It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing; open racing at Romford. The Essex venue hosts fourteen open races for our enjoyment from 6.27pm. With several greyhounds making their Romford debuts tonight yours truly has endeavoured to find out more about one of them along with a couple of returnees.
Monmore trainer Pat Curtin on the back of last week’s 8/1 winner with A Up is back to Essex again this week. He again brings a team of three to tackle Romford with one in the final of the Romford Friday night 500 puppies final at 8.53pm. It is the other two that are covered in your favourite read.
First up for ‘team Curtin’ is Suave Jaguar in the opening race at 6.27pm in a puppies only race over 400 metres. The May ’17 whelp has predominately been running at home track Monmore over 480 metres winning in two A3 graded affairs. Interestingly the one time the son of Ballymac Matt and Dolcino Rose raced away from Monmore he won first time up. That was at Nottingham over 480 metres in a puppies only open race. To win first time at a track bodes well going into tonight’s race at Romford for the first time.
Pat said: “He is a really nice dog, I like him a lot but we haven’t got to the bottom of him yet. We are still finding out what suits him best.
“While he is still a puppy we are making the most of it. At the moment 480 metres is as far as he wants.
“He has early pace but if he doesn’t lead he won’t win. He won at Nottingham first time up. He missed his break, showed a lot of pace, found a bit of trouble but missed a lot of it and got round in front.
“He won first time up at Nottingham and they have the same traps as Romford so hopefully he will break better then he did around there.
“He has plenty of early and is the litter brother of Ballymac Mikado who has won a sprint at Hove. Trap three on Friday is perfect for him.”
Skybet make Suave Jaguar a 8/1 shot to win the opening race at Romford tonight.
Next up for ‘team Curtin’ is Mitchells Angel in a standard stayers affair over 575 metres at 8.38pm. Those with sharp memories will remember the Monmore raider ran and won over C&D in early March. Tonight the October ’16 whelp attempts to make it two from two around Romford. Since that win the daughter of Millwards Teddy and Millwards Katy has been tried over 630 metres in an open race and S1 affair to no avail. She is back to where
Pat said: “She won with her first look around Romford and we put her around Monmore over 630 metres but she was in a red hot race and found a lot of trouble early on. Her next race over the distance it rained heavy all day and the going was -180 which is not ideal. The next race after that she was three in front when the hare stopped. She has not had much luck!
“She definitely gets 630 metres and we know she gets 575 metres at Romford as well.
“She is not a back runner though and needs to be in the van early doors. She has to be in the first three early on to win. Pink Osteria [trap one] is the obvious leader in the race. If she turns second or third to her she has a chance.”
William Hills make Mitchells Angel a 10/1 shot to make it two from two over C&D.
Yarmouth trainer Ray Pleasants travelled to Romford back in mid February with Jinks Behind and is back with her tonight. That race then was over 575 metres but tonight the September ’16 whelp is in a maidens affair over 400 metres at 7.33pm. When last here the daughter of Droopys Jet and Fortwilliam Hawk had a torrid time finding trouble at the first and sixth bends and finished in last place. She has won A1 and S1 graded races at home track Yarmouth over 462 and 659 metres which shows her versatility. Being the only wide seed in tonight’s race she could be a player if lying handy in the opening exchanges.
Ray said: “She is quite capable of doing well, she has a good chance. Last time she was at Romford she got caught in the traps. She needs a longer run to the bend and that is why we have put her over 400 metres this time.
“She has a nice bit of speed and her Yarmouth form is good. She has won a A1 at Yarmouth and won over 659 metres as well. She is running well. She is good enough to get away from the others on Friday but can be a bit temperamental. She is a wide runner and has her draw.”
Skybet are offering 5/1 for Jinks Behind to win on her four bend debut at Romford tonight.
Regular readers of this column may have had a nice couple of winners last week curtesy of A Up and Goldies Allen. Trained by Patrick Curtin and Patrick Janssens they both obliged at SP returns of 8/1 and 11/8 in times of 24.39 and 24.34 over 400 metres. Pull The Trigger for Curtin almost made it a treble but was chinned on the line after leading the whole race as a 11/4 shot. Both Goldies Allen and Pull The Trigger go again tonight but against each other this time in the final of the Romford Friday night 500 puppies final at 8.53pm over 400 metres.
