When the sport lost Towcester it not only lost a track which is bad enough alone but we lost a flagship venue of which we can all be proud – writes Mark Pierrepont.
During COVID times many tracks have taken the financial decision to reduce open racing prizemoney. Pleasingly Kevin Boothby has maintained the levels of £250 win and £60 run throughout.
Quality open racing is what people in the sport crave and with the team at Towcester also keen to support the sport at the highest level it’s good to see them rewarded with an entry of the highest quality. The main event of the evening is the final of the inaugural KAB Maiden Derby though the supporting races are also absolutely mouth-watering to any purist supporter of the sport.
A Star Sports And TRC Events & Leisure English Derby Trial Stake gets the evening underway at 6.09pm. In a very competitive starter Native Maestro is selected to take the spoils for Graham Holland. Beaten just half a length in the Select Stakes Final at Waterford when running from a poor draw out in trap 5 he looks well housed here. Maestro trialled well last week stopping the clock in 29.66 (normal) on what was his first look at the circuit. He’ll need to be lively at trap rise though as the race is lined with quality from top to bottom.
Jaytee Wexford is yet to find a break in either his trial or two competitive starts at the track since. He can put that experience to good use though and with any kind of start Paul Hennessy’s dog can drop nicely onto the tail of Lee Field’s early paced Mr Roo and prove too strong for that rival in the latter stages in the second trial stake of the evening at 6.28pm.
Boylesportsbingo is a classy sort and can provide the Hennessy team with a quickfire double. His most recent competitive outing came in a classy Easter Cup Final at Shelbourne in March. Though his recent trial times of 29.82 and 30.14 are more than decent he’s given the impression that there is plenty more to come and can land the third trial stake of the evening at 6.43pm.
The Towcester Racecourse Bitches Open over 500m at 6.58pm and Queen Beyonce can dominate from the outset for Liz and Rab McNair on what will be her first competitive outing since her English Oaks Semi Final engagement at Swindon in December 2019. Steadily brought back to fitness with a succession of sprint trials Beyonce has shown over the past couple of weeks that she still retains plenty of her old ability. This superstar of the sport can soon take command and announce to the greyhound racing public that she’s back.
The fact that Newinn Session is likely to be a backable price for the fourth trial stake of the evening at 7.18pm highlights perfectly the quality of this field. That said Graham Holland’s superstar greyhound will take all of the beating from a nice draw. His first sighter of the circuit recently came in a trial which saw him cross the line in a rapid 29.42. He’s an aeroplane of a greyhound and despite facing the likes of Hilight Arkle who is improving at a rapid rate of knots for Richard Rees and 2020 English Derby Finalist Smurfs Machine for Seamus Cahill he will take all of the beating with any kind of break.
If the strength of the Irish based challenge for the forthcoming Derby hasn’t hit home yet then it should do. Kameko may not be one of the first names off the tongue when it comes to listing the stars of Graham Holland’s kennel but he’s a nice type and showed that with an excellent 29.68 trial here recently. Again this fifth trial stake at 736pm is a competitive affair but once more the Irish challenger is well drawn to seize command of the race by the bend.
The sixth and final Derby trial stakes of the evening see’s the greyhounds head to traps at 7.56pm and this one can go to the well-drawn Detroit for John Mullins. A tough dog to pass when he gets the lead he craves Detroit can hold off all challengers. Kevin Hutton’s Magical Ezra stays on well and can do so once more out wide on the track to fill the forecast spot.
A Towcester Racecourse Puppy Open over 500m at 8.17pm and a race that can go the way of Seamus Cahill’s top-class youngster Surprising. Simply awesome when going unbeaten through the Puppy Derby in December last year he’s yet to win in three starts since comeback. He should be approaching peak fitness now however and he should comfortably emerge victorious here. Ballymac Slapup for John Mullin’s led for a long way in his semi-final of the KAB Maiden Derby last week and he can give the selection most to think about.
The Towcester Racecourse Sprint Open over 270m at 8.38pm can go to the Dave Mullin’s trained Shrewd Call. There’s no doubting this greyhound’s pace once his feet touch the floor but especially for a sprinter he’s often let down by his trapping ability. Take a chance that he’s away somewhere near on terms and if so he’ll take a lot of beating.
The main event of the evening at 8.54pm sees the greyhounds head to traps for the KAB Maiden Derby Final. A race which is sure to throw up many future big race and competition winners but the night can belong to Brynhall Respect (11-2) trained by Wigan based Gary Griffiths. Respect was simply awesome when destroying his first-round opposition and was desperately unlucky when finishing second to Buttsys Blackie (5-1) in his semi-final. Griffiths has a habit of getting a break from his greyhounds when it really matters and that can once again be the case here with Respect taken to smash out and make all. Thorn Falcon (8-11) for champion trainer Patrick Janssens is once again well housed out in trap six and couldn’t be in better form heading in to tonight’s final. He’s taken to fill the forecast spot in what should be a terrific race. Others: Diamond Lisa (8-1) Amazing Wink, Tommys Ranger (16-1)
Troy Suzieeq is yet to win here in the UK in four starts but has been knocking on the door for Dave Mullins. Well related being a full sister to Redzer Renae she can get off the mark here in this 712m Towcester Racecourse Maiden Stayers at 9.12pm. Millhouse Alan can chase home the selection for Henlow based Vicki Lea.
Last but by no means least Liz and Rab McNair’s Warzone Tom can take the 500m Maiden Open in good style. Things didn’t quite go for Tom who was one of the leading ante post fancies in the KAB Maiden Derby but he can take this and send the punters home from what should be an excellent evening’s entertainment with smiles on their faces.
