Seven competitive graded races proceed five quality opens including the finals of the BGBF Midlands Sprint and BGBF British Breeders Stakes. The BGBF is led by chair Liz Mort who along with her team have done a superb job of promoting British breeding in recent times with more and more competitions being added to the calendar with each passing year. There really isn’t a better time to be involved with a British bred greyhound so if you’re thinking of breeding I would most definitely advise to breed British.
(This week we introduce a Tipsters Challenge with Mark taking on ‘The Voice’ – otherwise known as SKY Racing’s Darrell Williams. Originally thought Daz was going for Elderberry Sky – my mistake – its Denmark – Ed)
An A3 starts the evening off at 626pm and the selection is Jill Llewellin’s Freffans Cain to complete a hattrick in the grade. He doesn’t make life easy for himself with slow starts but he’ll be finishing as well as any and can have the race set up for him nicely by the early paced duo of Almond Eye and Plaza Beauty.
Moving onto A4 class at 6.41pm and this race can go to Peter Harnden’s stunning white and black greyhound Tele Boy. He’s a big green pup who’s needed running for both experience and fitness. He lacks early pace but if getting into stride he can come through late to take the spoils.
There are some very nice dogs running on Nottingham in the higher grades at present and this is a real nice A1 at 6.59pm. Penniment Milo looks set to lead on the inside with anything like his usual break and that could be enough to secure victory for Barry Denby’s dog although supporters will have one eye looking behind for the fast-finishing pair of Kilara Yeates and Droopys Bargain.
Terry Munslow’s Glenmore Phantom dug deep to hold off Salacres Greegsy in a close finish in this grade of A2 last time out and he can follow up tonight at 7.16pm. Clearing Eastie Beatie drawn to his immediate left by the turn is the key to his race but if doing so he immediately becomes a huge runner and can hold off the likes of Jaxx Jurassic and Fredsters Court who will be finishing strongly.
A4 company at 7.34pm and a race that looks tailor made for Lynn Cook’s Swift Frederick to dominate on the outside from an early stage. He often throws away races which he really should be winning but he can get clear tonight and hold on from the likes of Our Pit Pony who will be closing fast given a clear passage to halfway.
Jill Llewellin’s Blythe Annie isn’t always foot perfect at the start but with one of her better breaks should be away and gone from this field early doors. With a leader’s chance and at what will likely be a more than backable price a chance is taken on her. Do as ever watch for late money on the machine as runners from the kennel aren’t unbacked late when fancied.
Peter Harnden’s Salacres Mafia can take the final graded race of the evening which is an A3 at 8.06pm. Mafia has passed up one or two decent chances just lately but he can turn in a handy pitch to likely leader Andgofromthere and gain the upper hand on that rival heading into the third turn.
There haven’t been many races at all staged over the 255m trip at Nottingham with the trip primarily used for ex lame greyhounds returning to the track and pups gaining experience at the schooling stage. It’s not a trip that serious punters would be getting too heavily involved in from a betting perspective. That said winners form study can often revolve on finding something reliable at trap rise and on that basis a chance is taken on Jimmy Fenwick’s Cloverhill King. He is a bit of a thinker this greyhound and though his time when trialling over course and distance last week was moderate enough the run back at home track Newcastle since and then the immediate switch back might just see him at his best.
From one extreme to another with a 905m marathon up next at 8.36pm. This looks a match on paper between Jimmy Fenwick’s Barnagrane Amber who won well here over 730m last week despite not gaining anything like a clear run in the early stages and Michelle Brown’s Bodell Maska whose sole run over anything further than 500m consists of a 640m trial at Newcastle recently. Bred out of Slippy Maska Michelle Brown’s lightly raced pup is likely to appreciate every single yard of this trip. Private clocks recorded by myself on respective trials at Newcastle have Maska holding a significant advantage over Amber both overall and in the finishing department. This will be negated somewhat by Amber holding knowledge of the course but everything considered I rate Maska a good bet to gain what will likely be the first win of many over extreme distances.
A very competitive BGBF British Bred Midlands Sprint Final at 8.52pm. It’s a case of We Three Kings for team McNair with Sam , Bruno and Drake all holding big claims. Michelle Brown’s Signature Callum would also be a big player with a break and that can far from be ruled out with him likely to be much sharper at the boxes this week after what was his first sighter of Nottingham since finishing runner up in the National Sprint Final in December. The inside pair look like they would need trouble to oblige but with Macnish likely to move off once again at the second bend at the latest that couldn’t totally be ruled out. Acomb Fatima is a member of a high-class litter but will need a smash break and plenty of luck on her side to land this. Betting wise I’d not be playing but for selection purposes I’m siding with King Bruno who looks sure to take plenty of beating if trapping in good style.
The main event of the evening at 9.11pm as the greyhound’s head to traps for the BGBF British Breeders Stakes Final. Elderberry Sky went unbeaten through the BGBF British Bred Derby at Sheffield in December and he can add yet another Category One title to his CV here. Pat Cowdrill’s greyhound looked desperately in need of the run both in his pre competition trial and in his first-round heat. Last week’s semi final effort was much more like it though. Despite not flying the lids in anything like the style which he’s capable he railed superbly before unleashing a devastating turn of back straight pace that saw him put his race to bed in a matter of strides. He should be sharper yet again this evening and with a good break can turn in a hugely menacing position before taking command by halfway at the latest. Denmark is running out of his skin for north east trainer Tom Heilbron and he cannot be ruled out lightly. Zaha is running superbly well for Angie Kibble whilst Queen Dolly for team McNair is a danger to all. She’ll need to smash out and get on the bunny but that’s perfectly foreseeable and it would be no surprise to see her make all. Similar comments apply to Kevin Ferguson’s Acomb Jenny , a hugely pacey sort but will need to lead and can she clear Dolly ? Whilst the second McNair representative would also need to lead but can he clear the huge early pace to his immediate inside ? That’s debateable and if he were to run off the second bend tonight as he did in last week’s semi his chance would be gone before halfway. So the selection is Elderberry Sky who can show that he’s firmly back to his best form at just the right time.
The final race on the card is a good class 500m open which can go the way of Kevin Boon’s Bettys Book. She’s a real classy sort who reached the semi-final of the Puppy Derby at Monmore in February. Her efforts both in that semi behind Bockos Belly and subsequently in an open at Towcester behind Kilara Lion were more than decent runs against greyhounds who at this stage of her career hold a huge advantage over her. She wasn’t beaten too far against either when taking into account the troubled passages she encountered against both. Her solo trial at Towcester a couple of weeks ago of 29.57 was a huge run with the fastest of the year being Faughan Rebel’s 2936 and second fastest being Kilara Lion also at 29.57. Given the calibre of greyhound to have already run over the trip in competitive action this year that was some effort by Boon’s bitch and she can prove too good in what is a fair race. I do have one eye on Plaza Lep who though not getting any younger does retain a fair bit of class and looks the type who could well fall into a top A1 in the coming weeks and if doing so would be highly likely to prove far too good for his rivals.
