It’s day two of the Derby with heats eleven to twenty one on show tonight. As it is the Derby expect more thrills and spills from the competition all trainers and connections want to win. Like yesterday I have endeavoured to find out more about four greyhounds running tonight.
Fancied Part Blake starts his campaign in heat twelve at 6.35pm for trainer Graham Holland. At the top of the ante post market the Irish Raider will be looking to justify that faith to get off to winning ways. The September ‘18 whelp warmed up nicely for the competition by winning a trial stakes recently in a calculated time of 29.56. In Ireland the son of Laughill Blake and Galloping Maeve reached the final of the Irish St Leger at Limerick over 503 metres.
Graham on him said: “He is a very exciting dog. There will be a lot of interest in him as he is a very nice dog.
“He found his form from the Easter Cup. He tied up a bit coming home in his trial stakes. He will come on for that. You have to be fairly good from the beginning. You need to be prepared from the start.
“It could have been an easier heat with strong dogs in it and a tricky draw. He is a railer but can run from most traps as he runs straight from the traps. Singalong Sally [trap four] will be desperate to come in. He does have a nice bit of early and can hopefully hold his ground to qualify. He is a strong running dog.”
Betfred are top price 11/8 for him to get his campaign off to winning ways while Corals and Ladbrokes are stand out 20/1 for him to take the outright spoils.
Skidroes Buick for Newcastle trainer Stuart Tighe makes his Towcester race debut in heat fifteen at 7.30pm. The June ‘20 whelp has trialled over C&D clocking calculated times of 29.90 and 30.35. In his second trial the son of Droopys Buick and Kingdom Queen found trouble at the second bend with kennel mate Minglers Popeye. Away from Hove the early paced sort has won a top graded affair at home track Newcastle from five attempts. He will be expected to improve on his trial times with a clear run.
Stuart on him said: “He has taken to the track fairly well. 500 metres is a bit of a stretch for him; his absolute limit. There is only one Derby so thought we would go for it with him. If he’s not leading going into the fourth bend you know his fate.
“Our other runner Popeye got to the quarter finals last year and he goes again this year. In their trial they found trouble with each other. They came off safe and sound and live to fight another day.
“He has bundles of early but had a couple of setbacks. He is over them now and he has done some nice times at Nottingham and Doncaster recently.
“He has trap five and although seeded middle he is more suited out there. In his trial he kept a straight line from trap five.
“He has a bit of ability and hope he keeps qualifying. You cannot win it, if you’re not in it. Fingers crossed he qualifies.”
Ladbrokes and Corals are top price 20/1 for the Newcastle raider to win his heat while William Hills are 300/1 for the outright win.
Borna Haka for Central Park trainer Tony Collett goes in heat eighteen at 8.26pm after winning recently at his home track over 480 metres. The March ’19 whelp has had all his sixteen races at Central Park winning five of them. The son of Kinloch Brae and Borna Elite won three of those five in open races over 480 metres. He also won a D1 graded affair over 265 metres early on in his career. The Central Park raider has had two solo trials over C&D clocking calculated times of 29.58 and 29.76. He looks like he gets the trip and has taken to Towcester.
Tony on him said: “He is a bonus runner for us in the Derby. He was never really in our plans to take him there. He has been plagued with injuries and it was one thing after another.
“We took him to Harlow for a trial with the temptation of running him over 592 metres in a maiden stayers race and he went so well over 415 metres we took him to Towcester. In his trial he went faster than Borna Wine who was an Olympic finalist at Hove.
“In a one off open at Central Park recently he ran really well. He is finding his form now. We got him as a good dog and is now showing it, he is now over all his issues.
“He will get 500 metres strong and although a railer he does run a straight line to the bend so trap three is not too bad for him.”
Several firms are offering 20/1 for him to win at Towcester at the first time of asking while Betfred are top price 250/1 for him in the outright market.
Shockwave Onyx for Nottingham trainer Kim Gooding is making his Towcester race debut after two trials over C&D in heat twenty at 9.04pm. The December ’19 whelp in his first look around the Northamptonshire circuit clocked a very good calculated time of 29.45. The son of Droopys Sydney and Southoe Silver has winning form at three different tracks. He has won at Swindon over 476 and 500 metres at Swindon including reaching the final of the Produce Stakes finishing third. He has also won at Henlow over 460 metres in an A2 graded affair and at Perry Barr in an open over 480 metres. He has shown he can hold his own at different tracks and that experience could prove vital when starting his Derby campaign tomorrow.
Kim on him said: “It was a nice trial. We were very pleased with him. His only other look around there was a sprint trial but that was ages ago. This will be his first four bend race there.
“500 metres is enough for him but he does get it. He has got early but all entrants at this level have it. We wouldn’t have entered him though if we didn’t think he was half decent.
“He runs tracks well wherever he goes. He came third in the Produce Stakes at Swindon and made the final of the BGRF British Breeders Stakes at Nottingham.
“He is in a very hot heat and what will be will be. He has a good draw in one but if we are being picky I would have preferred him in trap two. He is from a nice litter and at this level will could do with a bit of luck.”
The former Produce Stakes and British Breeders finalist is generally 7/1 with the ‘bookies’ to win his heat while he also available at 150/1 with several firms to lift the trophy on Saturday 25th June.
