The Final six are set at Romford
Three superb semi-finals were run last night at London Road, with the final draw below.
There were double celebrations for the Seamus Cahill kennel last night. Not only did Noirs News win the opening semi-final of the PGR Champion Stakes, the second semi was sponsored to celebrate the 60th birthday of Teresa. Golden Palace filled the runner-up slot for Michelle Brown, making another Category One final for the team.
Cahill said afterwards, “He ran very well, he seems to run this track quite well. It’s a good draw for him (trap six), we’re not out of it, he was a big outsider coming into the event but he’s run very well.”
Semi-final two looked the battle of the round on paper and it delivered in spades on the track. Mark Wallis’s New Destiny would just take the honours over Aayamza Sydney but the John Mullins-trained hound lost absolutely nothing in defeat in a pulsating buckle.
Callum Field-Mullins spoke to us about Aayamza Sydney afterwards saying, “He’s done everything right…he’s still building his strength over this distance again…I think maybe if he traps like that again next week we might just hold off New Destiny.”
Gary The Arb has been a great buy for the Belinda Green team. The winner of the Category Two grayhoundtrader.com Stakes on Derby final night, he also made the final of the recent East Anglian Derby. Nowitsmyturn rounds out the final for the Richard Rees kennel. 10 of his 23 runs this season have been in Category One company, making a well deserved final.
Green’s initial reaction was that “It’s good, we were here last year with Ninja Kerry so it’s nice to be here again with another one and Gary is just as good as Bruce.”
Final betting from Coral
1/1 New Destiny 11/4 Aayamza Sydney 4/1 Gary The Arb 7/1 Noirs News 14/1 Golden Palace, Nowitsmyturn
Last night’s replays and next Friday’s draw
SF1 – 1st Noirs News (t6) – 2nd Golden Palace (t4) – 3rd Roxys Bullet (t5)
SF2 – 1st New Destiny (t3) – 2nd Aayamza Sydney (t2) – 3rd Ballymac Johnjo (t6)
SF3 – 1st Gary The Arb (t3) – 2nd Nowitsmyturn (t4).- 3rd Drive On Lad (t2)
Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks 2nd round
Queen Joni runs in the 8.28 at Perry Barr tonight.
Photo: © Steve Nash
The top bitches in the country are in action at Perry Barr once more this evening.
Druids Say Go was electric last week in the heats. She heads the market in the opening heat at 7.36 for Patrick Janssens in the same starting position in trap four as she was a week ago. Kev Hutton’s Produce Stakes winner Southfield Poppy has the red jacket. She will be looking to give the favourite a fight on the run to the opening turn.
7.53 is a five-runner contest with three heat winners clashing. Queen Dusty (Liz McNair) looks to have the pick of the draw from stripes. Distant Cara (Matt Dartnall) has to clear fellow heat winner Chamberlain Kate on her immediate left on the run to the bend from trap four.
Avongate Venus suffered a rare reverse in the opening round but still ducked under 28 seconds. Phil Milner’s charge is an exceptional performer and can get back on the winning track tonight. Hutton’s defending champion Jet Stream Angel is on the rails and looks like stepping up on her first round effort.
McNair will have the favourite for the final heat in Queen Joni. She did not have to go as quick as others to score seven nights back but has to clear Icemans Girl who flew to the split in her heat for Nathan Hunt with a 3.39. Leighas Dream was a fluent winner of her opening round heat in 28.02. She is capable of getting in the mix for Barry Denby.
Arc Scurry
There are also six heats of the ARC Scurry on the card. It is a hugely competitive looking competition over 275m with a bumper entry. King Capaldi can lay down a marker in heat one for McNair. Long Fellow was a Birmingham Cup finalist for Dartnall, now trying a sprint competition in heat two.
Dartnall has his recent Puppy Cup winner Fire And Ice in heat three. Cree Jo Jo and Silver Salver winner Magical Bluebear are in heats four and five for Richie Taberner and William Russell. The final heat contains recent Yarmouth sprint winner Slick Serenity for Jason Blooomfield.
PGR Kent Derby semi-finals
Three excellent semi-finals tonight at the Kent track.
Catch King Memphis in action in the PGR Kent Derby at 8.54.
Photo: © Steve Nash
It is a battle of the early-paced wide seeds in the opening semi at 8.36 as Paul Donovan’s Cinderella Tell takes on Derek Knight’s Sussex cup winner Newinn Benni. The former chased home King Memphis in the opening round having led for a long way. The latter held off Coolavanny Sissy last week. Luke Morrison’s son of Droopys Sydney could benefit from the way this will be run.
Track record holder King Memphis will go in heat two at 8.54 for Liz McNair. A draw outside Patrick Janssens’ Romeo Kingpin means that he will have to be on his toes early but he should prove too strong. Tintreach Trueno should lead up the outside trio for Donovan while Droopys Display will be motoring from halfway for Maxine Locke.
The final semi at 9.11 is a five runner affair but is perhaps the trickiest of the three. One spot split Havana Top Note (Liz McNair) and El Tornillo (Dave Lee) on their first round wins last week. Uncle Freddie (Richard Rees) was a length behind the former while Droopys Doughnut (Janssens) was also a heat winner.
All six heats last week were won by the favourite. Will the bookies be in for another bashing tonight?
Other Saturday night opens
Monmore and Oxford both have open races on their evening cards.
Eight opens at Monmore, including three heats of a 630m competition. Newinn Syd makes his six-bend debut in the first of those at 6.48. Clona Curly takes on Savana Jackpot in a cracking third heat at 7.56. The 9.23 is arguably the race of the night, however, as Vixons Filofax takes on Druids All Go and Untold Paanga amongst others.
At Oxford there are six opens to close out the card. Kevin Hutton will be hoping for a good night, holding strong chances with Coppice Lottie in the Stayers at 8.26, Coppice Trophy in a Standard over 450m at 8.43 and Highfield Andy in the other standard at 9.01.
Droopys Kathleen the latest horse racing crossover
The Robert Gleeson-trained bitch is the first dog in the ownership of jockey Dylan Browne-McMonagle.
The 21-year-old has taken the horse racing world by storm over the last couple of seasons. Champion Irish apprentice in both 2021 and 2022, he won his first Group 1 race in 2022. He also had a successful stint over in Australia last winter where he garnered plenty of praise for his ability.
His first purchase won at Shelbourne last night in a slick 28.33 so success has followed him from one sport to the other. A May 2023 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Dancer is part of the first litter that her dam has produced. She was a strong runner over four bends, something that her daughter looks to have inherited.
Superb card at Shelbourne tonight.
With the draw for the opening round of the Irish Derby being made on Monday, there are a string of dogs having their final prep are for the competition this evening.
They include the first run back for the English Derby champion, De Lahdedah. He heads to traps at 9.27 off the back of a hugely impressive five-length win over a smart yardstick in Ballymac Finn (the 2022 Irish Derby runner-up) in a recent trial spin.
Untold Dollar goes in the 8.42 for Graham Holland. The Puppy Derby winner at Monmore in the spring, he was third in the Select Stakes at Nottingham at the end of August.
The 8.57 is the final of a dual distance bitches competition. Undulation made the quarter-final stage of the Irish Derby last year. She missed out on a tilt at Towcester due to coming in season. Stumbling at the start last week, she did well to qualify, with that her first run since April. Better should be forthcoming from her tonight.
Free entry at Nottingham for the Eclipse Final
After the huge success that Nottingham had bringing in a huge crowd for the Puppy Classic and Select Stakes, the track are opening their doors for free once more in November.
The Colwick Park venue welcomed more than 900 racegoers trackside to launch its National Greyhound Week celebrations in August with those who attended a fixture in the weeks building up to the event also entitled to a free drink on arrival.
The stadium will operate the same offer when hosting the 69th running of the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse on Monday, November 25, where the winner will scoop the £20,000 first prize.
David Evans, General Manager at Nottingham Stadium, described the August offer as a huge success and encouraged those in attendance to book the November date in their calendars.
“The Eclipse is one of UK greyhound racing’s showpiece events,” said David. “The competition has a proud history dating back to before World War II and we’re proud to mark our 37th year hosting the competition next month.
“Feedback received from racegoers old and new following our August bank holiday fixture meant extending our free admission offer to the Eclipse was a no-brainer.
“It’s our way of saying thank you to those who return trackside each year, and an opportunity to encourage new faces yet to experience the thrill of live racing.
“In addition, anyone who attends one of our November fixtures building up to Eclipse finals night can collect a voucher which will entitle them to one free drink on arrival. It’s a limitless offer, and one we encourage people to take advantage of.”
Kilkenny to benefit from a refurbishment
Track to receive a grant of one million to help with the project.
The Department of Agriculture have confirmed that the grant has been given. It is estimated that the project is going to take nine months to finish with the demolition and rebuilding of facilities to start shortly. Racing will continue at the track while work is being done.
September Greyhound of the month
Avongate Venus is the Time Greyhound Nutrition Greyhound of the Month for September after her brilliant victory in the Bet365 Empress Stakes at Towcester.
Stats
- Hatfield Syd – 5.06 Swindon – 7/14 when running in D4.
- Turree Marven – 5.17 Newcastle – 9/14 from scratch in Newcastle handicaps.
- Hawk – 6.48 Monmore – 10/17 from stripes at the track.
- Newinn Luna – 8.04 Sheffield – A3 record stands at 6/9.
- Lissatouk Dave – 8.20 Galway – 7/10 when he runs in A2 grade.
Opens
Saturday: Central Park ♦Perry Barr
