The weather may be getting colder but open racing at Romford will ‘warm the cockles’. With eleven opens amongst their thirteen race card there is plenty to enjoy. With the semi-finals of the category two Coral Winter Bonanza maiden stayers taking place, Essex is the place to be. Away from the competition 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 two of them.
Chelms Maggie trained by Towcester’s John Mullins tackles Romford and six bends for the first time at 6.58pm in a maiden stayers affair after only one race on these shores. That race was at Towcester over 500 metres where the May ‘20 whelp got up on the line to win by a head. Tonight, the daughter of Spoofer and Soho attempts 575 metres for the first time. Although racing at Romford for the first time she has had four trials around the Essex circuit when with Romford handler Gemma Evans. That experience could prove beneficial in her attempt to shed her maiden stayers tag at the first time of asking to make it two from two over here.
John on her said: “Her first race was over 500 metres at Towcester and she got up and won. I liked what I saw and she will definitely get the trip. We thought we would give it a go.
“She trialled at Romford with Gemma [Evans] but is her first there with me. She trialled in there well and ran Towcester well to get up to win.
“She has trap one and that is 100% good for her. It’s where she wants to be.”
Corals are 5/1 for her to win at Romford and opver six bends at the first time of asking.
Former Romford trainer Michelle Brown knows what it takes to win at Romford and tonight tries her charge Slippy Hazel over 750 metres for the first time. In an eight bend maiden at 8.17pm the February ‘20 whelp attempts her furthest distance to date.
The daughter of Droopys Jet and Slippy Articfire has run over eight bends before but over 714 metres at Crayford where she failed to win in two attempts. Over four bends she reached the Brighton Belle final at Hove over 515 metres. At Sheffield she reached the semi-finals of the 3 Steps To Victory winning her first round heat over 480 metres.
In her one and only race at Romford she won over 575 metres clocking a calculated time of 35.45. With proven Romford form and eight bend experience she may not be an eight bend maiden for long.
Michelle on her said: “We think and hope she will stay. She got Crayford well enough. She has run at Oxford her last two times out and disappointed.
“Hopefully she can get on the bunny and get her confidence back. We don’t quite know what her last two runs at Oxford were about. She didn’t do what we thought she could. She may not have taken to the track but thought we would go back to Romford and hopefully get her on the bunny.
“She started off really well and was in great form, hopefully she can get back to that level.
“It is quite a good race and trap four for is not ideal but she has good early and hopefully breaks and gets on the bunny.”
Corals are offering 11/4 for her to add to her 575 metres win at the Essex circuit.
