With the Star Sports English Greyhound Derby now less than two weeks away the trial stakes action really hots up this afternoon at Towcester racecourse with a full 14 race card of trial stakes. With notable entry from both UK and Irish soil the afternoon will undoubtedly provide plenty of clues for the weeks ahead.
Seamus Cahill’s lightly raced Global Vision attempts to make it 3 from 3 around Towcester and 7 from his last 7 overall when he lines up in the afternoon’s 157pm opener. A 2944 trial over course and distance in mid-April was followed up with 2967 (normal) and 2914 (+10) victories in competitive races over the next couple of weeks. Last week’s trial stakes win was no doubt his best performance yet in a career so far spanning just 10 races. A level break should see him make the turn in front and soon skip clear with the John Mullin’s and Patrick Janssens trained pair of Deadly Tornado and Romeo On Tilt drawn the wrong way round and likely to hamper each other in the early stages. Jason Gray’s Mickys Barrett has been off the card since finishing runner up in the Northern Flat Final up at Newcastle but has trialled back well around here over the past couple of weeks whilst the Irish trained pair of Bockos Viera and Ballymore Border may just find that they will benefit from the further experience of the venue today for Graham Holland and Owen McKenna.
Graham Holland’s Russian Glory is trading at just 25/1 with the sponsors for the competition proper and that’s for very good reason. He has everything needed to go a long way in the competition and though off the card since being well beaten on Winter Festival night at Shelbourne in early December his previous runs when reaching the final of the St Leger at Limerick mark him down as absolutely top class. Having run out an impressive winner of each of the first four stages of the St Leger he was sent off 9/4 favourite to win what was a final out of the top drawer. A slightly awkward start on that occasion put him on the back foot from the outset and further trouble throughout saw him finishing a well enough beaten fifth behind Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Merlin. An 1875 sprint trial around Limerick a couple of weeks ago was followed up with a first look 1576 sprint here at Towcester last week. This isn’t an easy race at all with any number of his rivals able to lay claim but he can get first run on Lee Field’s Milton Pepe drawn to his inside and claim the rail from an early stage. He will no doubt improve fitness wise and progress over the coming week’s but with his rivals on his outside much at their best when leading themselves a first bend lead can see Holland’s Irish star winning at Towcester for what may very well not be the last time in the coming weeks.
The betting might suggest a match for the 232pm between Graham Holland’s improving Chubbys Best and Liz McNair’s Warzone Tom. On this occasion at least preference is for the latter who has a nice make up to work from and should get plenty of room to run on his way to the first bend. Holland’s charge is a nice type but hasn’t been around and might just appreciate the run from the boxes in order to show his best.
The 252pm is a very tricky race to solve with most of the runners posing more questions than answers. Seamus Cahill’s UK debutant Kilkenny Santy has a big engine but does lack a yard of early. He trialled well around here though and a similar kind of run would be enough today. Though lacking early this really is a race in which he should turn in a prominent enough position and it would be disappointing and a blow to any Derby hopes if he were to not turn that into victory. Diane Henry’s Adeles Duke reached the quarter final of the Derby last year and has had the competition ear marked for some time again. His preparation wasn’t aided when taking a fall here a couple of weeks ago however. He’s clocked 1590 in a sprint trial since but the suspicion is he may just need today’s run.
Graham Holland’s Knight Tornado is a classy sort and deserves to add major success to his cv. A finalist in the Juvenile in 2020 he’s already reached the finals of the Gold and Easter Cup’s around Shelbourne this year. He trialled superbly well over the sprint trip here last week recording 1565 and though the switch in sides for today’s trial stake is a little bit of a concern from a breaking perspective he likely doesn’t have to fly from the lids in order to prove successful. A sensible enough start should see him laying handy to Seamus Cahill’s Pocket Lola and he can pass the rival heading into the third turn before kicking away.
The 328pm race should go to Liz McNair’s Havana Bale Out. One of the fastest in training here in the UK when she gets things right she should turn this race into a procession if getting clear by the second bend. This isn’t much better than a high grade affair and Bale Out should soon be dominating.
Havana Lover ran a very flat race when eliminated from the Matchbook Maiden Derby at the semi-final stage here a couple of weeks ago and though she received a small amount of crowding and slightly more than that on the run in the effort was way below her true capabilities. The move to a middle draw today can prove advantageous and she can return to something like her best to take the 348pm for Liz McNair.
Diane Henry’s Savana Scrappy wouldn’t be one to be backing in too many four bend races these days with him being much more at home over a tough six where he is allowed to dominate. In a race not containing the greatest amount of early however he can drop handily to Gerry Ballentine’s Drahbeg Dandy who can set the early fractions and allow Scrappy plenty of space with which to manoeuvre in the early stages. The selection can come through late to land the spoils.
John Mullin’s Chelms Yes can take what is a very winnable trial stake at 428pm. He finished runner up to Signet Denver in The Laurels Final at Perry Barr on his latest start and that kind of form makes him very tough to beat here. Lee Field’s Milton Noah is young and still improving. He reached the semi-final of the Monmore Puppy Derby earlier this year and routed a good class A2 field on his latest start whilst Theresa Dornan’s Ballynabee Lucky is well drawn against the rail and rarely runs a bad race. He’s getting no younger but shouldn’t be far away once again.
Kevin Boon’s Old Fort Chicago looks one of the best bets on the card and could very well be a more than backable price. On paper this looks a competitive enough affair however I fancy Boon’s greyhound to get first run on these and if gaining the lead as expected he can add to his course and distance win of a couple of weeks ago. Diane Henry’s Savana Bamba was well beaten behind the selection on that occasion and though he did receive more than his fair share of crowding in behind that could very well be the same case again today. Jason Heath’s Clongeel Ozzie trialled well here last week but won’t find it as easy under race conditions with his last to first tactics whilst Frank Gray’s Savana Dismount may just need the run.
Patrick Janssens Blackrose Tadgh is better over a stiffer test of stamina than he faces here at 508pm but he should drop handy to John Mullins Ballymac Slapup and the writing can be on the wall from a long way out. Mullins greyhound has been kept confined to racing over sprints and short four bends these days and does so to a high level. With a break there isn’t much to trouble him early in against proper four bend runners but there is no doubting that he’s susceptible in the latter stages and so long as Tadgh gets around the first couple of turns without too much trouble he can come through late to break the heart of the fading Slapup. Savana Beau is another of Diane Henry’s greyhounds who possess good all round pace but lack a little in the early pace department. He can run on into a place but may find that the front runners have gone too far beyond recall.
A competitive race to call at 528pm but a race which doesn’t contain a great deal of early. There are two greyhounds running on the inside in the shape of Jamie Kingsley’s Charlies Blueboy and Vicki Lea’s Masons Pal who both ran well in defeat behind Letter Pat here last week. Neither gained much of a clear run on that occasion but it’s far from inconceivable given the make up of the race that one of them could poach a very cheap lead. That being the case it would be unlikely they’d be back run and at the likely prices both can be bet to level stakes.
The penultimate race of the afternoon see’s the greyhounds head to traps at 544pm and Liz McNair’s Havana Robusto can finally gain the first win of his career at the tenth time of asking. He’s competed at a high level in his career so far and in all honesty has probably been asked a few tough questions that maybe his inexperience left him unable to answer. There have been a few glimpses of the potential contained within though and in a race which barring Alison Kelly-Pilgrims Deanridge Skippy doesn’t contain much in the way of early pace he can come through to win. Skippy should set the pace on the outside but Robusto should drop in a pitch which if it’s then not turned into victory he can at least semi permanently be scrubbed away from any mindset that he might be worth betting in future.
The final race of the day takes place at 602pm and I’ll stay loyal to a greyhound whom I’ve previously noted doesn’t win anywhere near often enough but does when things fall right possess plenty of pace. John Mullins Chelms Switch can flash out from his trap 5 berth and lead all the way to send punters home happy at the end of a long but informative session of Star Sports English Derby trial stakes.
