The Coral Winter Derby at Hove concluded last Saturday with Volcanic Reef taking the spoils – WRITES ROB ABREY. The Golden Jacket at Crayford finishes tomorrow morning with one of six looking to take the £17,500 winner prize for connections. The category one competitions do not stop there however with the Golden Sprint starting next Friday.
The first category one of the year at Romford, worth £10,000 to the winner and over 400 metres attracts top competitors and this year looks to be no different. With several greyhounds making there Romford debuts tonight in Golden Sprint trial stakes, yours truly has endeavoured to find out more about two possible entrants for next week. As a bonus I have also found out more about one running over 575 metres for the first time tonight.
Henlow trainer Carol Grasso is making the journey to Romford with three of her charges tonight and true to form I’ve found out more about all three of them.
Jet Stream Mags is making her Romford debut tonight in a bitches only race in the opener at 6.27pm over 400 metres. Trained by Henlow’s Carol Grasso, she certainly has early pace when reaching the semi finals of the National Sprint at Nottingham over 305 metres last December. Unfortunately, she was withdrawn from the semis due to lameness. The July ’17 whelp is now back and had a spin around Henlow over 277 metres recently and showed all is well. The daughter of Droopys Jet and Badger Daly has won over 428 metres at home track Henlow in an open race so should get 400 metres tonight comfortably.
Carol on her said: “She picked up a niggle in her metatarsal at Nottingham. We took our time with her and she came back well in a recent trial at Henlow.
“She has loads of early and should be suited to Romford. She needs the run to be fair and the race on Friday is to give her a look. All being well we intend to bring her back next week for the Golden Sprint. I know she can ping and has loads of early. She pinged out in her heat of the National Sprint at Nottingham but picked up the niggle and finished third.
“She has trap one on Friday and that is her box, we are happy with the draw. Fingers crossed for Friday and see how she gets on.”
Corals are 12/1 for her to win at Romford tonight at the first time of asking.
Jet Stream Indie like his kennel mate ‘Mags’ is also looking at a tilt at the Golden Sprint next Friday for trainer Grasso in a trial stakes at 8.38pm. The April ’17 whelp is in fine fettle at home track Henlow by winning his last three over 460 metres in A2 graded affairs. The son of Head Bound and Ballyrobin Venus has won ten times from thirty one starts with nine of those wins at Henlow all in graded races. He has won at Perry Barr though in an open race over 275 metres. He clearly has early pace and will get 400 metres tonight with ease.
Carol on him said: “We decided to take our little Indie pops to Romford. He has bags of early and is very consistent from the traps. He has great early belt. He has won three on the bounce at Henlow in A2 races and is running really well. A2 at Henlow is a really strong grade. Greyhounds at Henlow running in A4 and A5’s win opens.
“He did a fantastic time at Henlow recently and is beginning to stay on. We were thinking of going over 480 metres with him but with his early thought we would take him to Romford and go for the Golden Sprint.
“Trap four is good for him on Friday. He is more than capable of doing well. If he leads he will be hard to peg back.”
Corals are offering 10/1 for the Henlow raider to take the spoils tonight.
Jet Stream Paddy is making their Romford debut tonight. The March ’17 whelp though is not going for the Golden Sprint but is in fact going over 575 metres in a stayers race at 7.03pm. The son of Ballymac Vic and Forest Mollie is not making his six bend debut though. The Henlow raider has won over 540 metres at Crayford and looked to get the trip when pinching the race on the line. He has also run over 649, 660 and 661 metres at Swindon, Perry Barr and Doncaster. On those occasions the best he managed was second at Doncaster and third at Swindon and Perry Barr. 575 metres tonight could be ideal for him after his win at Crayford last month. He has won over four bends in an open race at Perry Barr over 480 metres so has winning open form over both four and six bends.
Carol on him said: “He surprised me by winning at Crayford as he is a big leggy dog and didn’t think he would handle the track but he did really well. If he can handle Crayford he should be able to handle Romford.
“I thought he would stay over longer and doesn’t quite run two races the same. He doesn’t like being involved in trouble but if the door opens he goes for it. He does cover ground. He is capable of pulling one out of the hat.
“He has trap two and that is good for him. Although a railer traps two or three are better for him as he tends to miss the break from trap one.”
Skybet are 12/1 for him to win over 575 metres at Romford at the first time of asking.
