No Tipster Challenge this week. Andy Lismore took a brief well deserved holiday following his 7-6 win last week but promises to return for next Sunday. In the meantime, a look at the card from the Big Lad himself . .
A full fourteen race card of top class opens at Towcester racecourse this afternoon with the undoubted highlights being the two semi-finals of the Category One Stadium Bookmakers Northamptonshire Sprint – writes Mark Pierrepont.
First up at 1.57pm is a TRC Events & Leisure Maiden over 500m. The afternoon’s opener is a tough race to solve but a chance is taken on Frank Gray’s Alien Snogger to complete a four timer having rattled off a graded hattrick in recent weeks here. Patrick Janssens Affleck Macy is a talented bitch but was pulled out of a similar engagement last week off colour. Her trial a couple of days later suggests she’s right enough now but there’s a chance she might just need the run and if the selection turns on her shoulder she could just be a little more race ready at this stage. Icemans Savana has plenty of ability his runs on Irish soil show that but he’s not quite shown that level of form here yet though it would be no surprise if he were to take off in the next run or two.
TRC Events & Leisure Standard company over 500m at 2.12pm. Heather Dimmock’s Drumcrow Bruce only lost his maiden tag in a Monmore 480 a couple of runs ago but this race won’t take too much winning. If he clears Chelms Keith by the bend then this race is his for the taking.
TRC Events & Leisure Sprint over 270m at 2.32pm. Pennys Oxo is drawn wider than ideal out in trap 5 for John Mullins but the make up of the race with four railers drawn inside him means he should soon be able to take command of his preferred middle of the track. Not a big betting race but with any kind of break Oxo will take the beating.
TRC Events & Leisure Maiden Stayers action over 712m at 2.52pm and a very interesting race. Diane Henry’s Savana Spartacus has already proven his stamina when running out an easy winner of heat and final of a 731-yard DD0 stake around Waterford in December. He showed the engine he posseses when he recorded 2957 in a 500m trial here a couple of weeks ago but on competitive debut last week was unable to reproduce that kind of run-in competitive action when encountering trouble throughout. It’s unsurprising to see him stepped up in distance immediately where the aim will be to see him turning much nearer to the pace. He can land this maiden on the way to better things this year. A small saver must be had on the Patrick Janssens trained Global Volcano though who was very eye-catching in defeat last week , again on UK debut. Bred to stay marathon trips this bitch pinged out but was unable to maintain her pace in the early stages and was crowded out of things around the opening turn and dropped back. She finished the race off very well though and was absolutely tanking in the latter stages. If she can escape crowding in the initial stages then she’s capable of shaving a fair bit of the time recorded last time out.
Stadium Bookmakers Northamptonshire Spint semi-final one at 3.11pm and David Mullins Shrewd Call can complete the hattrick from a plot draw. With Liz McNair’s Havana Class drawn inside him in trap 4 highly likely to head rails immediately as the lids open Shrewd Call will soon have the middle of the track to himself. His trapping has developed a higher degree of consistence in recent times and anything like a level start he should soon pace to the turn and kick on for victory and with it a place in next week’s big final.
Semi-final two at 3.28pm can go to Crossfield Dusty for Patrick Janssens. I rate this dog as the fastest sprinter in the UK and although selected I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him over the past couple of weeks. A winner of his heat I didn’t feel he quite showed the pace he’s capable of in last week’s quarter final. He’s in about the best hands around though and with a place in next week’s final at stake I’m sure we’ll see Dusty at his best with a smash break and away and gone performance.
TRC Events & Leisure Maiden company over 500m at 3.48pm. Seamus Gaughan’s Unlikely Flame was a winner of an A2 here last time out and though coming back to the field a little in the latter stages that’s understandable given it was his first competitive outing since last October. This son of Dorotas Wildcat only half has to trap and it’s not if he’ll lead round but by how far. In what is an eminently winnable race it would be very disappointing if he didn’t then go on to win.
TRC Events & Leisure Standard action over 500m at 4.08pm. Mark Wallis’s Antigua Bigun steps back up in trip having been eliminated from the Northamptonshire Sprint last week at the quarter final stage. He’d previously shown plenty when winning well in his heat and in a race which won’t take much leading he can soon be away and gone. He could well end up with a strong runner on his tail so he’ll need to build himself a good advantage in the early stages but he’s capable of doing so and can hold off his challengers late on.
TRC Events & Leisure Standard over 500m at 4.28pm and one of the races of the say. Lautaro went down to a narrow defeat to Sharon Thompson’s high class and progressive Master Ten Ten last week. In reality this is a race to watch as it could be a classic but the suspicion is that Lautaro might just come on enough for what was his first start of the year and turn the tables on Ten Ten in the process.
TRC Events & Leisure Maiden Marathon over 942m at 4.48pm and in a tricky race to solve Laurence Tuffin’s Romeo Riot is selected to go one better than when just touched off by the ‘chase pace’ of Hather Stout over course and distance last week. Sisters Savana Tradition and Tornado drawn on the inside are bred to appreciate this kind of trip and it would be no surprise to see one or either of them go well. George Stark’s Moneygall Charm has been rattling home late at Newcastle and is another who might go well at a price.
TRC Events & Leisure Maiden company over 500m at 5.08pm. Blackrose Tadgh ran well in a similar race here last week and bar totally losing his way moving off a long the back straight would have gone close to winning. He’s a bit hit and miss at the traps but with a break he could just about lead around here and Patrick Janssens greyhound should be beyond recall if doing so.
TRC Events & Leisure Stayers over 712m at 5.28pm see’s Matt Dartnall’s superstar Space Jet back in competitive action. St Leger Champion 2021 and winner of the thrilling marathon final here at Towcester in October Dartnall’s bitch will undoubtedly come on for a few runs but can use her freshness to get into contention early here. She’s selected to get the better of Ranchers Tigger who ran a mightily impressive race last week for Richard Yeates when winning over course and distance in a maiden and although she’ll find it a little tougher to dominate quite so easily in against this class remains one to watch going forward.
TRC Events & Leisure Sprint action over 270m at 5.44pm for the penultimate race of the day. Vicki Lea’s Millhouse Turbo lines up in the easiest race he’s faced for a number of weeks. He’s developed a much higher degree of consistency to his breaking in recent weeks too and if he comes away here he’ll be away and gone and not for catching.
The final race of the day with a TRC Events & Leisure Maiden over 500m at 6.02pm and Chelms Road can give Vicki Lea a quickfire double. Road has run well in a number of sprints this year without winning but four bends is this dog’s game and from a plot draw he can smash out and make every post a winning one to send the punters home happy.