BRITISH BREEDERS STAKES – PREVIEW MARK PIERREPONT

The betting for heat 1 is likely to revolve around Robert Smith’s Star Sports & ARC English Greyhound Derby quarter finalist Amka Rofe and Kevin Hutton’s progressive Boca Junior who contested the final of the Westmead Legacy In Memory Of Natalie Savva Trophy Final here at Nottingham on Derby final night.  The tentative selection at what should be a fair price though is the Chris Akers trained Fearsome Diva.  She’s likely to be moving off from her trap 1 berth however she’s capable of coming away in better style than when recording a moderate 5.18 in her trial last week and if just about holding her pitch to the bend she could see herself skipping clear courtesy of the draw.  Her aforementioned 500m solo when recording 30.22 (+20) wasn’t a bad effort at all on what was her first four bend run of any description since mid-June.

Harry William’s Pond Natalya can take heat 2 from what looks a plot draw in trap 3.  Natalya has vast experience of these British Bred events , her highlight so far coming when going unbeaten through the BGBF British Bred Oaks in August 2019.  A strong running bitch who can win off the front or from off the pace , she has a chance to lead here and though it would be race over if she were to do so she’s also more than capable of coming from off the pace too.  Eliminated at the heat stage of the recent ‘Westmead Legacy’ Natalya showed herself to be in top form with a 29.69 (+30) solo trial here last week over course and distance.

Anna Thompson’s Dark Ocean can take heat 3 in all the way style.  He’s a greyhound who always performs admirably in top A1 company here at Nottingham and from his favoured trap 4 draw he can smash out and make every post a winning one.

Heat 4 looks set to serve up another terrific race between the recent first and second in the Westmead Legacy In Memory Of Natalie Savva Trophy Final.  Mark Wallis’s Agincourt Xena might have been sent off at double figure odds of 10/1 for that event but there was no fluke about her victory over Kevin Ferguson’s Acomb Winston.  A similar break from Xena can see her seize command of the inside by the bend and though she’s likely to once again be kept up to her work by Ferguson’s North East raider she can yet again hold a clear advantage over that rival at the finish.

Liz and Rab McNair’s King Louis is a hugely pacey individual and though he narrowly failed to qualify for the ‘Westmead Legacy’ final he’s since advertised his wellbeing with a stunning 28.92 (-20) open race victory at Central Park.  He’s ideally drawn here in the striped jacket and can make all in heat 5.

King Axle can take the sixth and final heat of the first round and can land a quickfire double for Team McNair.  He’s not the best in the trapping or early pace department but he’s still managed to put up a couple of fair times here at Nottingham in both his heat and when finishing third in the final of the ‘Westmead Legacy’.  Granted he negotiates the first two bends without too much trouble he should be far too strong from halfway.