The Stadium Bookmakers Northamptonshire Sprint gets underway at Towcester this afternoon with eight first round heats.  Won in 2021 by the Patrick Janssens trained and Beverley Lochead owned Bockos Jon Jo the competition has attracted the fastest sprinters currently in the UK as they seek to emulate the achievement of Jon Jo in landing the category one event which carries a winner’s prize of £10,000.
Heat 1 gets underway at 157pm and Liz McNair’s Havana Class is selected to prove too good.  Class set the track record of 1545 for the 270m course and distance here when winning the RPGTV Watling Street Sprint Final on Derby final night last July.  He’s a classy sort over both two and four bends and though once running he’ll look to claim a rails pitch as soon as possible this middle draw can aid him coming away and once doing so it should be a race against the clock.

HAVANA CLASS TRACK RECORD HOLDER –
Photo: © Steve Nash

Heat 2 at 212pm can go to Kevin Hutton’s Signet Mafia.  He was an eyecatcher when last seen here a few weeks ago when running a blinding race in defeat to the progressive Salacres Lee.  He’s since been running around Monmore including when winning well last time out.  He’s not always the quickest into stride but if coming away he will take all the beating in a heat that won’t take too much winning.  John Mullin’s Ballymac Slapup would be a big danger on the best of his form but will need to improve upon his trial here last week if he’s to take this.  That was admittedly his first outing since being withdrawn lame from the semi-final of the Scurry last October.
Heat 3 at 232pm should comfortably go to the David Mullin’s trained sprint star Shrewd Call.  He reached the final of this event last year finishing third behind Bockos Jon Jo.  Though he’ll reach veteran status later this year he’s been in good form with himself in recent outings and from what looks a plot draw he should have plenty of space to run even if not coming out in his best style.  He’ll be short but it’s difficult to see him beaten.

SHREWD CALL © Steve Nash

Heat 4 at 252pm see’s Patrick Janssens Crossfield Dusty lining up and he’ll do so as a justified short odds-on favourite.  He’s the fastest sprinter in the UK at present and anything like a level start would see him soon to the fore.  He’s the ante post favourite for the competition at a general 9/2 (5/1 in a place) and will be looking to set down his stall with an impressive win in this heat.

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Heat 5 at 311pm see’s Peter Harnden’s precocious talent Salacres Lee lining up and he’ll likely be very short odds to oblige.  Lee recently rattled off a course and distance five timer and rates as one of the young greyhounds who could well establish themselves at or near to the top of the tree in the sprinting division in the coming months.  A level enough start should see Lee taking command by the turn and if hitting the front at any stage it should all be over bar the shouting.

SALACRES LEE A PRECOCIOUS TALENT (@JIMTATEPHOTOS)

Heat 6 at 328pm can go to Mark Wallis’s Early Knight who might not be on too many people’s radars at present but is a greyhound well capable of mixing it with the fastest around over both two bends and short four bend trips.  Really impressive in winning a trial stake here last week he drove the bends with great determination and that’s a terrific attribute for any aspiring sprinter to have within their armoury.  It’s a competitive enough race with Kim Billingham’s Across The Field likely to improve upon his well beaten effort behind the selection last time out and kennel mate Antigua Bigun well capable of making his mark in sprints.
Heat 7 at 348pm can see John Mullins Knocknaseed Gem following up on his trial stakes victory from last week.  He was a comfortable enough winner of that despite not trapping in his best style and anything like the break he produced when running from this box in a trial here on the 23rd January and he’ll prove far too good for moderate enough rivals.
Heat 8 at 408pm can go to Laurence Tuffins Into The Void.  He wasn’t at his best away from the traps last time out in a trial stakes and then matters were made worse when encountering trouble at the bend.  He’s not one to place too much faith in as his trapping can often let him down but this really is a race he should be winning if coming away half reasonably.  If he does so then that could well give Gary Griffith’s War Emblem a nice toe into the race.  Emblem has some reasonable form around Dundalk on the card and decent enough qualifying trials over here were followed up with a fair runners up performance on debut at Sheffield last week.  He can boost the returns if Void gets the job done by filling the forecast spot.