After a one week hiatus, Romford is back. Friday night’s feel normal again with open racing at the Essex venue. With nine open races amongst their twelve race card there is plenty to enjoy. As ever there are several greyhounds making their Romford race debuts and stepping up in trip. True to form, your favourite scribe has endeavoured to find out more about three of them.
Yarmouth trainer Paul Burr knows what it takes to win at Romford and tonight races two of his charges there for the first time. Both have been entered for the Romford Friday night 500 maidens over 400 metres.
First up in heat one is Zari Rosie at 6.58pm. The November ’19 whelp has had all of her fourteen races at home track Yarmouth winning seven. A 50% strike rate is some feat with three of those wins coming in top graded company. The early paced sort now travels to Romford to try and improve that strike rate. If taking to the Essex venue the daughter of Droopys Jet and Zari Frankie may not be a maiden for long.
Paul on her said: “She has been in our kennels for about a month and settled in really well. She has won three top graded races at Yarmouth.
“Her big asset is her early pace. She is not brilliant out of the traps, she is not a natural trapper but she moves like lightning afterwards. If she traps on terms she should make the first bend in front.
“She has been to Romford previously with Kevin Quinton and clocked 24.64. That was a few months and should improve on that.
“At Yarmouth she has done a 5.16 split time and that is very fast. We have been waiting for a little maiden for her. She looks a very good Romford type. It is quite a hard heat but if she takes to the track we are hopeful.
“She has trap two and that is fine for her.”
Corals and Ladbrokes make the pacey sort 9/2 to win at Romford.
In heat three at 7.36pm, kennel mate Derrytresk Happy will be trying to make it two from two for the team Burr debutantes. Like his kennelmate, the April ’20 whelp has bundles of early pace and the drop to 400 metres could prove beneficial. At home track Yarmouth the son of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Missy has won four graded races in A3 and A2 affairs over 462 metres. He travels away from the coast for the first time and will need to utilise his early pace.
Paul on him said: “He is a lovely pup in every way. His temperament is fantastic. Like Zari Rosie he is blessed with early pace.
“He has an awful lot of early pace but has been struggling at the third and fourth bend at Yarmouth recently. We thought we would take him to Romford and see how he gets on.
“He looks a typical Romford dog and is still very young and is doing really well for a dog of that age. We have lots of pups at the moment and are looking forward to next year.
“Trap three is perfect for him and his heat looks slightly easier than the other one in terms of early pace.
“Both will be aimed at the Yarmouth track championship later in the year.”
Ladbrokes are 9/2 for the Yarmouth raider to win at Romford at the first time of asking.
Lemon Fae, although trained by local handler Nathan Hunt is making her Romford race debut after eight races away in a maidens stayers race at 7.56pm. The daughter of Droopys Jet and Cats Belle is not only making her Romford debut but her six bend one as well. The November ’19 whelp has winning form at Nottingham over 480 metres when winning the Arena Racing Company maiden trophy final. She has had three trials at Romford over 400 metres before racing elsewhere so does have track experience.
Nathan on her said: “She will stay. She should get it no problem. She is bred to stay. From the first litter from the dam there was Beach Avenue and from the second litter a few from the same litter have won over six bends.
“She won a maiden competition at Nottingham but since then looked like she was waiting, which is a bit of a quirk. We took her to Harlow for a trial over 415 metres and she beat Kilara Sapphire who is a good open racer in my opinion and went clear to the pick-up. When she does get on with it, she is a very good bitch.
“Trap five shouldn’t be a problem for her. We had seeded her rails but she moved off. She is better wider and will hopefully avoid and trouble on the inside.”
On his other runners who he thinks could go well, Nathan said: “Pennys Kai in the maiden final has a good draw. He has not run for two weeks but runs well fresh.”
Corals and Ladbrokes are 4/1 for Lemon Fae to win over six bends at the very first attempt while Ladbrokes are 8/1 for Pennys Kai to utilise her good trap draw to win the 8.54pm stayers final.
