Leading betting exchange Matchbook stepped in to sponsor the £10,000 to the winner category one Maiden Derby at Towcester this year and what a competition they have been provided with thus far. The firm also sponsor every one of 14 top class opens on today’s gala card and it should be an afternoon to remember.
Matchbook’s Head Of Communications Aidan O’Sullivan said: “As the title sponsor of the Maiden Derby, we are delighted with the competition’s success, and it’s fitting that these last few weeks finish with an ultra-competitive 14-race card.Showcasing the Matchbook Brand and our Greyhound Betting Markets while also supporting the Greyhound racing industry in the United Kingdom has been a privilege.
“Our Greyhound betting markets continue to be industry-leading, and we pride ourselves on offering competitive prices on each and every race. We urge anyone searching for value on their bets to check out Matchbook.com.”Our Head Of Strategy Jesse May and I will be on track on Sunday wearing our Matchbook best jackets, so I would urge anybody with any questions or interest in our Greyhound product to come and say hello!
“In terms of the final itself, we’re Industry Best Price on the favourite Wide Open (1.89), who needless to say, has been well backed. We’ve also seen some strong support for Trap 6 Storys Peewee (7.0) in what promises to be an uber-competitive final.”
The Low Commission At Matchbook Stakes over 500m gets the afternoon’s action underway at 157pm. Peter Cronin’s Irish raider All About Ted was well beaten on his return to Towcester last time out but can make amends here. He missed the break from a middle draw last time before pacing up to the turn well. Bad crowding at the bend saw his chance gone and he was eventually well beaten behind Bockos Belly.
The run can be forgiven with it being his first competitive start since winning on Winter Festival night at Shelbourne early in December. He’s an ultra-classy type having reached the final of last year’s Irish Derby and can benefit from the return to a wide draw today. He’ll need to be near his best though as this is a good class race and amongst others Nathan Hunt’s Dapper Rodney will be waiting to pounce if he’s not.
Matchbook Best Odds On Greyhounds Stakes over 500m at 212pm. Last year’s Maiden Derby and subsequent English Derby champion Thorn Falcon will be looking to get back to winning ways for Patrick Janssens. He wasn’t quite at his sharpest in last week’s defeat behind Amaze Me Seb but wasn’t disgraced and has a decent make up with which to work from today. Cape Cloud won well for Peter Cronin on Towcester debut last time out but the move to trap 1 is of slight concern in regards to his chances of breaking in quite the same kind of style.
Matchbook Betting Podcast Stakes over 500m at 232pm can go to Graham Holland’s Romeo On Fire. A high-class individual who possesses excellent all-round pace he gained valuable experience of this venue when trained for a short while by John Mullins. He can smash out and lead all the way here and though Richard Yeates likeable veteran Faughan Rebel will keep him honest throughout his younger legs can win the day on this occasion.
Back And Lay At Matchbook Stakes over 500m at 252pm. Matt Dartnall wouldn’t have specifically chosen to have Swift Raisin drawn to his inside of his Letter Pat that much is for certain. Paul Burr’s runner has ‘middle’ littered all over his card for good reason so Dartnall’s charge will have to be at his sharpest in order to clear the greyhound drawn to his inside here. He can ping from trap 3 though and if doing so can soon take charge of the inside. In what is a very winnable race such a first bend lead should then be enough.
Matchbook Betting Exchange Stakes over 500m at 311pm. An extremely tough race to predict and not really one to be getting heavily involved in from a punting perspective. Theresa Dornan’s Ballynabee Lucky has been ultra-consistent throughout his career however and does have a touch of class. Versatile trip wise he reached the category one finals of the Gold Collar and Kent Derby at the back end of 2021 and though not getting any younger still retains a class edge on today’s rivals. He’s selected although as noted not with the greatest confidence given the make up of the race which could see trouble at various points throughout.
Matchbook For Best Odds Stakes over 500m at 328pm. The John Mullins trained Chelms Switch isn’t one to place a great deal of faith in as he wins nowhere near the number of races that his pace should see him doing. He does have ability though and this is a race which with a break he can go close in. His main danger would be Mark Wallis’s Balterio drawn to his outside but at the likely prices today Switch warrants taking a chance on that he can add to his 3 career wins to date.
Matchbook Better Way To Bet Stakes over 500m at 348pm and if Part Blake trained by Graham Holland is to justify the faith shown in him in the English Derby ante post markets by some pretty shrewd judges then this really is a race which he should be winning and winning comfortably.
His 29.24 effort when winning his third round Irish St Leger heat at Limerick over 550 yards took 2 spots off the October 2019 track record of Priceless Brandy. He’s talented there is no question and he should be well suited to the test that Towcester provides. He does lack a look around the venue but so long as he’s reasonably well away he should have too much in his armoury for today’s opposition.
The main event of the day as the greyhounds line up at 408pm for the £10,000 to the winner Matchbook Maiden Derby Final over 500m. Here is a reminder of the semi finals.
A quality race but the trophy can head back across the Irish sea to legend of the sport Brendan Matthews.
His young bitch Wide Open has been simply sensational throughout the competition and overcame a tricky looking draw in last weeks semi final to secure her place in today’s line up. Her reward is a plot draw against the rail with a greyhound on her outside in the shape of Liz McNair’s Havana Robusto who should give her plenty of room to manoeuvre.
Wide Open can be in full command of this final by the time they head onto the back straight at the latest. Nathan Hunt’s Storys Peewee is drawn wider than ideal out in trap 6 but can find a way to clear rivals to his inside in order to fill the forecast position. The aforementioned Havana Robusto is pacey but has yet to win in 8 starts.
There would be no better time for him to get off the mark whilst Kevin Boon’s Farney’s Maestro has already proven he’s a pup of immense potential and could well ping from trap 3. Hellofakerfuffle has to overcome a tricky looking draw in trap 4 but he is on the improve for Jamie Kingsley and comes into today’s final in great form.
Jason Bloomfield’s local hope Savana Camino will have to do things the hard way but if things did get messy upfront he will be finishing to some effect. A quality final but the silver wear can head back to Ireland where the Matthew’s family may just find space for it to be displayed amongst there ever-growing collection.
Back And Lay At Matchbook Puppy Sprint Trophy over 270m at 428pm see’s John Mullins Swift Iconic stepping back down in trip having been eliminated from the Maiden Derby at the semi final stage having proven himself equally as adept over four bends as two. Prior to running in the Maiden Derby he’d won two good class D1 sprint races over today’s course and distance and though they came out of trap 3 he can box well enough to ensure that the move to trap 1 isn’t too much of a hindrance.
There’s no doubting in my mind that greyhounds trap more fluently from the middle boxes over this trip but if he is away level enough he can hold off Lee Field’s rapidly improving Drumdoit Jewel. Lee Fields runner looks to complete a four timer with an early April open race win here followed up with two top grade victories in the past couple of weeks. He’d be all set to take advantage if Iconic isn’t alert at the start.
Matchbook Stakes over 500m at 448pm can go to Stuart Tighe’s Newcastle raider Trinity Sydica. He was a comfortable winner of a maiden at Newcastle late in March and has since been performing well in trials both at that track and at Nottingham and most recently here at Towcester. He’d not be needing to find too much on his 3008 trial here to be winning this and any improvement at all should see him very difficult to beat. Support in the market would be a positive sign.
Matchbook Best Odds On Greyhounds Ladies over 500m at 508pm should go to Liz McNair’s Havana Bale Out on her return to competitive action. One of the fastest greyhounds in training here in the UK poor draws in the finals of both the English Puppy Derby here at the back end of 2021 and the Northern Puppy Derby up at Newcastle in mid-February. A sensational 2915 calculated trial here over today’s course and distance in mid March has been followed up with 3 high class trial efforts over the sprint trip here. From a perfect draw Bale Out can show why she’s one of the fastest around and why she’ll be one of the leading ladies targeting the English Derby in just a matter of weeks.
Matchbook Betting Exchange Sprint Trophy over 270m at 528pm. Liz McNair’s British Bred star King Sam is yet to win in 6 starts around here which is surprising given his excellent record at other tracks. He’s run well in some hot races here though including when reaching the BGBF British Bred Sprint Final in August 2020. Sam will reach veteran status next month so isn’t getting any younger but he has a nice looking draw to work from here with Zari Rosie drawn to his immediate inside certain to be looking for a pitch much nearer the inside. Not a great punting race but Sam won’t get many more opportunities as good as this to win for the first time around the Derby venue.
Matchbook Betting Podcast Stayers Trophy over 712m at 544pm can go to Matt Dartnall’s superstar Space Jet. Last years St Leger hero added the TV Trophy to her CV when last seen in competitive action down at Hove earlier this month. Well proven around here there’s no doubting that she prefers a tougher test of stamina these days but she has enough class and intelligence about her to come through when it matters. Diane Henry’s Savana Spartacus can set things up perfectly for Space Jet.
Matchbook Betting Exchange Puppy Trophy over 500m at 602pm. Seamus Cahill’s Slaneyside Harvy was bought for good money after a facile 2871 calculated victory against moderate opposition around Youghal in January. He’s shown plenty of pace in six UK starts in decent enough races but his lack of early has caught him out. Two Towcester trials in the past couple of weeks of 2973 and 2953 have shown that he’s in good form but a look at the splits of 445 and 435 again tell you all you need to know about his early paced limitations. Harvy won’t be presented with many better opportunities to turn in a pitch though over four bends and if he does so today it will be extremely disappointing if that pitch isn’t turned into his first win on UK soil.
