By Rob Abrey
The Coronation Cup and the Mitch Millward marathon finished last week with the spoils going to Shotgun Bullet and Goldies Hotspur trained by Derek Knight and Patrick Janssens. Those who read this column would have been known all about Shotgun Bullet who was covered here back in October and was advised then that “….If he leads he gets it”. His early pace certainly served him well when leading all three heats to take the cup unbeaten.
With no major competitions on tonight its business as usual at the Essex venue with nine open races on show including a couple of minor competitions. There are only eleven greyhounds from other tracks trying their luck tonight with five of them from the David Pruhs kennels. Of those five, four are running around Romford over various distances for the first time. As ever yours truly has found out more about those four and who David Pruhs thinks has the best chance.
First up for Peterborough trainer David Pruhs is Total Commitment in the first heat of the Romford Friday night 500 maidens over 400 metres at 7.18pm. The April ’15 whelp is coming along nicely with a hat-trick of wins recently at home track Peterborough winning in A3, A2 and A1 graded races. The son of Wise Thought and Holly And Berry has had races away from Peterborough with two sprint races at Nottingham over 305 metres where he managed fourth and second place. Although only having seven races on these shores he has had races in Ireland as well with open wins at Drumbo Park and Dundalk over 306 and 366 metres. If taking to Romford this early paced sort may not be contesting maidens for very long.
Trainer David Pruhs on Total Commitment said: “He has gone through the grades nicely at Peterborough from A3 to A1. Trap three tomorrow [Friday] will suit him. He is a railer but trap three is good for him. He ran out of trap one last time out at Peterborough and moved off at the first bend. He has won a really tidy A1 race at Peterborough from trap three.
“He has nice early and nice back straight pace. He will get four bends at Romford no problem at all. In time he could get 480 metres.
“It is his first time at Romford and we will see how he goes. In time he should not be far off 24 seconds if taking to Romford as he has done 26.02 at Peterborough.”
Next up for the Pruhs kennels in the second heat of the Romford Friday night 500 maidens at 7.34pm is Loughview Holly. The March ’16 whelp will be looking to make it two wins from two for the kennels and two in next week’s final. The daughter of Rio Quattro and Holly And Berry started her career at Peterborough in the lower grades and worked her up the graded ladder from A7 to winning an A1. She has had her last two races over 480 metres at Nottingham in open races finishing second and sixth. She has early pace and if taking to Romford and manages to lead she will be hard for the others to overtake.
David Pruhs on Loughview Holly said: “She started off in A7 and ended up winning an A1 at Peterborough. She is a little bit inexperienced at the moment. In her last race at Nottingham she got a little lost at Nottingham and got crowded out at the third bend and almost found herself in front. She ran a lot better than her finishing position suggests [sixth].
“Romford tomorrow [Friday] will give her a bit more experience. She has a bit of early and keeps middleish and could do with a little bit of luck in running as it’s her first look around Romford.”
Sensual is third up for David Pruhs to tackle Romford in a maiden stayers race over 575 metres at 8.38pm. Although the July ’15 whelp is a stayers maiden she has dabbled over six bend trips at open level with two failed attempts over 592 metres at Harlow. On those occasions the July ’15 whelp came fifth and sixth. At home track Peterborough she has won four times over 620 metres in S3 and S2 graded races. She clearly relishes longer trips and 575 metres should not cause her many problems.
Trainer David Pruhs on his stayer said: “She has been in a couple of open races at Harlow over 592 metres but failed to win. She does stay and will get 575 metres easy.
“I wouldn’t be too optimistic as I don’t think she is quite good enough. She will not disgrace herself but tomorrow [Friday] is more for the owners. She was not put in a S1 this week so thought we would give her a spin elsewhere.
“She will get the distance and if things go her way you never know. “
In the first heat of the Friday night standard over 400 metres, Fortunate Star makes her Romford debut at 8.54pm. Trainer David Pruhs is doubly represented in the heat with Coolemount View also running for the the Pruhs kennels. Fortunate Star has spent most of her career on these shores over sprint trips. The November ’15 whelp has won an open race over 238 metres at Harlow as well as a graded race over 250 metres at Peterborough in a D1 graded race. The daughter of Droopys Jet and White Star just missed out on landing the Sprint Trophy final over 305 metres at Nottingham when coming second by a head. She is in good form presently and with her early pace may cause some of tonight’s Friday night regulars some problems.
David Pruhs on Fortunate Star said: “She has been sprinting against some very good dogs. She will just about get the trip if she leads. She had problems with her monkey muscle and is not quite running the first bend as smooth as she was before it.
“It is her first time around four bends for a while and she needs to trap. The long straights at Nottingham don’t play to her strengths but Romford might. 400 metres could be ideal for her and going forward that could be her future.
“She has much more early than our other runner in the race, Coolemount View who is running really well at Romford at the moment. If you ran these two against each other at Peterborough she would be two lengths in front at the first bend but that is at Peterborough.”
Ladbrokes make Fortunate Star a 3/1 shot and that should be considered. If things go to plan from the traps then she will lead kennel mate Coolemount View to the first bend. If leading and with her early pace she may prove difficult to peg back. The forecast with both David Pruhs runners is also an option worth considering.
On the four runners covered tonight David Pruhs was asked what one has the best chance. To that he replied: “Total Commitment. None of them are without chances though but none of them are penalty kicks either. I’m fairly hopefully about some of them.”
Regular readers of this column would have had a nice little each way return if following advice given about Romeo Mandate in the Coronation cup recently. Before the competition started readers were advised to take the 66/1 for each way purposes. He duly obliged when finishing second to winner Shotgun Bullet. It pays to read this column.
