The Stadium Bookmakers Hunt Cup semi-finals take centre stage at Towcester this afternoon.  Twelve of the leading six bend greyhounds in the UK line up competing for six places in next weekend’s £12,000 to the winner Category One Final.  Prior to the two main races of the day we have 7 supporting opens all sponsored by Towcester Racecourse Events & Leisure.

First up at 1.57pm we have a 500m standard where Mark Wallis’s Drumcrow Brent looks a good thing to get punters off to the best possible start.  This course and distance plays ideally to Brent’s strengths.  This year’s Sussex Cup winner down at Hove bids to win around here for the tenth time and it would be a brave person to bet against him doing so.
Next up at 2.12pm it’s the turn of the maidens over 500m and it will be disappointing if Patrick Janssens Oneforthelake can’t win at the first time of asking here in the UK.
He’s some fair enough early paced form on the card around Limerick and has trialled in very well here at Towcester including a wide margin 29.60 (+10) effort in his final trial.  That should be more than good enough and if he did need any help he’s absolutely plotted on the wide outside with 5 railers drawn inside him.
Adam Sear’s Notorious King drawn in trap 5 will head rails almost immediately so the path really will be clear for Janssens newcomer to really open up from an early stage.
Back to standard company at 2.32pm and a trickier race than may first appear with a quick glance at the card.  Mark Wallis’s Balterio was a brilliant all the way 29.54 winner when last seen here at the beginning of October.
He’s since run brilliantly in defeat throughout each round and the final of the Steel City Cup at Sheffield.  It would be absolutely no surprise to see him returning to winning ways today and he’s selected albeit with a note of caution at what will likely be short odds.
There’s plenty of early pace drawn to his inside so he’ll have to tread carefully but so long as he does so he can take control rounding the final two bends.
Keeping in sync it’s back to the maidens at 2.52pm and a first chance to take a look at one of the most talked about young greyhounds in the UK in the shape of the Liz McNair trained Havana Bale Out.  Rab McNair has made no secret of the regard in which he holds this young bitch pup and on trial form it’s not difficult to see why.
A level break should be all that Bale Out needs to take command from the early stages and see her gain some valuable experience before moving onto bigger and better things in the months ahead.
It’s the stayers over 7.12m at 3.11pm and John Mullins Alanas Pet looks set to land the spoils on what will be his first run over a true six bend trip.
After trapping well last time out over 575m at Romford he was tapped for a bit of middle pace over that trip against some classy types before rallying late and going down by just half a length to the talented Swift Addition.
Pet was soon in front after the line and pulling further and further clear with every passing yard to the pick-up.  Quite simply with any kind of run Pet looks too good for today’s rivals and rates a good bet.
Maidens once more at 3.28pm and Patrick Janssens exciting unraced Lautaro can get his career off to the perfect start.
Bought off the back of a super 28.75 calculated trial run around the tough Youghal circuit in August he’s backed that up with some excellent trial form here in the UK most notably a 29.59 (+10) over course and distance last time out.
With 4 rails dogs drawn to his inside he should get plenty of room on the run up especially since the bitch drawn to his outside wouldn’t be known for her trapping ability or early pace.  He looks a good bet and though he’ll be priced accordingly maybe a double with Patrick’s other ‘maiden good thing’ earlier on the card could be the way to go.
The sprinters at 3.48pm and though I wouldn’t be too keen on trap 1 in sprints around here it’s difficult to get away from Liz McNair’s Havana Class.  He’s a very talented sort who though not an out and out sprinter by any means does possess wicked early pace and he can take command by the bend and once in front won’t be for picking up.
The first of two Stadium Bookmakers Hunt Cup semi-finals at 4.08pm and there is no doubt at all that Aayamza Dream has dropped into much the weaker of the two races.
Mark Wallis’s charge has run extremely well in defeat over course and distance on her last two starts and can get back on the winner’s podium today and book herself a place in next week’s final.
Night Time Baby ran a stormer for Steve Rayner to win on her six bend debut in her heat last week and can claim second whilst Troy Suzieeq can take the third qualifying spot for David Mullins.
The second semi-final really is a quality affair and one of the best six bend line up’s you’ll see all year at any track in the UK.  Peter Harnden’s Salacres Pippy looked on course for an incredible run in last week’s heat but was chased after and caught by the reopposing Lights Out.
The race was slowed up significantly by Kevin Hutton’s bitch and this played right into the hands of Antigua Lava to come through and get up late.
It was a terrific run from a super bitch but the context in which she was allowed to gain the victory needs to be taken into account.  Pippy can once again set the pace and in a six-runner race as opposed to the five-runner field she lined up in last time out that could well see that she remains clear long enough to take the spoils.
She will have to be at her very best though as Wallis’s Lava will be closing down in the latter stages and rates a serious danger whilst it’s difficult to keep Hutton’s Lights Out out of the frame in any race which she lines up.
The three who shared the stage in last week’s heat can do so once more and take their places in next week’s main event.  With Blueberry Bullet, Night Time Danny and Burgess Elite also in the line-up though it would take a brave man to predict the outcome of this race with any degree of certainty.