The RPGTV Select Stakes is the highlight of a terrific card at Nottingham this evening. The twelve race card begins with four graded races, after which it’s open racing all the way.
The evening gets underway at 6.29pm with an A3 event that is there for the taking for Phil Wilson’s Woodcocks Aliona. This July 2017 youngster stays very well indeed, it’s surely only a matter of time until she’s stepped up in trip where she falls into the ‘could be anything’ category. Aliona is moved out a trap from two into three this evening, that’s not likely to be particularly ideal but there isn’t a great deal of early pace on show here and if turning the first two bends unscathed, she should be far too close, far too soon, for tonight’s rivals.
The second race on the card is an A2 at 6.47pm where Colin Wilton’s Piemans Prince looks particularly well in. Prince had been off the card for a couple of months prior to making a comeback in A1 last week where he was far from disgraced when beaten just 4 1/2 lengths. That run should have blown away a few cobwebs and he can provide the Piemans Syndicate with a winner on Select Stakes night.
The A3 at 7.05pm is a tricky looking race but the selection is with Margaret Roberts’ Hit The Bid running from trap 3. Lily Gidbucka is likely to set the early pace, but Bid can follow her around and prove too strong in the latter stages.
Colin Wilton’s Oakmac Sport is up in grade to A4 at 7.19pm after running away with his last two outings in A5. With a level break he looks certain to lead and a reproduction of either of his last two efforts will see him going very close indeed.
It’s the RPGTV Puppy Trophy at 7.36pm. Bower Luke for Pat Rosney and Roxholme Dolly for Hayley Keightley were both impressive winners here at Nottingham last week. They are both sure to be winning plenty of races in the months ahead. Preference on this occasion is given to Bower Luke, he will be well suited by a move inwards from last weeks trap five to tonight’s trap three, a level break should see him leading up. He’s ‘no dot on the card’ though. He’d not want Roxholme Dolly turning too close, she looks destined to be very good over six bends in the not too distant future whilst Angela Harrison’s Droopys Tune is without doubt a better dog that his showing when beaten behind Luke here last week.
The RPGTV Standard Trophy takes place at 752pm and can go the way of Adrian McPherson’s home bred Honour Turbo. This stunning looking white and fawn dog is perfectly housed in trap 3 and a recent spell off the card can actually work in his favour. Turbo will be fresh for this and comes into the race off the back of an excellent 17.79 (+10) solo trial over the 305m sprint trip on Friday. Beluga Boy for David Mullins has a plot draw on the outside, he could benefit if there was any crowding on the inside.
The second RPGTV Puppy Trophy at 808pm looks there for the taking for Angela Harrison’s Droopys Carat. He’s drawn a little wider than ideal, but really he should have too much pace for these rivals and can skip clear by the turn. After running out a ready winner of his Puppy Trophy heat on Derby semi final night, he ran a very creditable second in the final of that event on Derby Final evening behind Trickys Dumbo. He should be too good for tonight’s opposition.
Lynn Cooks local star Plaza Lep is the selection for the RPGTV 480m trophy at 8.23pm. Trap 3 would usually be ideal, however Blythe Drill running from trap 2 possesses excellent early pace and is without doubt a hazard. With non of the other runners particularly well drawn either, a chance is taken on Lep to continue his run of excellent recent form, though stakes should be kept to a minimum.
The RPGTV Sprint Trophy is next up at 837pm and it looks like being one of the most competitive races of the evening. Peter Harnden’s Salacres Knockout is the tentative selection, his trapping let’s him down frequently but his pace cannot be denied. Though beaten narrowly by his in form kennel mate Forest Lana at Sheffield last week, this track and trip should play more to his strengths than the turning nature of Sheffield. He’ll need to break, but if doing so will surely go close. The aforementioned Lana comes into the race on the back of landing her last 3 races. A bitch in terrific form, she isn’t opposed lightly and it would be no surprise at all to see her complete a four timer. Lynn Cook’s local runner Wokeen has some excellent form over course and distance and is a big player.
It’s the turn of the stayers at 851pm with the RPGTV Maxi-Stayers Trophy over 7.30m. Nick Savva’s Droopys Essie was a big priced but impressive winner over course and distance on Derby Final night and looks well drawn here. Peter Harnden’s Salacres Jenny is interesting stepping up in trip. Jenny has been in excellent recent form and destroyed S2 opposition last week when running away with a 680m graded race by over 12 lengths in an excellent 41.62 (+80).
The main event of the evening takes place at 9.06pm as the runners for 2019 RPGTV Select Stakes head to traps. It would be wrong to suggest that this is one of the greatest Select Stakes of all time, injuries to runners that would have been likely runners prevented their participation. Then no less than 3 withdrawals from the originally selected field have seen the race alter significantly. It’s an interesting race all the same with all manner of possibilities as to it’s outcome. Jimmy Fenwick’s Ice On Fire runs from trap 1, drawn nearer to the rail than ideal but having watched this dog closely in recent trials I’m sure he will not move off quite as far as some people seem to think. When running from trap 2 in a recent trial I was interested to gain a head on look at the position he navigated to on the run up. Lane 2 1/2 would have been his position and absolutely no wider than that. He has early pace to die for and though he has looked somewhat of a short runner in his races to date, he appeared to stay on much better when recording 29.62 (+20) in his trial here last week. Droopys Verve needs no introduction running from trap 2 for Angela Harrison. He’s a class act, he has plenty of pace either side to deal with, but if doing so is sure to run his usual big race. Verve showed himself in good health when recording 29.57 (+20) in his trial here last Monday. Robert Holt’s Trickys Dumbo was 1 from 2 on Irish soil and is 3 from 3 here in the UK. He won both rounds of the recent RPGTV Puppy Trophy which culminated with a 29.43 (+40) 3 1/2 length success on Derby Final night over Droopys Carat. He has excellent early, middle and stays well. Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Tas returns to Nottingham after running superbly well throughout the Derby, eventually finishing a gallant runner up behind Priceless Blake in the final itself. Tas isn’t ideally drawn in trap 4, however she knows this track extremely well now and with a little bit of luck in running she could well gain a much deserved big race success here at Nottingham. Julie Bateson’s Forest Jason has terrific early pace but there is no doubting he is drawn much wider than ideal. If he can smash the bars down and get across to his favoured rails pitch, he would be a big player, but there is no doubting that he will need the break of his life to do so. Last but by no means least is the Heather Dimmock Trained Down To The Felt, he looks up against it on recent form, however he is potentially well drawn and in a race where not many dogs are, that could prove vital. I’m loathe to sit on the fence, however in a race where there are so many unpredictable outcomes, it’s a race to simply sit back, watch and enjoy.
Betting: 2-1 Droopys Verve, 7-2 Ice On Fire, Trickys Dumbo, 4-1 Forest Jason, 5-1 Ballymac Tas, 20-1 Down To The Felt
The final race on the card is the RPGTV Sprint Trophy over 305m. It’s another highly competitive race where any of the six could lay reasonable claims though i’d be loathe to oppose our own Salacres Punch. He’s a powerhouse of a greyhound who is more than capable of both competing and beating the best sprinters in training. He’ll have to be at his best though, with his Derby Final night nemesis Troy Bella yet again in opposition and Geelo Brezza not likely to prove any pushover either. Coal Butler has been in excellent for around Sunderland in the past couple of weeks and would be another big runner if taking to this venue without a trial.
