Stadium Bookmakers Juvenile Classic Final afternoon at Towcester racecourse with a winner’s prize of £10,000. Towcester has firmly established itself as the home of open racing here in the UK with the Star Sports Bookmakers / TRC English Greyhound Derby as the jewel in the crown but the track has added and continues to do so a whole host of competitions which attract the very best greyhounds in training throughout the year. The Stadium Bookmakers Juvenile Classic is no different and the track and sponsors have a final of which to be proud. Ably supported by a further 8 opens it’s a quality card which will keep enthusiasts and punters entertained and intrigued throughout.
The Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m gets the afternoon underway and though the initial thought was to take on Queen Pink after her run last week where in all honesty Liz McNair’s youngster threw away a golden opportunity by refusing to drive the first bend she’s forgiven that due to her age and the fact that she should based on the past running of her neighbour in trap 2 Caso Consulto get plenty of space to run on the inside today. If she gets round the bend in front then it’s all over but she doesn’t want to be getting involved in too much crowding as on last week’s performance at least she looks a bitch who might just back off a little under those circumstances. Take a chance she comes away a little better today and gets round though as if doing so she’s without any doubt the fastest in this field even if her likely price won’t represent a whole deal of value.
The Stadium Bookmakers Sprint over 270m is next up and Roy Peckham’s Call Me Tom can smash out and make all from a perfect draw in trap 4. He’s obviously a greyhound who has his issues he’s been on and off the card throughout his career but on his day there is no denying his ability. The inside pairing of Knocknaseed Gem and Newtown Sydney will take the beating if either get clear but there is every chance they could come together and do each other no favours. John Mullins Ohhalabamaslama was mightily impressive over course and distance last week putting up a good time but he’s drawn wider than he’d like this time around and wouldn’t always be so quickly away. Take a chance that Peckham’s dog is on his toes at the start and if so he can make full use of what looks an excellent make up.
A Stadium Bookmakers Maiden that won’t take a lot of winning and if Liz McNair’s debut making Queen Gaga has anything about her she will win this and she will win it well. It’s a poor race full of exposed types and she is the sole runner in the field who has any prospect at all of going on to have a decent open class career. Yes it’s her debut , yes it’s her first time around the track but I’m sure connections wouldn’t be running her at a venue that they didn’t have confidence in her handling. Gaga has been rapidly improving in her 480m trials at Central Park where an initial 2967 was followed by a 2921 and then most recently a 2908 run. Anything close to that last line of form and she will win this. Mark Wallis’s Towstar Luna would rate the main danger but if you’re lining up in a race with a nice pup and have her in the race to make the market for you then your eyes should be lighting up with glee as if you get beat by a bitch with a record of 2 wins from 31 UK starts then you deserve to get beat and can save your excuses for another day.
The main event of the day The Stadium Bookmakers Juvenile Classic worth £10,000 to the winning connections can go to the Matt Dartnall trained , Paul Carpenter , Gerry Dolan , Trevor Jacobs, Jeremy Winters and Eamon Kelly owned Ivanexile. Despite being drawn out in trap 6 in each round of the competition so far he’s overcome the draw on each occasion by utilising his serious early gears in order to take up his preferred middle of the track position. Today in the final he finds himself drawn to perfection and he can smash out from trap 3 before making every post a winning one. This is a serious greyhound who has everything needed to go on to become a leading player on the UK open competition circuit over the next couple of years. Liz McNair’s Havana Lover was impressive in winning her semi-final last week but today finds herself back in trap 1. That’s not sure to be a positive to her chances of breaking in similar style and even if she were to do so anything like a level start from Ivanexile and he leads her comfortably enough in any case. Richard Rees Drive On Lad is a real solid performer with good all-round pace but might just been squeezed for room early here and will definitely need to do it the hard way and hope for luck in running. Droopys Optimal has been soundly beaten by the both Ivanexile and Havana Lover in recent starts and it’s difficult to see her overturning the form for Eric Cantillon whilst Vicki Lea’s Kaluki though very pacey will need to front run and whether he can trap well enough to get across to his preferred middle of the track position whilst also clearing the selection is debatable. That just leaves Mark Wallis’s strong running Antigua Sugar who often has to do things the hard way but has showcased on more than one occasion that she’s very capable of doing so even in against quality opposition. If things did get a little messy upfront then she could well come through with a strong late run. On the balance of all probability though it’s Ivanexile to land the final for Matt and his loyal and enthusiastic team of owners. A win would be a huge boost in particular for Trevor Jacobs who is currently in hospital poorly and I’m sure I speak for the whole sport in wishing him well.
The Stadium Bookmakers Standard over 500m can go to Diane Henry’s Starsports / TRC English Greyhound Derby Finalist Savana Beau. Running over a trip no doubt short of what will become his optimum he performed miracles at times throughout the Derby to reach the final. Giving track owner / promoter Kevin Boothby the thrill of a lifetime this strong running performer undoubtedly has a top class six bend career in front of him. Given a well deserved break after that final appearance his comeback trials have been superb with a 1596 sprint effort followed up with an excellent 2938 over course and distance. He’ll need to tread carefully around the opening two bends but Beau can come through with a strong late run to take this before likely being stepped up in trip in the not-too-distant future.
An open looking Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m can go to Mark Wallis’s My Little Ivy who looks well drawn to complete the hattrick having won well in A2 and latterly A1 company here in successive weeks. After a decent 2989 qualifying trial here Ivy was well supported to land a couple of A2 events but it was only on the third attempt at that grade that things really clicked into place. That win however was swiftly followed up with an even more impressive run in top grade and there’s nothing to suggest the improvement will stop there. This is a bitch who could go on to do well in some bitches confined events in the coming months. David Barber’s Barley Panther makes his UK debut and has some decent form on the card over at Shelbourne Park with a wide margin A3 victory in 2821. He’s qualified on well here and rates the main danger but might just find that My Little Ivy has secured first run on this occasion. He’s one to keep on the right side of though and should have no trouble picking up a maiden before too long even if it’s not today.
The Tony Geehan Memorial can go to Mark Wallis’s Beepers Grace who overcame a moderate start on last weeks UK debut to win well. A nice bitch bought off some promising enough if not spectacular strong running performances around Shelbourne Park she seems to have settled into life here in England well and is improving each time she sets foot on the track. Grace can turn handy here to the John Mullins trained Chelms Tornado and pick that rival up in the latter stages to make it 2 wins from 2 starts here at Towcester.
A wide-open looking Stadium Bookmakers Maiden over 500m can go to Lee Fields Droopys Capture. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like the best of this bitch yet who has so far failed to win in 5 UK starts but she’ll not get many better opportunities to do so in open class at least. She can break a bit better than she has been and wearing the white jacket today she can utilise that to gain what could well be a very cheap lead heading off the second bend before kicking on for a strong running victory. Market support would be a huge positive for a bitch hailing from a team not adverse to putting their money down when fancied.
Another competitive affair to round off the afternoons open race action with the Stadium Bookmakers Standard over 500m. Lee Fields can land a last two races double with his Milton Harbour taken to just about squeeze around the bend in front from his rails draw. All of these will be looking for positions nearer the rail and that includes the only seeded greyhound in Steve Rayner’s Sawdust Hondo drawn in six. Fields greyhound has been off the card since being beaten in an A1 here but his sprint trial was decent enough and can have sharpened him up nicely for this. He does need to be quickly enough into stride though as if not he’ll be cut off at the bend but he can just about as I say make it around and if doing so he’d not then be for catching.
