Eagle soars – Camilla rules at Newcastle
Newcastle ‘old boy’ Antigua Eagle returned to the track to successsfully take on the locals in the opening round of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat.
Under his former name of Omuircheartaigh, the black started joint favourite for February’s Northern Puppy Derby final. Sold to Nic and Amanda Jeal and re-named, Eagle returned with sole southern raider Kevin Hutton and duly did the business with the fastest time of the first round.
Eagle’s former Tom Heilbron still had a decent night with a double as locals took all the remaining qualifiers. Quickest of the bunch was Steve Caile’s prolific A1 winner and ‘Performance of the Week’ regular, Delvin Cat with a 28.46 run.
The semi final draw worked out with a near perfect breakdown of seeds.
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5
Heat 6
Kevin Hutton was also among the winner’s in the bitch’s competition with a 5.3/1 double though it was Jimmy Fenwick’s local Ballymac Camilla who produced the fastest time of the entire card.
The six bend open racer produced a better-than-might-be-anticipated break. Once clear, she was never going to be caught.
A majority of the leading fancies made it through to the semi finals, the exception being the eliminated Tromora Supreme.
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5
Heat 6
CHOPCHOP RAINBOW makes her swansong appearance this evening Photo: © Steve Nash
Track record holder to bow out tonight
Romford favourite Chopchop Rainbow will have her final race at the Essex track tonight (see form link below).
Winner of 20 of her 82 races, the Gemma Evans-trained April 22 British-bred daughter of Laughil Blake and Chopchop Hope, another hugely popular Romford performer, holds the 225m track record at the Coral venue.
The Chopchop Rainbow Retirement Race will be race six on the card with owners the Chopchop Members Club on hand to receive a commemorative trophy and present another trophy to winning connections.
“Of course, it could be to themselves if Rainbow was to win!” said Romford racing manager Mark Arkell, “albeit we know she’s perhaps not the force she was. Nevertheless, you rule Rainbow out at your peril.
“She’s been brilliant here and won so many races. I suppose if her dam Chopchop Hope was the Queen of Romford, then Chopchop Rainbow has very much been the Princess of Romford.”
This Runs Deep Unraced starts tonight
All eyes will be on the clock at Shelbourne tonight for the opening round of the This Runs Deep Unraced.
The final of the four heats houses Yorkie Ollie who has been the talk of the competition since a breathtaking 28.00 trial on June 28. He is from a repeat mating of Magical Bale and Outdoor Roller, a cross that produced Scaglietti the first time around.
He was behind Grangeclare Lady in a sprint trial on his first look at Shelbourne but turned the tables in style over four bends. That bitch clocked 28.42 herself which makes her one to watch. A daughter of 2021 Irish Derby winner Susie Sapphire, she goes in the second heat.
Scooby Princess, who chased home Susie Sapphire in the 2021 Irish Oaks Final has Scooby The Boss in the same heat with 2020 Derby third Coolavanny Chick also represented by Skidrow Joe.
Heat three has Unreal Unreal in trap one, no prizes for guessing her dam, from a Dec 22 litter by Ballymac Bolger, one of six for Bolger in the competition. Droopys Sydney is the only sire to have more representatives, boasting 33% of the 24-runner stake.
On trial times, Droopys Expected has a bit to find in the opening heat. He is a son of Droopys Curio, however, which makes him a half-sibling to tonight’s Time Dundalk International favourite Droopys Mandolin. He looks the type to make serious improvement in the coming weeks.
Mandolin heads Time Dundalk International Market
As mentioned above, tonight is the Time Dundalk International. The sponsors have been rewarded with an excellent field headed by Droopys Mandolin. She is flanked in trap two by her two main market rivals which is going to make for a hugely exciting race at 9.30.
Betting Guide
- Droopys Mandolin 13/8
- Daleroad Duke 2/1
- Unanimouspanther 5/1
- Coolavanny Otto 6/1
- Singalong Dolly 12/1
- Tribal Syd 33/1
THE Liam Dowling-bred and trained English Derby champion De Lahdedah heads nine nominations for the Time Greyhound Nutrition-backed Greyhound of the Month for June along with Aero Sacundai (Richie Taberner), Churchfield Syd (Richard Rees), Crafty Shivoo (Mark Wallis), King Memphis (Liz McNair), Magical Bluebear (Bill Russell), New Destiny (Mark Wallis), Romeo Command (Patrick Janssens), Untold Ruble (Tom Heilbron).
Opens
Tonight: Romford
Saturday: Central Park ♦ Doncaster ♦ Hove ♦ Oxford ♦ Perry Barr
Sunday: Crayford ♦ Sheffield ♦ Towcester
