Nottingham’s Monday evening card has long been one of the most popular nights racing in the sport. Regularly providing a quality mix of local graded action with some high-class open racing it was immediately marked down by purists as one of the evenings that would be a huge loss to the TV coverage previously provided by RPGTV.
Thankfully the Monday meeting at Nottingham will now be shown live on Sky Racing and now also benefits from HD quality images. Sure we’ve lost a little in the way of build-up and post-race discussion however it’s generally a flip of the coin as to whether such discussion is a positive or a negative with regards the evening’s entertainment. Personally I quite enjoyed Nottingham’s first appearance on the Sky Racing production on Friday evening.
Sure Luke Harvey and Jason Weaver may not be everybody’s cup of tea but who is and is it better to listen to a couple of lads who openly admit to not knowing too much or to a so called expert who think they know an awful lot more than they do ? We’ve now a little bit of choice as to what to watch and for me that can only be a good thing as all competition is healthy. A monopoly in any walk of life can only ever result in complacency.
Six high class graded events consisting of 3 x A3 races , 2 x A2 and a top grade A1 are followed by six open races over two , four and six bends.
First up at 6.26pm is an A3 and the selection is Paula Timmins Headford Gold. This bitch would be capable of leading round with one of her better breaks but is far from out of the equation if she can simply lead up Precious Edna drawn to her immediate inside in one. If doing so that should put her in prime position to strike on the way home. Gold was travelling like the winner heading into the third bend last time out but was forced to check back before rallying on the run in. Just failing to get up in a close finish she was soon well clear on the way to the pick-up and showing that her next win isn’t far away.
Moving onto A2 company at 6.41pm and Peter Harnden’s home bred Salacres Tilly looks the answer. A pacey bitch who is strong over this trip once in front she comes into this race in terrific form having won 3 of her last 6 at this level and wasn’t disgraced in a decent open race last time out. Ohtheresiun drawn to her left wouldn’t be the quickest to the turn so Tilly can soon take command at the first and with the rest of the field all better off in uncontested leads she wouldn’t be for picking up.
A real good class A1 at 6.59pm and the vote goes to Lynn Cook’s Fairways Flyer who rattled off a four timer at this level during December. Since beaten but not disgraced in a couple of opens he can make it 5 from 5 at this level. He’ll soon be ungradable at the track and it would be no surprise to see him loaded onto the van with Lynn Cook’s burgeoning open race team in the coming weeks. Panda Blue is the best dog Colin Wilton has had in a long time and if gaining first run on Flyer could add to his excellent winning record here. He’s another who will no doubt at all be seen to good effect in opens elsewhere as the year progresses.
Another of Peter Harnden’s home bred , reared and trained greyhounds is taken to land the A3 at 7.16pm in the shape of Salacres Vulcan. A huge brindle greyhound he gained the fourteenth victory of his career when coming from behind to win in this grade. A much better greyhound when leading clear he can smash out from trap 3 and make all. Plaza Matty for Lynn Cook would rate a danger with a break. Pulled off the card for his intended engagement in A3 company last time out he soon finds himself back on the card. In his Henlow days this greyhound was tipping the scales at as high as 39 kilo and though running well enough at as low as 35 kilo since arriving at Nottingham the suspicion is that he’ll find a little more improvement for a bit more weight on his back so do keep an eye on the weight sheet as any increase on his trial weight of 36.0 would have to be seen as a positive to his chances.
Lynn Cook’s Leos Indiana can take the A3 at 7.34pm but do once again check the weight sheet before parting with any cash. This bitch has won at as high as A1 level in the past , won regularly enough at A2 and even when not winning was always highly competitive at that level. Two runs ago she gave clear indications that she’d be winning soon although it has to be said she ran poorly last time out. On closer inspection that run can be forgiven since it came under a career high racing weight of 29.3 kilo. All of this bitches best form comes at just over 28 kilo and a reduction in weight to something approaching that could only be seen as a positive to her chances.
The last of the graded action at 7.51pm and Lynn Cook’s Swift Lockjaw looks absolutely plotted up to take the spoils. A hugely impressive winner at this level last time out when winning by fully 5 1/4 lengths he’s somewhat lucky not to find himself running in A1 company. Riley Ray drawn to his immediate left is one of the slowest dogs you could wish for out the traps and Lockjaw should get plenty of room to run before setting sail for victory at the turn. Get stuck into him as it’s probably the last time he’ll be seen at this level for a while.
The first of six Arena Racing Company sponsored opens at 8.06pm with the puppies competing over 480m. This race looks there for the taking for Gavin Holman’s Easy Shot. I placed Easy Shot in my ten to follow list for 2021 and I’m glad to see the removal of the wide tag that she’s carried for the last couple of runs. Although on this occasion she’s still drawn trap 5 this shouldn’t be too much of a problem in the context of this race with four greyhounds drawn to her inside who will likely congest nearer the rail she should soon use her excellent early pace to be away and gone.
Easy To Gamble can provide the Holman team with a quickfire double by landing the 305m sprint at 821pm. I wouldn’t be overly keen on betting dogs running from the red jacket in sprints here at Nottingham as they can have a tendency to miss the up a little but given any kind of start and ‘Gamble’ is simply too good for a field of this nature. Martin Wiley’s Gurtnacrehy Bale has shown reasonable promise in his short UK career to date and looks like he could make into a decent enough type but heads here without a trial? Why? Running at full pelt into what is a tricky first bend here wouldn’t be for me at all and would be one trip in particular that should be ear marked for greyhounds who have only had a look around.
Lynn Cook’s Plaza Lep can take the 500m standard at 8.36pm. Lep struggles in the latter stages over this testing four bend distance but he should have built up enough of an early lead to hold on in a race that shouldn’t take too much winning. This is no better than an A1 and he’s perfectly housed to take full advantage.
A real nice maiden stayers race over 680m at 8.51pm that can go to Carl Perry’s Geelo Love who looks a high-class stayer in the making. I clocked love absolutely rattling home on my unofficial timings in her trial last week and she gave me every indication that she will turn into a real good class staying bitch. She’ll have to tread carefully to halfway from her draw out wide but if doing so will take all the beating. Phil Barlow’s Emoskis Girl is a live danger but will likely be sent off short odds and I’m prepared to let her make the market for Carl Perry’s Love who could turn out to be a class above.
Back to sprinting at 9.11pm and I’m pleased to see Lynn Cook’s Waltham Blue Boy being kept to this sphere for the second consecutive week. Another greyhound who was included within my ten to follow list for 2021 but as previously noted this was done so on the assumption that he would be kept confined to two bend and very short four bend trips such as Crayford’s 380m and Romford’s 400m. After a short unsuccessful flirtation with a testing four bend career he’s back to doing what he’s designed for and that’s sprinting. Although beaten last week he can put that experience to good use and can smash out from four and make all. Kept to these two bend trips this greyhound will be winning plenty this year.
A good class 500m standard open to finish the night off at 9.26pm and Kevin Boon’s Darbys Ranger can follow up his last time out victory over 480m. With a break he can make the turn in front this evening and from that point home the result should be a formality.