Four ARC sponsored open races consisting of a couple of 305m sprints and two maidens over the 500m course are supported by eight higher end graded races at Nottingham’s Colwick Park stadium this evening with all races shown live on Racing Post Greyhound TV.
We get underway with an A3 at 6.26pm where Anna Thompson’s Haggswood River looks well drawn to win for the first time in eight. Providing River gets to the bend ahead of Peter Harnden’s Salacres Jet she should then be in prime position to get first run at the early paced duo of kennel mate Tickity Jimmy and Lynn Cook’s Leos Indiana who though likely to need the run this evening should be kept onside in the weeks ahead.
The A2 at 6.41pm is a tricky looking affair where the chances of a few of these will all but disappear if not leading by the first bend. That can’t be said for Barry Denby’s strong running Sunfire Shelly who could find this race run to suit and if avoiding any jostling to halfway can prove too strong in the latter stages. She looks value both in the win market and also looks a strong bet in the place markets at what should be decent odds.
Top grade A1 at 6.59pm and a very good race. Lynn Cook’s Waltham Blue Boy is a high-class sort who made my ten to follow list for 2021, but that entry was made on the expectation that he would be kept confined to the sprint division.
His pace up to around 400m is exceptional with my unofficial clocking’s to both halfway and the third bend marking him out as a top-class prospect for both the sprint scene and on the tracks with shorter four bend trips such as Crayford and Romford.
My concern is that these testing 500m runs around one of the toughest four bend circuits in the UK could blunt his currently potent weapon of early and middle speed.
Looking forward I would have serious concerns about his ten to follow prospects if he is campaigned over these testing trips and It’s only right to advise readers of my column to bear that in mind when considering punting. Though he should once again lead clear tonight I expect him to be picked up late by Anna Thompson’s Locnamon Mike who ran an eye-catching race in defeat last week when finishing a narrow third to Alec Stone’s Glenhead King and Blue Boy respectively. I fancy that Mike will fare a little bit better in his run this evening in the early stages and that can make all the difference. Peter Harnden’s Salacres Tingle takes on A1 company for the first time after completing an open race and A2 double in her last two outings.
A confirmed front runner her chance of leading and in fact the chance of most leading in any race which Blue Boy lines up diminishes somewhat and on that basis she’s opposed.
At 7.16pm it’s an A3 which can go the way of Phillip Wilson’s Hitthelids Jack (NAP) who gave major indications last time out that his time is near. After missing the break he showed great gears to the bend and despite not gaining a clear run on the run up took up the running with some ease. He was picked up late on by Terry Munslow’s Our Pit Pony on that occasion and he reopposes tonight but given he’s a little tidier at the start Jack can soon take up the running and shouldn’t be for catching.
A competitive A2 at 7.34pm which doesn’t look a race for any kind of serious punting. A chance is taken on Peter Harnden’s RPGTV Nottingham 2020 Greyhound Of The Year Salacres Neeson to gain his first victory of 2021. Moving nicely through the grades throughout his debut campaign this talented youngster won 9 races as he navigated himself from A7 to regular A2 winner. A greyhound who was bred , whelped , reared and subsequently trained by the team at Salacres kennels he still gives the impression of a greyhound with a bit more to come yet. He’ll need one of his better breaks in what is a decent affair but if doing so shouldn’t be far away. Lynn Cooks Unkind Hands drawn on the wide outside comes into the race on the back of a hattrick and his chances of a four timer are far from forlorn.
An A3 at 7.51pm where Lynn Cook’s Waltham Star is likely to be popular in the betting despite the raise in class. He’s heading the right way but at the likely odds I’m siding with Phillip Wilson’s Woodcocks Aliona. She’ll need the gaps to appear at the crucial stages but can get there when it matters.
The first of four ARC sponsored open races at 806pm and I’m siding with Carl Perry’s Geelo Gold Dust to get back on the winner’s podium in this 305m sprint. A finalist in the 2020 RPGTV National Sprint Gold Dust looks a bitch to keep on side this year and despite defeat to the pacey Feather Breeze last week she once again ran with credit. Main danger to success for Gold Dust is without doubt Ben Reynolds talented Swift Guard who has experience of the track and comes into this race off the back of a superb 1678 success over the talented Coolavanny Dylan up at Newcastle last time out.
Back to graded company with an A4 at 8.21pm and Terry Munslow’s promising young bitch Tubber Lane Rose (NB) can win on just her second start here at Nottingham. Rose totally missed the break on debut but showed plenty of pace afterwards. Kennelled with a trainer who does particularly well with greyhounds of the fairer sex she should take all the beating with anything like a level break.
An interesting maiden over 500m at 8.36pm where a few of these runners will undoubtedly head onto better things. Matt Dartnall gives his unraced Glengar Grace her career debut having trialled well both in Ireland at Shelbourne Park (28.87 second ever official 525yd) and at Central Park where she has a calculated 28.79 run on the card.
Despite that effort being an actual 29.29 on going rated minus .50 so therefore open to some debate she’s obviously a talented sort who looks highly likely to leave this sort of class behind. Despite the lack of a look around I’m going to side with her to ping out and make all. She’ll have to be lively at the start though with Jason Bloomfield’s Lemon Reuben drawn to her inside who has the benefit of a trial and a decent one at that when recording 30.07 (+10).
It’s interesting to note though that Reuben’s previous effort was a 480m trial at Central Park where he recorded 2929 which on actual times is identical to that set by Grace but with the footnote it was done on normal where Grace set it on a track rated 0.50 slow.
Droopys Emmy looks a nice type for Jimmy Fenwick drawn out wide whilst the inside 3 greyhounds are all locally trained and though not looking to possess the class of the away trained outside trio do have the benefit of local knowledge.
Lynn Cook’s Zoom Angel usually runs from traps 3 and 4 in graded races here at Colwick Park and looks well suited by those berths. Seeded rails Angel finds herself having to contend with an unfamiliar draw in trap 1 and how she fairs with that is open to debate.
Phillip Wilson’s Swift Broom receives what would appear to be a very lenient downgrade to A4 at 8.52pm. He was an impressive winner in this grade just two runs ago and a reproduction of that effort should be more than sufficient.
Carl Perry’s Geelo Coney will be short odds to take the 305m sprint open at 9.11pm but a level break should be good enough. If Coney did fluff his lines at the start Ben Reynolds Matts Malibu looks the one most likely to take advantage. He was visually more impressive than his winning time suggested last week and looks like he could have a good year ahead of him.
Last but by no means least the second of the evenings 500m maidens at 9.26pm. Don’t let the one line of UK form in A2 at Monmore fool you that Towstar Paddy is a grader. Not prolific by any means on Irish soil but that can be forgiven when you assess the calibre of runners Paddy was competing against in both the Tipperary Cup at Thurles and subsequently during the Irish Derby at Shelbourne. In what amounts to little more than a good class graded race I’ll take a chance that Paddy can overcome the lack of a look around and prove too good for his rivals. Support in the market would be a huge positive for a greyhound coming from a kennel that know the time of day.
