The RPGTV National Sprint semi-finals take centre stage at Nottingham’s Colwick Park stadium this evening whilst the main event is also supported by heats of the RPGTV Puppy Cup and the RPGTV Standard Trophy.
Jimmy Fenwick’s Lightfoot Jetta, a July 2019 whelp, is the youngest pup in the competition. He followed up some impressive trials at Newcastle with a run full of promise on debut in A2, he showed on that occasion that he’s plenty still left to learn but also in snatches showed plenty of pace. Fenwick is as aware as most in the game of what is needed at prove successful at Nottingham and wouldn’t be travelling to the track with for a competition of this nature with a pup he felt couldn’t do themselves justice.
He lacks a trial which is of some concern but he does look to have enough in the early pace department to secure a position at the head of affairs early on, that should ensure he should get clear sight of the track and in a race which shouldn’t take too much winning he is the selection. Kim Gooding’s well-bred March 2019 whelp Bewitched has time to find on a few of these but has a good make up on the outside, she’s a must for forecast and place bets and if things did get a little messy on the inside, far from inconceivable, then she could well take advantage at fair odds.
Gavin Holman’s Easy Shot, a June 2019 whelp, looks to be a bitch of the highest calibre and is sure to be contesting all of the major Oaks competitions throughout 2021. She’s steadily progressed in qualification trials culminating in a best effort yet of 29.79 (+40) over this course and distance last time out. Showing an exceptional turn of early foot, crossing the line first time in 4.98 and hitting my unofficial halfway marker in an excellent for an unraced pup 14.93, she should soon be away and gone from this field with anything like a level break. Easy Shot is one to keep onside both in this competition and going forwards, she looks an exceptional talent.
Ted Soppitt’s Burnchurch Mick, one from one in his career to date having ran out an easy winner of the Star Sports Bookmakers Puppy Derby Trial Stake at Towcester, may well go on to better things than most of this field. He might just find things a little tough around Nottingham for the first time however with no look around under his belt.
Unlike ‘Jetta’ in heat one there is a fair obstacle in his way of leading here in the shape of Barry Denby’s locally trained Joes Jet. Joe has been displaying plenty of early pace in his efforts at Nottingham so far where he is 2 from 3 in A2 graded company. He broke the 5 second barrier last time out when crossing the line first time in a super 4.99 and any kind of reproduction of that should see him hit the bend in front.
He may also just edge off a little which would work against Soppitt’s charge and he can set sail for victory in a race where the leaders odds will be very short indeed by the second bend.
Carl Perry’s Geelo Coney emerged onto the sprinting scene with a superb 15.93 (+10) victory in top grade company at home track Sheffield back in June.
A couple of excellent efforts followed up at Newcastle but since then his form hasn’t really been at the expected level, largely due to not trapping well enough on most occasions.
He found his trapping boots at just the right time in last week’s heat though, hitting my first bend marker in a fastest of the first round 6.87 on the way to a 5 length victory over Waltham Blue Boy in 17.74 (+10).
A similar break from a perfect draw in trap 3 should be enough to see him win again however he must be foot perfect.
Gavin Holman’s Atarah King (6.96) keeps finding a way to win despite not flying to the corner as yet. He is now 3 from 3 in sprinting company whilst Michelle Brown’s Signature Callum (6.99) will be ready to pounce around the outside once more if there is any crowding inside.
He has won his last two around here and couldn’t be in better form. Dark Magic (7.00), despite looking sure to see plenty of space on the rail looks up against it in a race of this class for Ian Walke.
Kelseys Phoenix (6.91) showed plenty of pace behind Loggies Lito a couple of weeks ago, he’s talented but may not be ideally suited to the move to trap two tonight.
Whilst Kevin Hutton’s Ballydorgan Des (6.93) is now winless in 14 but is rarely far away, it would be no surprise if he were to qualify for next week’s final.
The second semi-final is without doubt the toughest of the two.
A race fit to be the final itself. I’m prepared to forgive the defeat of Loggies Lito (6.89) in last week’s heat. Simon Harms greyhound had previously been sensational at Nottingham and his first bend split of 6.70 a few weeks ago will take some surpassing.
With a level break I don’t believe there is a greyhound in the country to lead him up, so after doing so last week and with some overall sensational times on his card at Nottingham, calculated runs of 17.56, 17.66 and 17.64 in the past few weeks.
Why did he lead up and record a calculated 18.05 in only finishing a two length second to Atarah King in last week’s heat?
Lito appeared to ease rounding the second turn, on closer inspection of the replay the hare, though just about in sight in the bottom left of the screen, was without being driven further ahead of the lead greyhound that under normal circumstances.
My personal view is that Lito lost sight momentarily, allowing his rivals back into the race before running on again. Upon crossing the finish line he’s shortly turned round and stopped as the hare was taken away at speed to the pick up before the back markers had crossed the line.
Things like this can play on a greyhound’s mind for the rest of their careers, not always but they can do.
We need to hope that Lito remains fully focussed but if doing so he can kick on and continue his progression to becoming the leading star of the sprinting division.
Lynn Cooks Waltham Blue Boy (6.99) is likely to trap in better style on what will be his second start out of the sprint boxes since stepping down in trip and it wouldn’t surprise to see him going well.
Carter Bar for Derek Knight (6.98) is once again ‘apparently’ well drawn against the fence but as with last week I’m more often than not prepared to take on a sprinter out of red at Nottingham, greyhounds running from the box have a tendency to miss the kick on too much of a regular basis for it to be coincidental.
Geelo Gold Dust (6.92) for Carl Perry did nothing wrong in last week’s heat. She’s in great form but the move to trap 2 in a race of such quality won’t prove ideal.
Feather Breeze (7.00) is proving inconsistent at the traps. He’ll need a smash from trap 5 but has a chance if doing so whilst Julie Bateson’s Glengar Ronan (7.00) is pacey but at February 2019 is still young and learning on the job, he’s plenty of pace to clear on his inside if he’s to progress.
Gary Carmichael’s Little Emir took advantage of an extremely troubled race in behind to skip clear up at Newcastle last time out, winning by fully 11 1/4 from Winetavern Curly.
Though the winning distance was hugely influenced by the trouble, his winning time of 28.46 calculated highlighted the class of the run perfectly.
A hugely impressive winner of his first-round heat of the Star Sports Bookmakers English Greyhound Derby prior to being withdrawn from the second-round lame, a level start should be all he needs here to take command of the race at the first bend. From that position home he shouldn’t be for catching.
Danny Gommersall’s Mohort Bill is two from two over course and distance and looks a nice prospect for the Sheffield handler. He wasn’t at his best at the traps last week but still paced up to the bend, showed bravery to get himself to the front and hung on well in a very close finish from Pat Rosney’s Bower Jet.
Jimmy Fenwick’s Lightfoot Ripley has been showing pace in trials at Newcastle, but looks drawn a little wider than ideal here in trap four and may benefit from the look around. I’m siding with Bill to make it 3 from 3 here at Nottingham.
Barry Denby’s Upton Legend knows how to win around here at Nottingham and last week’s success at the track took his winning record to 13 in 33 starts having previously been winless in six efforts at Monmore.
Drawn in an unsuitable and unfamiliar stripes last week he trapped well, got himself into a great position by the third bend and was running all over the winner by the time they headed for home.
Plaza Lep can once again lead on the inside for Lynn Cook but the writing will be on the wall once they reach the fourth turn and Denby’s star performer can emerge victorious once again.
