The inaugural Star Sports, ARC and LPS English Greyhound Derby at Nottingham enters its fourth round stage tonight. It takes its place in Derby history with some fantastic racing, intriguing head-to-head battles, breathtaking individual performances, drama and of controversy, with the dead-heat/disqualification story in the third round.
Looking at tonight’s Quarter Finals, greyhound racing enthusiasts are in for a rare treat, four races of the very highest calibre.
Droopys Verve had been a little error prone at the traps and early on in his races of late, but what wasn’t in question was that ‘line to line’ Angela Harrison’s dog retained every drop of his undoubted ability.
In last weeks third round heat, he also showed that he still has a break in him as he smashed out of the lids, crossing the line first time in a 5.02 split and eventually running away with his third round heat by 7 3/4 lengths in a magnificent 29.14 (+30).
The second fastest race time ever recorded at Nottingham, a performance right out of the top drawer. Verve faces some quality rivals in the first quarter final, he needs to trap akin to his third round effort once more, if doing so however, he should have all the room he needs up the middle of the Colwick Park track to make the bend in front and set sail for home.
Hayley Keightley and the team will have been delighted to see both Roxholme Jim (T1) and Roxholme Glory (T3) qualify for the quarters, though I have no doubt that ideally they would have liked to see the dogs drawn the other way around.
That said, both dogs are young, progressive and can overcome their draws to qualify for next weeks semi finals. I expect Glory to smash out the traps from his trap three berth and he can go round on the inside of Verve and grab the rail before chasing Verve home for second place.
Jim isn’t well drawn in one but he can hold his pitch to the turn and can qualify in third place. Wildfire Jimmy looks horrendously drawn in trap 5, he’ll need a lot of luck on his side if he is to qualify. King Sheeran didn’t come home too well from the last bend onward last week, he just hung on to dead heat for the aforementioned third place.
He’s well enough drawn on the outside if he can trap, but he will have to stay on up the run in a little stronger than he did last week if he is to progress. In the hands of Liz and Rab though, that’s more than a possibility.
Latest Betting: 1-1 Droopys Verve, 11-2 Priceless Blake, 6-1 Roxholme Jim, King Sheeran, 7-1 Roxolme Glory, 40-1 Wildfire Jimmy
Ante Post: 9-1 Droopys Verve, 28-1 Priceless Blake, Roxholme Jim, 40-1 Roxolme Glory, 50-1 King Sheeran, 200-1 Wildfire Jimmy
Magical Bale is drawn wider than ideal in trap five in the second quarter final, however Kevin Hutton’s dog is hitting a rich vein of form at just the right time and is impossible to oppose with any degree of confidence.
The draw in five is negated somewhat by virtue of what is in a lot of ways a ‘vacant trap’ to his immediate left. Dower Rory actually runs from trap four, though he can on occasion come away well enough, he will immediately head to the inside even if he did so tonight. The path should be clear for Bale to pace up, lead by the bend and once turning in front, the 2018 Irish Derby Finalist shouldn’t be for catching.
Liam Dowling’s sensational Irish bitch Ballymac Tas has yet to win during the derby, however she has improved with each passing week and is drawn to much better effect in trap two tonight than she has been when drawn four in the past two rounds. Heading to the line last week in exactly 5.00 seconds, after a much improved break, she showed that she is getting to grips with the starting system on UK soil.
She’ll need a similar or even fractionally better break again, but if doing so Tas can drop second to Bale and claim a semi final place. Dower Rory is likely to be huge odds yet again, but this dog likes nothing more than to chase fast dogs and he can run on strongly to take third place.
There were rumblings at the track last week about whether Rory had instigated the trouble that led to Swift Jim being disqualified, never in a million years. Rory is what he has always been, a dog that loves the chase and doesn’t do much in front. He’s a character, but nothing more, the game would be a poorer place without dogs like him.
Latest Betting: 11-10 Magical Bale, 4-1 Worseforwear, 9-2 Droopys Expert, 10-1 Lemon Shane, Ballymac Tas, 25-1 Dower Rory
Ante Post: 7-1 Magical Bale, 25-1 Droopys Expert, Worseforwear, 40-1 Ballymac Tas, 50-1 Lemon Shane, 100-1 Dower Rory
Queen Beyonce, home bred by Liz, Rab and the KSS Team, is a bitch of a lifetime. Absolutely devastating pace and a huge will to win. It is greyhounds like this that make watching greyhound racing so special. Beyonce hasn’t looked in a moments worry as she has effortlessly sauntered to victories in each of the first three rounds. Another ping break can see her hit the lead by the first turn and that should be enough.
Beyonce should still be improving her fitness, that’s a frightening warning to all of her rivals. Clonbrien Prince is the only other unbeaten greyhound remaining in the competition, he’s poorly drawn out in five but he can use his class to secure second place whilst Paganini Show can run on for the third and final qualifying place in next weeks semi finals.
Ballyanne Sim, 2018 Irish Derby Winner, has his sights set on more glory, however will need a much improved performance from what is a perilous draw in four if he is to progress.
Latest Betting: 11-8 Queen Beyonce, 6-4 Clonbrien Prince, 10-1 Paganini Show, 12-1 Ballyanne Sim, 16-1 Antigua Romeo, 33-1 Front Edge
Ante Post: 12-1 Queen Beyonce, 6-1 Clonbrien Prince, 33-1 Paganini Show, 40-1 Ballyanne Sim, 100-1 Antigua Romeo, 200-1 Front Edge
What a race we have in the fourth quarter find. Dorotas Wildcat, one of the sports leading superstars of the modern era lines up from trap 4.
The Cat is due to be retired at the culmination of this years Derby campaign, I’m sure somebody has forgot to tell him as he has been running as well as he ever has and it would be a fool who would rule out him retiring as a dual Derby winner.
The black box is probably slightly further out than ideal, however with Master Reed, drawn to his immediate inside and not likely to prove too much of a hindrance early, The Cat should have no trouble in flying up the home straight first time, turning in front and making every post a winning one.
Irish superstar and new Nottingham track record holder, Skywalker Logan, will be confident of having his say though. Well drawn in two, he can quickly take command of the rail and though he should be closing The Cat down in the very late stages, I fancy it will not quite be enough and he and his supporters will have to be content with second and a place in next weeks semi final draw.
Jaytee Taylor can take third place, what he lacks in early he more than makes up for in the second half of the race, he can run on for a comfortable and qualifying third place.
Latest Betting: 4-6 Dorotas Wildcat, 7-2 Skywalker Logan, 11-2 Jaytee Taylor, 16-1 Nice Charmer, 25-1 Lemon Ronald, 66-1 Master Reed
Ante Post: : 4-1 Dorotas Wildcat, 10-1 Skywalker Logan, 14-1 Jaytee Taylor, 16-1 Nice Charmer, 25-1 Lemon Ronald, 250-1 Master Reed
