The Matchbook Maiden Derby semi-finals take centre stage on what is another wonderful afternoon’s greyhound racing at Towcester racecourse. The competition was rocked this week with the news that ante post favourite Coolavanny Shado had to be withdrawn lame with trainer Patrick Janssens revealing that his superstar pup had suffered a stress fracture of a metatarsal. With the Derby now just weeks away Patrick and the team will be working towards him being fit to take his place but the trainer at this stage at least rates his chances of doing so at no more than 50/50. The competition remains one of high class though and will take some amount of winning by the eventual champion.
Under one name other another all of today’s supporting open races are generously sponsored by Matchbook and we get underway with the Best Odds At Matchbook Stakes over 500m at 157pm. A race not containing a great amount of early there is a totally unexposed runner in this field who should quickly progress way beyond this class. That runner is Mark Wallis’s unraced Moyvane Image who posted 2978 in a trial here just a couple of weeks ago. He’s not really got his trapping together just yet and does want nearer the middle of the track but in the context of this race he should get away with that. A reasonable enough start and he should be able to move across in plenty of time before the bend and then kick away. The danger would be a dog more used to turning nearer last than first turning on his tail and that’s more than a possibility with the make up of this race but chances are Image will simply prove a cut above if as noted getting that first bend lead.
The first of today’s Matchbook Maiden Derby semi-finals at 212pm and after the withdrawal earlier this week of Coolavanny Shado the race looks there for the taking for Liz McNair’s Havana Lover. She couldn’t be in better form and looks certain to drop into a nice pitch behind the front runners. Heather Dimmock’s PeeJays Forever can lead on the wide outside whilst the McNair second string Havana Robusto shouldn’t be too far away either. The writing will be on the wall heading into the third turn however with Lover all set to swoop on by the pair of them and into next weeks final.
The Matchbook Stayers Trophy over 712m at 232pm can go to Richard Yeates Ranchers Tigger. This young bitch is capable of some huge runs when getting to the front early on and that’s exactly what she can do here. The couple of weeks off to freshen herself up since finishing second to Burgess Elite over 740m down at Hove won’t do her any harm at all and I expect her to ping out here and make every post a winning one. In what’s a fair enough race Tigger should be a more than backable price.
The second semi-final of the main event the Matchbook Maiden Derby at 232pm and a very intriguing race to try and work out. Brendan Matthews Wide Open has simply been sensational in winning her first and second round heats and now rightfully heads the ante post market. For me there is no doubt that this bitch is the fastest runner remaining in the competition however the draw couldn’t have worked out much worse than it has done today. On this bitches Irish form you would fancy her to drop out and sit in behind the pace setting duo of Farneys Maestro and Swift Iconic trained by Kevin Boon and John Mullins respectively. Since arriving at Towcester however she’s shown herself to contain much more in the way of early and trapping ability than many believed she possessed. That’s great and will serve her well going forward but in the context of today’s race it could well see her sandwiched with nowhere to go at the bend. I’m loathe to oppose a bitch I rate so highly especially since doing so would result in selecting one poorly drawn runner with another. Wide Open is therefore selected however this is not a race for betting in and I would simply advise a watching brief with one eye on future opportunities.
The Low Commision At Matchbook Stakes over 500m at 311pm can go to John Mullins Deadly Tornado at what should be decent odds. He does need one of his better breaks in order to lead round but if he does just than then he could soon be looking great value. He ran out an easy and well supported winner of a good A1 at home track Yarmouth last time out and though yet to win around Towcester he’s shown enough in some decent races over both the sprint and four bend trip here to suggest his turn shouldn’t be too far away.
The Matchbook Best Odds On Greyhounds Stakes over 500m at 328pm and the ultra-consistent and classy Balterio for Mark Wallis will again take some amount of beating over a course and distance which he’s well proven. He can sit just off the pace before unleashing his challenge rounding the final couple of bends and should prove too strong on the run for home. Likely to be targeted at the forthcoming Derby there would be worse greyhounds to have on side as qualifying types throughout the competition with him almost certain to get his draw most nights and an attitude that will see him running on when others have cried enough.
The Matchbook Sprint Trophy over 270m at 348pm looks to be between Mark Wallis’s Call Me Tom and Seamus Cahill’s Pocket Lola. Wallis’s runner can get first run on Cahill’s classy British bred bitch and over this two-bend trip that can be decisive. Lola won’t be far away however and a straight forecast wouldn’t be the worst of bets in order to enhance the likely short odds of Tom.
The Matchbook Betting Podcast Stakes over 500m at 408pm with the betting likely to revolve around the outside drawn pair of Warzone Tom for Liz McNair and the vastly improved Antigua Bigun for Mark Wallis. Bigun rattled off a five timer between 27th February and 27th March here over course and distance and though he’s been beaten on his last two starts he’s been far from disgraced in behind Glatton Gianni and Bockos Belly. Bigun can gain first run on Tom and though he’d appreciate his main rival encountering a little crowding early on it wouldn’t take too much for him to be gone beyond recall.
The Matchbook Better Way To Bet Stakes over 500m at 428pm. Kevin Boon’s Old Fort Chicago wasn’t beaten too far on last week’s UK debut despite not gaining the early lead he craves and despite a troubled passage throughout. He posted a 415 split here in his first trial around the venue and if getting back to that kind of mark he should lead round. With last week’s run under his belt for fitness he’d be a difficult dog to then reel in.
The Matchbook Maiden Stayers Trophy over 712m at 448pm can go to Patrick Janssens Bockos Brandy. A proven high class stayer on Irish soil including when finishing runner up to Priceless Jet in the Corn Cuchulainn final at Shelbourne Park in July last year she reached the semi final of the George Ing St Leger at Yarmouth and the final of the TV Trophy at Hove in recent times here in the UK. She’ll be looking to gain her first UK win at the fifth time of asking but this is by far the easiest assignment she’ll have faced so far and it will be a major disappointment if she doesn’t justify what will be cramped odds.
The Back And Lay At Matchbook Stakes over 500m at 508pm see’s last years Derby Champion Thorn Falcon returning to the track for his first competitive start since the end of January. He’s trialled back well with a 1 1/2 length second place finish to Bockos Belly a couple of weeks ago when recording 2935 followed up with a 2936 solo trial last time out. Amaze Me Seb drawn to his immediate inside is pacey in the second half of his races and is always difficult to keep out of the frame but his lack of early should see Falcon in a prominent position on the wide outside from very early on. Master Ten Ten looked to be progressing nicely earlier in the year but he’s been found wanting over the past few weeks. So it’s Falcon to win with Seb running on at what should be decent odds to fill the forecast slot.
The Low Commision At Matchbook Stakes over 500m at 528pm. Nathan Hunt’s greyhounds have been in flying form for sometime now and his Dapper Rodney can add to a winning tally that should really be higher than his current 3 wins in 22 starts. He’s always kept a high level of company however and the 2021 Eclipse Finalist can land what is without doubt a step down in class upon the kind of company he’s regularly lined up against.
The Matchbook Betting Exhange Stakes over 500m at 544pm can go to Richard Yeates superbly consistent veteran Faughan Rebel. There is plenty of early pace on display here on the inside with Gerry Ballentine’s Drahbeg Dandy and John Mullins Knocknaseed Gem likely to battle it out upfront. That won’t do either of the pair any favours and Rebel can bide his time on the outside before swooping by the pair heading int the third bend.
