The Derby second round – Friday heats 1 to 8 – Full form & preview

I would imagine that this heat on betting at least will look to be between Pat Buckley’s Glengar Scholar and Richard Yeates veteran Faughan Rebel.  At odds on the pair combined however there is little in the way of value with neither being particularly well drawn.  Scholar would prefer to be drawn middle and there is a big question mark over him in any case having lost a race last week that was his for the taking.  He’s fast of that there is no question and he may well get off the front and win like a good thing but everything taken into account he’s passed over.  Faughan Rebel is a credit to connections and he may well win again around a track which he loves but again simply on price and that he’s a fair amount of pace inside him he’s opposed and the greyhound which I’m siding with is the same one which benefited from the slowing up of last week’s first round heat and that’s CALLMESTEVE trained by John Mullins.  This race could well be slowed up in a very similar manner to last time and at what should again be decent odds take a chance on him in both the win and place markets.

Liam Dowling’s BALLYMAC BELVULT ran quietly well in last week’s first round heat.  Drawn wider than ideal out in trap 4 he’s much better drawn here in trap 2 this evening.  There’s no doubt that Signet Denver will look to edge off from the rail but that rival should soon be out of the way of Belvult who can drop onto his preferred rails pitch and begin to gradually move through the gears.  Denver is likely to set the pace upfront with Seamus Cahill’s Sporting Chile.  The pair are unlikely to do each other any favours though and could well set the race up for a finisher with Belvult selected to take advantage but don’t be surprised if Richard Rees Amaze Me Seb gets brought into matters late too.

Katie O’Flaherty’s lightly raced DARING DEISE was sent off 20/1 for last week’s first round victory and though he’s likely to be single figures this time around he’s still likely to go off much bigger than he should simply because he’s not trained by a so called ‘leading name’.  That’s no disrespect to Katie at all who is well proven to be able to do a dog as well as anybody but this greyhound will likely be available at twice the price he would be if he had the likes of Wallis , Janssens or Holland attached to him.  Despite missing the kick last week he soon paced up to lead at the turn and despite still showing one or two novicey signs out in front he never looked in danger on his way to beating a fair field in a good time.  From a decent make up he can take command early tonight and show that last weeks success was no fluke.

The move to trap 1 for Pat Buckley’s CUSHIE CONCORDE isn’t ideal as he’ll no doubt be looking for ground nearer the middle of the track from an early stage but he’s enough in the way of early pace to see that he can soon run wherever he chooses should he trap okay from one.  He had to play second fiddle to kennel mate Ballinabola Ed last week but there was plenty to like about his effort especially after being forced to check up behind his talented kennel mate as they headed round the first turn.  He can get clear here early and if doing so that should be enough.  Owen McKenna doesn’t bring dogs across to England for the fun of it and that alone is a big clue to the regard in which he must hold the strong running Ballymore Border.  He went down by 5 ½ lengths to Lautaro in last week’s heat but a large portion of that was left at the start.  He’s a big danger to the selection if trapping but so long as he’s sensibly enough away he should have no problem in claiming second at least.

John Mullins SWIFT ICONIC can cause something of an upset by landing this heat.  There’s no doubting that the 500m trip is at least 20 or 30 metres beyond his stamina limitations but early pace wins a lot of races and he’s much better drawn here to utilise it from the outset rather than having to do so just to hit the front after a missed break last time out.  Peter Cronin’s All About Ted is a pacey sort and off the front would no doubt be capable of a time much quicker than that of Iconic.  He’s a wide seed who likes to cut the turn though and if Iconic does break I can’t see Cronin’s greyhound getting across.  If he does then it’s race over but at a likely odds on against the likely price of Iconic there is no question in my eyes where the value lies.  Go with Iconic to win and that being the case Ted Soppitt’s Skywalker Forte will automatically have received a nice run in behind against the rail so a reverse forecast on the pair wouldn’t be the worst bit of advice at odds which could bring about a huge pay out for little risk.

This looks a match up between Karol Ramsbottom’s Deadly Showtime and Peter Cronin’s DA BOLD FREDDIE with the latter preferred on his trap 3 draw.  No doubt in my mind that being drawn slightly away from the rail is more often than not advantageous from a breaking perspective and if getting first run on his main rival that can be enough to ensure that Freddie follows up his dominant first round success.  Showtime shouldn’t turn too far behind and can run out a comfortable runner up whilst Richard Rees Droopys Goodtime stays on well and can claim the third and final spot in the third-round draw.

What a heat this is absolutely full of quality from top to bottom.  A race to watch and enjoy rather than get involved in from a punting perspective but for selection purposes I’m staying loyal to a greyhound I made a strong pick last week in BALLYMAC LEON.  Liam Dowling’s lightly raced youngster was sensational last week after flashing from the traps he never looked in a moments danger on the way to a 2904 victory.  It’s difficult to see him breaking any better but a similar start will suffice and the move from trap 2 to 3 isn’t a negative in that regard.  He’ll need to be right up to his best again though with Pat Buckley’s sensational Ballinabola Ed just one of a host of greyhounds ready to take advantage if not.

Some people had BUBBLY APACHE down as slightly disappointing last week but for me the run was superb.  Early and middle pace to die for and though he did comeback late on to be picked up by Barefoot Maestro that was no disgrace which the subsequent unofficial second half finishing times showing that no greyhound in the first round finished off as well as Maestro did.  That was also Apache’s first competitive start since early April too so he can only get stronger and this week he may well find that he has a similarly early paced greyhound laying second to him in the shape of Kevin Hutton’s Signet Ace rather than the monster finisher that Maestro is.  Apache can flash from traps and set sail for victory and this time around the cheers of his loyal team of owners can hold out all the way to the finish with him unlikely to be reeled in.