The Local Parking Security National Sprint gets underway this evening at Nottingham’s Colwick Park stadium. It is a competition which always attracts the very best two bend performers around and this year is no different.
Angela Harrison’s Droopys Reel rightfully heads the antepost markets. A winner of 11 of her 13 career starts, she is a superstar of the very highest order.
‘Reel’ is like clockwork at the traps, pings out with remarkable consistency, has early pace that few can even consider living with and stays out every inch of this 305m trip well.
If ‘Reel’ were to ping three times in a row, the likelihood is that the others would be playing for runner up.
After recording 17.66 (normal) in a trial here at Colwick Park a few weeks back, she has since gone on to runaway with two trial stakes in 17.37 and 17.42 respectively, both recorded on going officially given as 10 fast.
Indeed the 17.37 recorded by ‘Reel’ was just 3 spots outside the 17.34 track record set by Target Harris back in June 2014. It would be a brave man who bet against her breaking it.
She’ll have to be at her best though, there is no room for error. With the likes of Peter Harnden’s Salacres Punch, Dave Mullins Troy Bella, Carl Perry’s Geelo Brezza and Pat Curtins Pull The Trigger in opposition, they will all be set to strike should ‘Reel’ not be at her lid pinging best.
Heat one gets underway at 7.52pm and the race looks there for the taking for Droopys Reel. Yes she will be sent off at prohibitive odds and likely unbackable to most, she’s a joy to watch though and anything like a normal break should see her quickly take up the lead and set her sights on the clock.
Melodys Jack is a regular top grade and open race winner around home track Central Park for trainer Paul ‘Potty’ Philpott, his experience of the track in trial stakes over the past couple of weeks should serve him in good stead but he’ll need to find something like his best form in order to progress.
Peter Harnden’s Forest Mike is an interesting contender stepping down in trip, a winner of 3 of his last 5 races over four bends here, he reached veteran status this month but remains in high class form. A confirmed railer but known to trap better from a middle draw. He could be a forecast option at what will likely be fair odds.
Carol Grasso’s Jet Stream Mags is yet to win on UK soil but looked set to do so last week in a trial stakes, ‘Mags’ couldn’t have come away any better, pinging out she held a good lead going into the turn but ran the bend poorly, soon losing contention and fading to finish fourth behind Not So Lento. From a draw wider than ideal it’s difficult to see how she gets compeitive in a race of this nature.
Paul Stewards Roedhelm Cosmic possseses fair early pace in decent four bend grade at Peterborough but looks to be up against it in a race of this calibre and lacks a trial.
Laurence Tuffin’s Glasheen Pixie has good knowledge of the track, but is no doubt better over further and could well find things tough going unless there is crowding on the inside. That’s not totally inconceivable.
Early prices: 1-8 Droopys Reel, 8-1 Melodys Jack, 10-1 Forest Mike, 12-1 Jet Stream Mags, 16-1 Roedhelm Cosmic, 33-1 Glasheen Pixie
Heat two can go to Carol Grasso’s Gentle Storm. This greyhound finished runner up in this event last year behind the Ted Soppit trained and Carl Roberts owned Calzaghe Flash. Though a year older, Storm remains in good form and ran with huge credit when finishing runner up in trial stakes over the past couple of weeks to Droopys Carat and Droopys Reel respectively.
His main danger in the race looks to be Sharon Saberton’s Headford Domino, he has some more than decent sprint form on his card at Peterborough and trialled well here on what was his first look at the track when recording 17.89 (+10).
They look set to take the first two qualifying positions whilst Droopys Kirk, Beaming Mix Up, Wokeen and Minor Cert will be battling it out for the third and final place in next weeks semi finals.
Early prices: 6-1 Gentle Storm, 7-2 Wokeen, 7-2 Beaming Mix Up, 7-2 Headford Domino, 7-1 Minor Cert, 16-1 Droopys Kirk
Heat three can go to Pat Curtin’s Pull The Trigger. This dog made a good start to his career early in the year, quickly moving from A7 winner at Monmore to 400m open race winner at Romford in the space of 5 runs. A 264m D3 sprint victory sandwiched in between, highlighting this dogs true forte.
He hit a little bit of a rocky patch in form but since June he’s really taken off, winning 9 of his last 14 races he comes into this competition in excellent form and recorded 17.73 (+10) on what was just his second look at the track in a trial last week.
Gavin Debenham’s Vics Charm has run well when winning a couple of sprint opens at Central Park recently and recorded a more than decent 17.82 (+10) in his second look at the track last week. Swift Conumdrum, Seattle Sam, Samba Elca and Treanmanagh Boss will be hoping to qualify.
Early prices: 8-15 Pull The Trigger, 4-1 Seattle Sam, 4-1 Vics Charm, 12-1 Samba Elca, 14-1 Treanmanagh Boss, 16-1 Swift Conundrum
Heat four is a very interesting affair and the confident selection at what should be a fair price is Carl Perry’s Geelo Brezza. ‘Brezza’ is a greyhound who possesses huge pace there is no doubting that, he really should have more than the 7 wins from 25 starts that he currently has on his CV, a combination of wide running and missed breaks have proved costly.
You couldn’t though have failed to have been impressed by him in his trial last week when recording 17.53 (+10). What was impressive about this run was he, yet again, didn’t actually ping the lids.
It’s a gamble betting dogs with this kind of profile but I would much rather take a chance on him at what could be ludicrous odds than on what will likely be a hugely underpriced, Ernie Gaskin trained, Lambeth Way. After winning his first seven races here in the UK, there was talk in some quarters of Lambeth Way being the leading sprinter in the land.
Put up as short as 4/1 second favourite in the antepost market, I would be using this to my advantage and taking what look to be some huge double figure each way prices about the likes of Geelo Brezza (20/1) and Troy Bella who at 12/1 is an insult of a price.
In my opinion Bella would 9 out of 10 times beat Lambeth Way over what is a true sprint trip here at Nottingham. Greyhounds like that simply cannot be priced upto 3 times as high as Lambeth Way and I really do struggle to see where the odds compilers are coming from.
There will be no hiding place over what is a ‘proper sprinters’ trip against genuinely top class opposition. Any flaws in the theory of some that he is one of, if not the leading sprinter in the land will be ruthlessly exposed, if not tonight, most certainly as the competition progresses.
Not So Lento is a greyhound I really like for trainer Dave Mullins, he’s won plenty of opens over the 400m trip at Romford. Though a slightly fortunate winner of his trial stakes here last week, that recent refresher of the track will serve him well and he can claim a qualifying position from a nice make up on the outside. Salacres Flyer, Lastfortheroad and Wee Mal will be hoping to take advantage of any crowding to qualify.
Early prices: 4-7 Lambeth Way, 10-3 Lastfortheroad, 4-1 Geelo Brezza, 7-1 Not So Lento, 28-1 Salacres Flyer, 33-1 Wee Mal
Heat five is possibly the trickiest of all the heats to solve. The tentative selection is Belinda Green’s Gislebertus who popped out in front in the trial stakes won by Droopys Carat last week but was crowded out of contention at the first bend.
‘Bert’ is a dog who connections feel benefits from at least one if not more recent looks at a venue, though he did have a look around here once previously, that was in October 2018 so last weeks sighter can only be of benefit. He has a bit of class when doing it right this dog, a finalist in the Bresmed Sprint at Sheffield earlier this year and reaching the same stage of the Guys & Dolls having won heat and semi final of that event at home track Crayford. He tarnished his reputation slightly when being marked awkward in the heat of a small competition at Harlow in October, though he’s since won very well at Crayford and seems to be revitalised.
Martyn Wiley’s News Knight looks sure to go well having been a somewhat unlucky loser here in a trial stakes last week. Laying in a handy second he was forced to run up the back of Jet Stream Mags who run a poor bend. This allowed Not So Lento to skip clear and though ‘Knight’ tried his best he eventually went down by a diminishing 1 1/4 lengths in 17.78 (+20).
Salacres West looks well drawn for Peter Harnden on the outside of the track. A full sister of Salacres Punch and from a star studded litter, ‘West’ had run relatively well in defeat in a couple of recent trial stakes behind Droopys Carat recently before benefiting from an early lead when landing an A3 here over 500m on Friday. Salacresknockout, Braesboy and Jet Stream Indie will be hoping to qualify.
Early prices: 6-4 Gislebertus, 2-1 News Knight, 5-1 Salacresknockout, 7-1 Salacres West, 8-1 Braesboy, 8-1 Jet Stream Indie
Heat six is no doubt the race of the night and once again see’s a match up which has already provided greyhound racing fans with more than one brilliant head to head battle on big nights this year.
Peter Harnden’s Salacres Punch and Troy Bella gave the judge a decision to make initially on English Derby Final night, the result narrowly going to Troy Bella, before Punch gained his revenge in a similarly close finish on Select Stakes Night.
There is little between these two magnificent greyhounds when they both get their run and it could once again be a toss of a coin. ‘Punch’ did what many deem near on impossible when winning the Irish Derby Final night sprint at Shelbourne in September and narrowly failed to pull off a memorable double when a somewhat unlucky loser behind a quality winner in Rosbirr Ranger on Night Of Stars a little over a week ago.
He comes into the competition in good form and is a danger to all with a break. ‘Bella’ is all class and finds this 305m trip perfect, yes he has a tendency to run off the second bend at times here, but he’s been known to do at other tracks too, it’s jusy his way, there is no doubting though that on the run in he has the heart of a lion and any dog getting into a battle with him will know they’ve been in a race.
It’s not just a two dog race though, Kevin Hutton’s Fridays Geldof is a very pacy sort and couldn’t be in better form having won his last three and trialled well last week in 17.76 (+10). Julie Bateson’s Tree Top Jet is very lightly raced for a dog of his age but a winning record of 10 from 21 at good class highlights his genuine ability when he gets it right. He also trialled well last week in 17.75 (+10). His only Achiles Heel is his tendency to get very excited in the traps.
Magical Houdini has won 14 races at open class level this year including the Kent Silver Salver at Central Park in March. He was beaten 4 1/2 lengths in a trial stakes last week but that was behind Droopys Reel and there is no shame in that.
Finally Long Lincoln lines up Martyn Wiley. This might be a tough ask for a dog with just the one UK win to his name which came at A1 level at Romford though he too was far from disgraced when finishing fourth beaten 6 lengths behind ‘Reel’ last week.
Early prices: 13-8 Salacres Punch, 5-2 Troy Bella, 4-1 Fridays Geldof, 9-2 Tree Top Jet, 5-1 Magical Houdini, 25-1 Long Lincoln
If you can get down to Nottingham’s Colwick Park stadium to watch the fastest sprinters in the UK in action. If not you can watch all of the racing live on Racing Post Greyhound TV, Sky Channel 431.
