Who will serve up the Salver?
The £12,500 ARC Kent Silver Silver is at the semi final stage this evening and the competition is wide open.
Ante post: 11/2 Emers Sammy, 6/1 Hopes Hurricane, Magical Bluebear, 8/1 Time To Talk, 12/1 Romeo Cypher, 14/1 Merrymeeting Lil, Without Justice, 16/1 Guzzler, My Lennie, Romeo Crusade, 22/1 Droopys Rarity, 25/1 Cappendale Rocky, 33/1 Ballyard Shawny, Salthill Sniper, Two Slip Jigs, 66/1 Broadway World, Droopys Standard, Killuran Bella
Video scrutineers will have been busy on their homework with five of the six runners in this coming from just two heats in the toughest of the qualifers. This would have made a decent final in its own right.
Ballyard Shawny and Romeo Crusade met last time out with Shawny (T1) and Crusade (T3). Their trap positions have changed which should work to the advantage of the Mullins runner.
Emers Sammy won a first round heat that included Guzzler and Salthill Sniper. Paul Donovan’s black is the track’s top sprinter with a near 50% success rate. But he has never raced from four which makes that ‘assumed’ 6/4 look a bit skinny. Merrymeeting Lil has the times on the card and is getting quicker in recent runs.
6/4 Emers Sammy, 4/1 Merrymetting Lil, 9/2 Romeo Crusade, 5/1 Guzzler, 8/1 Ballyard Shawny, 16/1 Salthill Sniper
Adam Sear’s fastest heat winner My Lennie clocked 16.29, and it would have been interesting to see how his time over the first five yards would have stacked up.
He is opposed in the early betting by Time To Talk who ran on powerfully to finish second last time out. While she is clearly a bitch of huge ‘short middle distance’ potential, the pup doesn’t look great value against established sprinters.
(Bearing in mind, she will probably have to come from behind My Lennie, who may well find time on his third visit to the track.)
Broadway World won’t be far away – he never is – but he is unlikely to get the sort of opening that he enjoyed last week. 5-6-1
11/8 Time To Talk, 7/4 My Lennie, 6/1 Droopys Rarity, 13/2 Two Slip Jigs, 14/1 Droopys Standard, 16/1 Broadway World
Crack Irish sprinter Hopes Hurricane is the only heat winner in here and will presumably find a chunk of time on his second look at the track.
But he has a very worthy opponent in Magical Bluebear who is showing the makings of becoming a top class sprinter, as demonstrated by his 15.64 at Towcester.
In truth this has the makings of buckle and on that basis, Billy Russell’s runner might be the better value. 4-6-1
2/1 Hopes Hurricane, 9/4 Magical Bluebear, 6/1 Romeo Cypher, 7/1 Without Justice, 8/1 Cappendale Rocky, 25/1 Killuran Bella
Dust blew away prediction
“It takes a brave punter to take 7/4 about a dog who was beaten six lengths when he met his main rival last time out, and has won just once in 14 attempts.’ We said yesterday.
We should have said “Get on Cooladerry Dust, he is great value at 2/1.’ Doh!
Nathan Hunt’s runner could not have been more impressive after overcoming an early challenge from Ballintee Nowshow and pulling away to win by ten in the fastest time of the year, 34.77 (The TR is Hollow Man’s 34.54).
In what would be a mixed night for the kennel, New Destiny showed another side to her ability when coming off the pace to win the opening heat. Having missed her break, she was 30 spots down on her 225m sectional but showed decent trackcraft to feel in Untold Paanga.
The third qualifier proved a disaster for Team Wallis with Ballymac Diana failing to qualifying by a short head, with the kennel’s four runners finishing 3rd-6th.
The third winning favourite of the night was Paul Young’s Miami Bullet with a flawless front runniing display.
After drawing a third consecutive red jacket, New Destiny was installed as favourite for next week’s decider.
Sponsor’s betting: 10/11 New Destiiny, 11/4 Cooladerry Dust, 7/1 Miami Bullet, 12/1 Untold Paanga, 16/1 Tromora Rex, Joes Sagar
OPENS
Tonight: Central Park ♦ Doncaster ♦ Monmore ♦ Oxford ♦ Perry Barr ♦ TOWCESTER
Sunday: Crayford ♦ Sheffield ♦ Towcester
Monday: Nottingham
