Angie Kibble’s Ballymac Intent has been flying around Swindon this year and has emerged victorious in her last four opens around the track. A hugely pacey lady who likes to do her running off the front but is also capable of winning from just off the pace. Her 29.99 (-10) trial around Towcester wasn’t too shabby when the slow sectional of 4.35 is taken into account. Intent is well capable of shaving a fair bit off that early marker and can do so here after smashing out and leading all the way.
Gemma Evans Droopys Aoife reached veteran status a couple of days ago but remains a bitch of the very highest calibre. Previously trained by Ernie Gaskin Aoife has been a Romford win machine in recent years with the highlight being when running out a deserved winner of the 2019 Coral Essex Vase Final. She counts many other top class open race victories to her name especially around the Essex venue but she’s capable away from there also proving equally as effective on a galloping circuit when taking the Coral Brighton Belle Final around Hove in December 2020. Aoife trialled well here last Saturday stopping the clock in 29.88 (-10) off a slow split of 4.34. Despite the fears that she might not break from trap 1 which has undoubtedly been a hindrance to many greyhounds running in open class company here in recent times I’m siding with her to come away well enough in heat 2 at 6.42pm to get into a decent position by the turn. She’ll need to be at her best though as if not there are more than one or two in the race well capable of taking advantage.
Monmore’s Lee Field hasn’t been training for all that many years but his results speak for themselves and it’s no surprise to see him getting together a kennel of top-class greyhounds. His young November 2019 bitch pup Tromora Birdie falls firmly into that category and she could develop into absolutely anything. Birdie already has some top-class efforts to her name most notably when destroying her puppy open opposition at home track Monmore in her latest outing by fully 5 lengths in 28.31 (-10). That effort was followed up by an equally as impressive 29.45 (normal) trial around here off a 419 split and a similar break can see her leading at the turn before powering clear for an impressive victory in heat 3 at 700pm.
Mr Roo was definitely strengthening up over the testing 500m Derby trip when running well in defeat in some trial stakes against top class opposition and when not beaten far and just failing to qualify in fourth place in the first round of the competition proper. That said there’s no doubt in my mind that Lee Field’s runner is definitely a better betting proposition over two bends than four and from a good make up against the rail in the Irish Focus Sprint Invitation at 7.17pm he can ping out and make all giving Lee a quickfire double in the process.
Liz and Rab McNair’s Warzone Tom has to go down as one of if not the unluckiest dog not to have qualified from the third-round stage of the English Derby itself. Going out when finishing a desperate short head behind Kilara Lion and just 3 1/2 lengths behind race winner Signet Ace there is no wonder Rab McNair stood motionless when rewatching the race on the Towcester big screen. It was a cruel elimination for a greyhound well capable of progressing much further than he did do and it would be no surprise to see him gaining some compensation here in the Irish Focus Standard Invitation at 7.35pm. He’ll need to be sharply into stride in order to avoid any crowding on the run to the turn but proved himself well capable of top class runs from tonight’s box of trap 4 when destroying his maiden opposition in a then track record time of 29.08 in mid-May. A similar performance here will see him very difficult to beat.
Diane Henry’s Savana Volcano has quickly established herself as one of the country’s top marathon performers. Bred to be special over extreme distances that’s exactly what she is and she can land heat 1 of the 1st Containers Dorando Marathon at 754pm and book herself a place in next week’s final.
Heat 2 can go to Mark Walls’s Aayamza Royale. One of the finest marathon performers we’ve ever seen grace our tracks she’ll once again be extremely difficult to beat and can run out an impressive winner once more. Her latest 3 outings came in heat , semi and final of the Ladbrokes TV Trophy at Monmore when going unbeaten throughout the competition with a combined winning distance total of 28 3/4 lengths.
ANGRY TORNADO on his way to an impressive 29.13 in the RPGTV Derby Plate heats completing a Peter Cronin double. Photo: © Steve Nash
Semi-final 1 of the RPGTV Derby Plate at 8.34pm can go to Pat Buckley’s Irish raider Glengar Bale. A high-class sort with many top-class victories to his name he was desperately unlucky not to reach the final of the Irish Derby last year when just touched off in fourth place in his semi-final. He’s plotted up for a run from his trap 5 berth here and he can ping out , pace up and kick on from the first bend for an impressive victory. Peter Cronin’s Angry Tornado put up a career best performance when running out an easy winner of his heat in a top class 29.13 (normal) however the move to trap 1 has to be of concern and it will take some break and some pace to the turn to see him leading round Bale on this occasion.
The second semi-final can go to Peter Cronin’s Angry Dad. Like his litter brother Tornado he was an impressive winner of his heat last week in what was likely a career best effort. Unlike his litter brother however he is arguably better drawn here in trap 3 than when running from the blue jacket of trap 2 last week. Dad can smash out and make all.
DEERJET SYDNEY (t3 right) challenges Cold As Ice (t4) and Pacemaker Ted (t5) at the first bend Photo: © Steve Nash
Onto the main event of the evening now with semi-final 1 of the Star Sports and TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby. As you’d expect with any Derby semi-final this is a race of the very highest quality. Pat Buckley’s 2020 Derby Champion Deerjet Sydney has once again been sublime throughout this year’s event. Showing everything a Derby Champion needs when so far going unbeaten throughout this year’s event and he will once again prove very difficult to beat. I’m siding with a young greyhound however who is heading on a rapid upward curve in the shape of Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Fairone. His second-round victory when popping out to make all in 2909 showcased all of his undoubted pace. His third-round victory and quarter final runner up run might not have been as flashy on the clock but they showcased a greyhound improving in both intelligence and in stamina. He’s turning into a serious greyhound and backing up the faith of his Irish trainer in putting him on the van across the Irish sea with some much better-known kennel mates. It can be a real buckle between himself and Sydney but on value grounds if nothing else the selection has to be Fairone. Those two can book their places in next week’s final with Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Wild running on for third and give him double representation on the biggest stage of all. Halfway sectionals
THORN FALCON (t6) wins in 29.48 with Ballymac Fairone (t1) shading Kilara Lion (t2) for runner up spot – Patrick Janssens just missing out on the forecast Photo: © Steve Nash
Semi-final 2 at 9.27pm can go to Pat Buckley’s Knocknaboul Syd. A leading fancy for the 2020 running of the Derby at Nottingham he was eliminated at this stage after missing the break having previously accounted for each of his first three rounds worth of opposition with consummate ease. Originally starting out this competition as a rails seed the switch to middle at the request of his shrewd Irish handler has worked the oracle in no uncertain terms. Beaten at odds on when running from trap 2 in each of his first two round heats he used his heart to gain qualification. The switch to a middle seed has seen him running from tonight’s trap of four in both of his third-round heat and quarter final engagement and on both occasions a smash break has seen him soon take command. He can come away here in similar style and run out an impressive winner over Graham Holland’s Gaytime Milo who similarly improved for a switch to middle with the same trainers Newinn Session who hasn’t looked at home around Towcester at any stage battling away on the inside to claim third and with it a clean sweep of Irish qualifiers and leaving those who took odds of as big as 25/1 for an all Irish final in dreamland.
