A wonderful 14 race card at Towcester this afternoon where all but the final race on the card is of the open race category.
The afternoon gets underway at 1.57pm with the TRC Events & Leisure Sprint over 270m. Pam Dolby’s Cactus Destroyer looks to have everything needed to become one of the fastest sprinters in training but it has to be said his last 3 efforts when beaten at short odds have been disappointing including when being beaten at long odds on when switched to Henlow last time out. With those doubts in mind and running from what isn’t always a great box in trap 1 to break from and at what are likely to once again be cramped odds the only realistic option from a betting perspective is to seek value elsewhere. That may well come in the shape of the John Mullins trained Signet Goofy who is very well bred and plenty young enough to improve upon his 15.97 last time out win over course and distance.
The TRC Events & Leisure Maiden over 500m at 2.12pm can provide John Mullins with a first two races double courtesy of his Icaals The Beast. He’s yet to win in 9 starts since transferring to the Mullins kennel but those runs have come in some better races to which he lines up today and there have been one or two signs that his turn is near.
The TRC Events & Leisure Standard over 500m is up next at 2.32pm and Frank Gray’s Alien World can follow up on his last time out victory over course and distance. A February 2020 son of Droopys Sydney he’s sure to have plenty of improvement in the locker yet and is sure to progress into a real nice type on the competition circuit for the Gray kennel.
The TRC Events & Leisure Stayers over 712m at 2.52pm can go the way of Robert Emery’s Roseville Tiger who looks to complete a hattrick having seen his 592m Harlow win on the 8th September swiftly followed up with victory over today’s course and distance last time out. Romeo Jet Pilot and Lolas Wish drawn to his outside are both recent winners and with a run would be dangerous but that pair look drawn to come together from an early stage and that should leave the way clear for Tiger to win again.
Heat 1 of the Property 192 Graders Derby – Region S at 3.11pm. I fancy that many of these graded derby races will prove wholly uncompetitive as whilst the idea in principle and the generous prizemoney applauded the fact is A4 at one track is chalk to another tracks cheese. This race maybe one of few exceptions however with a few able to lay claims. Jason Bloomfield’s Slanan Yum Yum clocked 16.08 in her most recent sprint trial and there wouldn’t be all that many A4 graders from around the country capable of that kind of run. Take a chance she can get clear and hang on late with a little crowding in behind likely to help.
Heat 2 of the Property 192 Graders Derby – Region S at 3.28pm can give the Bloomfield kennel a double with their Derramore Queen well drawn to make all. Queen wins her share at home track Henlow and looks the value option in a race where a few can lay claims.
Back to full open race company at 3.48pm with the TRC Events & Leisure Stayers. A race with any number of possibilities but Marcos Flash for Vicki Lea can gain his first win over 6 bends at the fifth time of asking. He’s run some creditable races in defeat in better races over course and distance and comes into the race off the back of an excellent come from behind victory in 500m A5 company here. He’ll need to tread carefully out wide but if doing so he shouldn’t be far off at the finish and rates value to land the spoils.
Semi-final 1 of the category one Stadium Bookmakers Empress Stakes at 4.08pm looks a matchup between Angela Harrison’s Coolavanny Bani and the now David Mullins trained Ballymac Trend. Off the card since April Trend backed up some good comeback trials with a stunning 29.53 effort when comfortable accounting for decent heat opposition. That kind of run should be good enough again and though with a clearer run than when finishing runner up in her heat Bani will be dangerous the suspicion is that Trend should be ahead of her rival from an early stage and that being the case will prove difficult to peg back even if Bani is making late inroads. Both can comfortably progress to next week’s final however.
Semi-final 2 of the Stadium Bookmakers Empress Stakes sees the ladies head to traps at 4.28pm. Gemma Evans superstar bitch Droopys Aoife will likely be short enough in the betting given that she wouldn’t be totally certain to clear Black Eyed Molly drawn to her inside however so long as she doesn’t encounter too much in the way of crowding around the first 2 bends then she should prove too good. Mark Wallis’s Black Eyed Molly can follow Aoife home for a spot in next week’s final.
Semi-final 3 of the Stadium Bookmakers Empress Stakes looks another match up on paper between Angela Harrison’s impressive lady Coolavanny Aunty and Kevin Hutton’s Droopys Samanatha. This could well turn into one of the races of the day if the pair trap in their best style with the early paced pair likely to dual for supremacy at the head of affairs. In a very tough race to call Aunty is selected to just about gain the upper hand courtesy of her inside draw but both ladies can qualify through to what could well be one of the finest ladies only finals we’ve seen in recent times.
The TRC Events & Leisure Standard over 500m at 5.08pm. Nathan Hunt’s Dapper Rodney is undoubtedly talented but has been off and on the card in his fledgling career to date. It’s good to see him lining up for the second consecutive week having ran a good second to Lee Field’s bang in form and top-class Adele’s Duke over course and distance last time out. Well drawn up the middle of the track he can smash out and make all.
The TRC Events & Leisure Maiden over 500m at 5.28pm can see David Mullin’s Coolavanny Lilly winning for the first time here in the UK. A pacey lady she can prove too good for her rivals and back up some promising runs in defeat against much classier rivals than she faces here today.
The final open race action of the afternoon see’s the greyhounds head to traps for the TRC Events & Leisure Sprint over 270m. A tough race to call but Simon Harm’s Loggies Wanted is well drawn here in trap 3 and should improve for his run last time out. He’s selected albeit not with the greatest amount of confidence in what is a puzzling race to solve at the end of what is another excellent Sunday afternoon open race card at Towcester.
