By Rob Abrey
It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing; open racing at Romford. Not only are there thirteen open races on show, the card includes the finals of the Mitch Millward marathon and Coronation cup. Regular followers of this column may well have a finalist in each final courtesy of Barricane Tommy and Romeo Mandate at ante post prices of 66/1 and 14/1 proving this read is well worth the visit.
Tonight’s attention though is away from the showpiece finals and on some of those who are making their Romford debuts and stepping up in trip.
Monmore trainer Stuart Buckland has Millroad Smokey in the final of the Mitch Millward marathon and has brought along a strong support team of three to tackle the Essex venue over various distances. As ever I have endeavoured to find out more about those supporting three.
First up for team Buckland is Inky Binky in the third race at 7.03pm in a winner of one standard over 400 metres. The daughter of Take The Crown and Ballymac Mighty has had all of her twenty six races at home track Monmore and is travelling away for the first time. From those twenty six the August ’15 whelp has won six including a recent open race victory over 480 metres. She is in fine fettle at the moment winning two from her last five. The drop from 480 to 400 metres looks ideal for the early paced sort who appears to find 480 metres a tad too far.
Trainer Stuart Buckland on her said: “She is a home bred pup and has come on a lot over the last few months. She took an age to get going but is running really well at the moment.
“We have been looking to come down with her to Romford for a while and while we have a finalist thought Friday would be the time.
“400 metres should be an ideal trip for her. She is very fast to the first bend at Monmore and is fairly consistent at the traps. The hope is that she leads. She doesn’t ideally want traps one, two or three. Traps four or five is perfect [trap five tonight].”
Next up for team Buckland is Fabulous Recruit. The October ’14 whelp is making her Romford debut over six bends at 7.18pm in a winner of one stayers. The daughter of Romeo Recruit and Fabulous Adele as the race title suggests has already won a stayers open race at home track Monmore over 630 metres. She is similar to kennel mate Inky Binky in that she looks ideal for the drop down in trip. The 630 metres at Monmore although she won over that trip looks like it is further than she wants. 575 metres on the other hand looks on paper to be the distance that she needs and we thrive on. After a bout of kennel sickness she has come back in fine fettle winning two from two over 480 metres at Monmore in A2 graded company.
“Trainer Stuart Buckland on her said: “575 metres is the perfect distance foe her. The 630 metres at Monmore is a stretch for her. Over 630 metres she is trapping and leading and then it is about holding on. 575 metres should be right up her street and should find the trip perfect for her.
“She had a bout of sickness in December and is back really well winning her last two.
“For the race on Friday I would like her to be there and there abouts at the first bend. She wouldn’t need to be leading but not too far from the front.”
Inch Forward is the last of Stuart Buckland’s ‘fab three’. The August ’14 whelp is attempting 925 metres tonight, the furthest of her career so far. The daughter of Hondo Black and Supreme French has won over 906, 877 and 874 metres at Towcester, Doncaster and Crayford so can handle the extreme distances. The increase to 925 metres should not cause too many problems as she clearly relishes longer trips. She has recent Romford experience over 750 metres where she came third behind Maireads Ivy who clocked the fastest calculated time of the three Mitch Millward marathon heats. She was only four and a half lengths behind Ivy and as she was the fastest heat winner was not a bad run at all.
Trainer Stuart Buckland on Inch Forward said: “She has had plenty of ten bend races and won the Boxing Day marathon at Crayford. She is a little bit in-between distances but gets up to 906 metres well enough at the likes of Towcester and Crayford.
“750 metres at Romford last week proved a little sharp for her as I fancied her to do well in the competition. Like some things in greyhound racing it didn’t work out as expected.
“I’m not sure the last twenty five metres on Friday will be good for her but I’m confident she will get 900 metres. Trap five is fine for her as she has winning form from there.”
Coral and Ladbrokes make Inch Forward a 7/4 shot that should be taken. She has proven winning form over 906 metres and although entering into the unknown it is only an additional twenty five metres and if leading should take gold. There are no greyhounds in trap four or six so should have a clear run.
As covered earlier, regular readers of this column may well have ante post bets on Romeo Mandate and Barricane Tommy that concludes tonight. Advised at 66/1 and 14/1, the greyhounds mentioned to win the finals are currently around 2/1 and 3/1. That is some value.
For those with sharp memories other finalists Droopys Who, Shotgun Bullet and Liam Og have also been covered by yours truly in the past to help give as much information as possible.
From last week alone Barricane Tommy was advised to win his heat at 3/1 which he duly did by four and a quarter lengths.
This column has proved it is well worth the read.
