By Rob Abrey
It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing. Friday night opens at Romford. The Essex track once again host fourteen open races from 6.36pm for us to feast on. With several maiden races on the card and greyhounds stepping up in trip there are many interesting greyhounds on show tonight and as ever I have endeavoured to find out more about some of them.
Before the cameras start rolling for the Racing Post TV, Maureens Wish will be looking to win her first ever race on these shores for trainer John Mullins. Restricted to bitches over the 575 metres trip the April ’15 whelp makes her Romford and six bend debut at the same time. The daughter of Take The Crown and Borna Empress has had nine races but to no avail so far. She has been running well in defeat against some top class opposition but looks like she will be more at home over six bends.
Trainer John Mullins on her said: “I’m hoping she stays. She doesn’t have the best early but would like to see her get on the bunny and see what she does.
“She is not long out of season and went well at Yarmouth recently over 462 metres. Romford is not the hardest six bend trip and really hopes she gets it. We will see how she goes and take it from there.”
The first race in front of the Racing Post TV cameras at 7.12pm sees the first heat of the 500 maidens competition over 400 metres. Central Park trainer Daniel Brabon has entered two greyhounds for the competition and both have been drawn in the opening heat.
Good Start in the red jacket looks to have been perfectly drawn and has mainly been running over the sprint trip at Central park over 265 metres. The son of Tullymurry Act and Dustbin clearly has the early pace required to win at Romford and if improving on his recent calculated trial time of 24.58 the November ’14 could be handful for the others.
Trainer Daniel Brabon on Good Start said: “He stays 480 metres but was cramping up a bit so I decided to run him over the sprint trip for a little while. I will start stepping him up again and thought 400 metres at Romford would be a good starting point.
“I was a bit disappointed with his trial time and feel he can improve and will be better for having a look around the track. He is a bang railer so the draw is ideal for him. He didn’t trap on Tuesday but has early and should improve his sectional time as well.”
Glen Tyler in the same heat for trainer Daniel Brabon has the black and white striped jacket and like his kennel mate looks perfectly drawn. The son of Kinloch Brae and Rosie Is Unreal is on the comeback trail after injury and tonight sees him run in his first race since late January. The October ’14 whelp trialled on Tuesday over C&D and clocked a calculated time of 24.50 with an impressive sectional of 3.76. He has won over 480 metres at Central Park so can clearly stay.
Trainer Daniel Brabon on him said: “It is his first race back from injury which he picked up at Central Park in late January. I gave him a couple of sprint trials at Central Park to start building him up again. He is 100% ready and trap six will be ideal for him.
“He is a good genuine dog with early and has solid form at Central Park. He has grown up since his last look around Romford back in September last year. His form however doesn’t always move to other tracks and like Good Start on Tuesday was disappointed with his trial but hope he improves after his look around there.”
Paddy Power currently make Good Start 5/2 and Glen Tyler 3/1. With both greyhounds both well drawn the forecast is the obvious consideration. The 3/1 for the fast starting Glen Tyler feels a little bit too big and should also be considered.
Droopys Evan for local handler David Mullins will be looking at shedding his maiden tag at the first time of asking in heat three at 7.46pm. The novice September ’15 whelp makes his race debut tonight and has been improving with each trial around Romford. His last two calculated times of 24.21 and 24.37 show the son of Tullymurry Act and Droppys Sylvia has consistency and can handle Romford and is one to keep an eye on.
Trainer David Mullins on Droopys Evan said: “He coming along nicely. He would have gone quicker in his last trial had the greyhound in front of him not gone lame.
“We are quite happy with him and have plenty to look forward to. For the time being we are going to keep him at Romford for at least the next three races and see how he develops.
“We have seeded him middle as that is where he has been running and pups tend to show where they prefer to run after a few runs.”
Paddy Power make Droopys Evans a 2/1 shot and that must be more than considered. The greyhound is improving with every run and if getting on the bunny will be extremely hard to beat.
Maireads Field trained by Derek Knight of Hove is being stepped back up to six bends after having his last three races over four bends at Hove. The December ’13 whelp runs in the first heat of the Quicksilver trophy over 575 metres, has won open races at Hove over 515 metres and Towcester over 655 metres as well as open wins at Wimbledon over 686 metres and Henlow over 550 metres. The son of Droopys Scolari and Winning Impact will clearly stay the 575 metres at Romford tonight and in winning at Hove over 515 metres has shown he has the early to handle a short six bend trip.
Trainer Derek Knight on him said: “It is a desperately hard race and I will be very pleased if he qualifies for the final. He had lameness and had been running in top class graded races at Hove.
“He is a nice dog. We entered him for a race at Henlow but he didn’t get accepted although I feel he would have gone off favourite for the race.
“He is a very clever dog. He tends to try to keep out of trouble and has very good track craft. I’m not sure about him being in trap five though. He has been running from traps two or three recently so we will have to see.”
Regular readers of this column would have read about Tea For Tess back on Friday 21st April, before her first race at Romford in the heats of the British Bred Oaks. Those who did would remember reading “She has more early pace than Princes Royal and looks well suited to a track like Romford. She shows good early pace at Peterborough and should go well.” She did go well, so well in fact that she went on to win the final last Friday.
