Premarket Pets Blue Riband semi-final day at Towcester racecourse see’s twelve of the country’s finest four bend greyhounds competing for a place in next week’s £10,000 to the winner category one final. The two semi-finals are ably supported once again at the sports premier greyhound racing venue by a whole host of top-class races over a variety of trips sponsored by Towcester Racecourse Events & Leisure.
We get underway at 1.57pm with a difficult to call 500m affair. Patrick Janssens Romeo De Niro is selected to land the spoils but isn’t likely to represent much in the way of value. With that said there isn’t too much to take him on with and although Mark Wallis’s Nearlylagertime is improving he may just find it difficult to secure the first bend lead he craves from his draw out in trap 4. A sensible enough break and De Niro can hold his position before opening up along the back straight.
Not the greatest of 500m maidens at 2.12pm it has to be said and the majority of this field will be struggling to make their mark in full open company at any stage in the near future. One greyhound that might just do that though is John Mullins young bitch Miss Big Pants who at June 2020 is the youngest in the field. Impressive when winning an admittedly moderate D3 sprint around here last time out she did it in the style of a bitch with plenty more to come. Moderately away she paced up into the turn well , showing bravery to go between some bigger rivals and pulling further and further clear all the way home and to the pick-up. This race won’t take a lot of leading and if she does get in front then she will take all the beating even if she will come on for the run over the distance.
A good class stayers race over 712m is next up at 2.32pm and although the betting at least might suggest it’s between the Mark Wallis trained pair of Blueberry Bullet and Antigua Lava I’m going to take a chance on Diane Henry’s Savana Scrappy to get first run. Should Scrappy get to the head of affairs early on which is more than a distinct possibility then he could just find that his life upfront is made a little easier by the Wallis pair coming together. That pair would no doubt have been better off drawn the other way round so take a chance that Henry’s charge pings out and makes every post a winning one.
A great race over 500m at 2.52pm and any number can lay fair claims to victory. Sharon Thompson’s Master Ten Ten is really coming forward at the moment though and from an ideal draw in the blue jacket he can follow up upon last week’s excellent course and distance victory. He’ll need to be sharply away from the boxes once again though as he has Patrick Janssens Aussie Captain drawn inside him. Captain had a horrendous draw out in five to contend with in last week’s Blue Riband quarter final but back in the red jacket today he’s likely to prove much more competitive. Ten Ten to grab the lead at the first though and will take a lot of beating if he does so.
Back to the stayers over 712m at 311pm and Patrick Janssens can provide the answer with his Fabulous Syrah. She missed the kick a bit last week from trap 1 but soon paced up to take full command of the race. Tapped for a little bit of middle pace Syrah was coming back at the leader late on and was back in front and clear heading to the pick-up. It suggested that contrary to a quick glance at the race card the distance isn’t going to be an issue and running from trap 3 today she can use the box to smash out and utilise her superior early pace from the outset. I would be surprised if she sees another rival today if getting away and gone early and rates a good bet.
It’s the sprinters at 3.28pm and Peter Harnden’s up and coming Salacres Lee can complete a six timer. This as has been the case with each passing week is a tougher test once again for Lee. He’s improving though and is doing so at a rapid rate of knots. Lee can once again smash out and make all although with David Mullin’s top class Shrewd Call slightly better drawn this week he can afford no mistakes at the start.
Maiden company over 500m at 3.48pm and Paul Young’s debutant Droopys Solution looks the answer from a very decent make up on the wide outside. He’s trialled in well here at Towcester , significantly better on the clock than his Romford efforts would have suggested and he can gain the first win of his career at the very first time of asking. Just a level start and he should be able to get around the bend in front in what is a very winnable race.
Another 500m maiden over 500m at 4.08pm and with any amount of luck in running Bubbly Tomahawk can provide Paul Young with a quickfire double. He went into just about every notebook in the land with last week’s effort from the back of the field. Well behind he was eventually beaten just a length and was well clear at the pick-up. He’s not suffered well in the draw here he’s correctly seeded middle but has ended up as is often the case out in trap 6 by doing so. If he can get around the first two bends unscathed then he’s fancied to prove too good. There will undoubtedly be support for him from his team of owners so those able to avail of early prices would be advised to be sharply out of the boxes before any semblance of value becomes a distant memory.
Premarket Pets Blue Riband semi-final 1 at 4.28pm and I’m siding with Kevin Hutton’s Bull Run Norris to smash out and make all. Given he traps in his best style he’s likely to get plenty of space up the middle of the course with which to utilise his early. David Mullins Brookside Richie can follow the selection home in second with Mark Wallis’s Drumcrow Brent well drawn on the wide outside to run on and qualify for next week’s final in third.
A highly competitive second semi-final at 4.48pm but with Kevin Hutton’s Forest Gold in such a terrific vein of form it’s difficult to get away from him even if he’s drawn a little wider than he’d like to be. Gold can smash the bars down before heading across to a pitch a little nearer the rail , giving 2021 Derby Champion Thorn Falcon plenty of room to run in behind him to see that Patrick Janssens greyhound safely qualifies and with Carol Weatherall’s Candy Man claiming third spot and with it the final place in next week’s main event.
Maiden company over 500m at 5.08pm and Richard Rees Whats Up Eva looks one of the best bets on the card. Not much went right for Eva over course and distance last week , crowded at various points during the race and taking a fairly bad false step just after halfway it’s to her credit that she was only beaten 1 3/4 lengths even though the winning time was a moderate enough 3043. This isn’t a good race and there is a serious lack of early in the line-up. Eva could well go around very handy here and the race could be all over bar the shouting before they head onto the back straight.
A highly competitive maiden stayers over 712m at 5.28pm. Frank Gray’s Romans De Bruyne has a class edge on a number of his rivals over four bends and has been giving the impression that a step up in trip should suit. Take De Bruyne to pop out and lead all the way on what is his first attempt at the distance.
Back to the sprinters at 5.44pm although not a race containing anywhere near as much class as the earlier race over 270m. Jim Hayton’s Kirabilly Kathy takes the eye although she’d prefer a draw off the fence and at the likely price the sensible thing to do is to look for a little value elsewhere. That’s easier said than done but take a chance on Vicki Lea’s Millhouse Turbo who is inconsistent at the start but does have a break in him and is a pacey sort when getting away and gone.