Westmead Joe, Boherna Best, Boherna On Air, Taylors Sky, Swift Hoffman, Droopys Buick . . . .
Airport Captain, Millwards Teddy, Ela Juliet, Sheldan, Coolavanny Bani, Westmead Hawk . . .
A flick through the Roll of Honour gives a pretty fair indication of the prestige of an event. In the cases of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup and Summer Stayers Classic, the results speak for themselves.
This is Monmore’s Night of the Year and there is no doubt that the two feature finals fully uphold the reputation of the respective competitions.
A typical mix for a maiden: youngsters, unexposed imports and graded hounds looking to nick their first open. Perhaps the most intriguing is Andy Slater’s Dapper Mac with an Irish card showing impressive qualifying trials and a win in his only race to date. His biggest negative is a lack of course experience which is why we are siding with Magical Rumble who presumably won’t need to find much on his 28.47 trial. 5-2-6
Predominantly a graded sprint with lots of local form plus a Newcastle raider. Of the locals, Distant Speed was running A4 and D3 not so long ago but has the look of a pup who has started to get his act together. Looks well suited by the draw and can run around the outside. The danger is the debutant De Real Machine who looks to have decent potential though he is the filling in a middle sandwich. 6-4-2
Hopes Rhino (NAP) looks several classes better than these on all known form. Will be very short and rightfully so 2-3-1
Very little to go on here in terms of proven form but Kranky Jamie probably just has the edge. Clocked a 28.80 on his first look of the track, and has more experience over course and distance than most in here. A lot of guesswork at stake though. 2-4-3
This one has the feel of ‘local favourite running out of his skin’ taking on ‘proven star, got the t-shirt’. In other words Crossfield Larry v Dubh Gasta. No disrespect to the others but these are the hounds bang in form. On balance, it’s Larry, probably, just, definitely, maybe. 1-4-2
Brinkleys Magic was hugely impressive when giving Newinn Touch a start and a beating in last week’s heats. But it is hard to imagine the Heilbron runner either leading or reeling in Antigua Big Syd if he were to improve on last week’s trapping. Not hard! The Hunt runner showed tremendous pace to overcome trouble. Like his big brother Frompostopillar, great ability when he gets it right. 2-3-4
We are going for a Droopys Sydney offspring to win the final in memory of hugely popular former trainer! She might only be an October whelp, but Crafty Shivoo beat the best in Ireland in the Oaks and looks a massive prospect for next year. An interesting aside, looking at Antigua Bingo. When was the last time you saw a race where a female was heavier than four males? 2-1-3
What a final! No really!
A Juvenile Classic winner in one. A Cesarewitch winner and Derby third in two. A Three Steps To Victory winner in three. The triple Cat One winner, and defending champ, contesting his third Stayers Classic Final in five, and a treble Cat One winner in six. Havana Note – a mere third in the Hunt Cup is entitled to an inferiority complex.
This event was been marred by controversy since connections of Fromposttopillar attempted to enter their runner as a middle seed. Indeed, one Scottish Assistant Trainer was fuming that his runner was not afforded ‘middle to rails” comments from his semi final.
The saying ‘it is draws that win finals’ is particularly interesting here as this one is absolutely intriguing. At face value, Droopys Clue looks the best drawn dog in the race and a repeat of last week’s semi final would see him follow Distant Emma for a lap and a bit and then reel her in.
But Cochise is the 37 kilo elephant in the room. This is a greyhound who could outtrap and lead some of the leading Derby dogs and if he seizes the rail, based on last week’s semi final, he is unlikely to be caught.
Then there are the three McNair runners on the outside. Rab suggested that had he been able to place his runners in their preferred boxes he would have wanted Havana Top Note in red, Fromposttopillar in white and and Warzone Tom in black.
But has the draw worked out so badly for the kennel? Based on sectionals – admitedly not a perfect guide – Havana Top Note could lead up and then cut to rail. Warzone Tom invariably moves in. What is Fromposttopillar breaks like he did in the first round from trap five and repeat his 13.38 sectional? He certainly wasn’t as quick away from four last week.
It is a fascinating and intriguing race, and with only three spots between the three semi final winners (how is Cochise an 11-2 shot?) it could hardly be more competitive. 6-2-1
Betting: 13-8 Fromposttopillar, 15-8 Droopys Clue, 11-2 Cochise, 7-1 Distant Emma, 16-1 Havana Top Note and Warzone Tom
There can be little doubt that if Links Maverick lands the Gold Cup, he will be a serious Greyhound of the Year contender. He won the Northern Puppy Derby in February and the £20K Pall Mall in July. But he is as much about style as reward. Victory would be his tenth consecutive. For consistency and early pace over the most competitive of distances, he has been in a league of his own.
Nothing seems to phase him and his win from blue in last week’s semi was yet another masterclass. Tonight will be his fifth race in the red jacket, he has won the previous four. Logically, it is impossible to look past him. Churchfield Syd has similar sectionals to Maverick but would need to be at full fitness to compete. His time will surely come, whether it is tonight. . . ?
Hawkfield Ozark – a previous winner of the Irish Sprint Cup – has time to find and will probably has some chasing to do based on last week’s semi.
Whyaye Man looks capable of quicker than his 28.19 semi with a better break, but he would need to be on very close terms at the third bend with the Heilbron runner looking stronger than ever in the later stages 1-6-5
Betting: 1-1 Links Maverick, 7-2 Churchfield Syd, 5-1 Hawkfield Ozark, 8-1 Whyaye Man, 25-1 Whitings New Era, 40-1 Flipofacoin
In terms of natural ability, there would be a good case to suggest that Stevie Knows would be worth a place in the Gold Cup Final. He has a good overall strike rate which would be considerably better with more consistent trapping. Not an ideal draw but could be good enough. The danger appears to be last year’s Juvenile Classic runner-up and Maiden Derby winner Drive On Lad. 6-2-1
A cracking bitches race which will feature a rematch of the British Bred Oaks Final won last week by Fabulous Azurra. The 33 kilo blue is a winning machine though No Rush wouldn’t know how to run a bad race either. Both Rapido Lady and Kilara Coco boast strong form over course and distance and the field includes Arc Puppy Cup winner (Ballybough Mags), and an Angel Of The North winner (Magical Camilla). 1-6-3
Ballymac Taylor is at least half a lap short of her optimum in here but she has decent 630 metre form and is a young bitch with a growing reputation. Teds Dexter’s strike rate isn’t special though she has been mixing it in some very high class company. Little between her and Ballymac Archer. 2-5-6
