to everybody.
The last of the Northamptonshire Sprint Trial Stakes at 544pm and John Mullins Pennys Oxo has a great opportunity to land the spoils. He’s not desperate for the red jacket which he lines up in and is likely to move off from there but so too are his nearest rivals and I fancy him to have enough pace to hold his position to the bend. From that point home it should be a great chance for Oxo to land the gravy for connections.
The final race on a wonderful card is a TRC Events & Leisure Maiden over 500m at 602pm. Affleck Macy destroyed A4 opposition on UK debut for trainer Patrick Janssens last week though with a 2878 on the card around Youghal that kind of run shouldn’t have come as a surprise. This is a bitch destined for the open scene and I’m fully expecting her to improve with each and every outing for a number of weeks yet. Don’t be surprised to see her improve at a rapid rate of knots and eventually be lining up in much better company than she faces here today.
