A terrific evening of open racing at Towcester racecourse sees three semi-finals of the KAB Maiden Derby more than ably supported by nine Star Sports and TRC Events & Leisure English Derby Trial Stakes – writes Mark Pierrepont.
There is no finer place to be to enjoy the superb racing on offer at Towcester than at the track itself and though that privilege is currently only available to owners it shouldn’t be too much longer now before the gates are opened to the wider public.
In the meantime all of the action can be caught live on Racing Post Greyhound TV sky channel 437 or indeed online via the channel’s website.
Before we crack on with the main card, here is a reminder of last week’s KAB Maiden Derby first round:
First up at 6.09pm the Carol Weatherall trained Candy Man is selected to come out on top in a competitive Derby trial stake. A somewhat unlucky loser in the final of the Laurels recently at Perry Barr this is a young lightly raced greyhound with a terrific will to win and never say die attitude. Being a son of Wont Fall Behind maybe those particular attributes shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Candy Man trialled well here on his first sighter of the track last week stopping the clock in 29.81 (-20). Newinn Jacko and Jumeirah Sprite can fight it out for second and third places respectively.
The evening’s second Derby trial stake at 6.28pm can go the way of the highly promising and lightly raced Hilight Arkle. A son of Good News this Richard Rees greyhound was having just his second start this year when comfortably accounting for his opposition in a 500m open at home track Hove a couple of weeks ago. Arkle has since trialled very well around here in 2997 (-20) showing excellent early pace in the process. He looks well plotted in trap 3 here and can make every post a winning one. Paul Hennessy’s Irish raider Beach Avenue stays every yard of this trip and further. A classy sort who finished runner up in the Easter Cup Final at Shelbourne earlier this year behind 2020 English Derby semi-finalist Knocknaboul Syd. Avenue can run on strongly to fill the forecast spot.
The first of three KAB Maiden Derby semi-finals at 6.43pm. A brilliant competition that’s given owners and trainers something worthwhile to really plan for. Two of the favourites for outright honours meet here and though both have live chances I’m siding with the Liz McNair trained Warzone Tom to just about get the better of the Patrick Janssens trained Thorn Falcon. Both are classy sorts who are ideally suited by track and trip. The suspicion is that Tom just needed the blow out when finishing second to Pennys Kai in last week’s first round heat. From a poor draw in one he run a game race in defeat. Much better drawn tonight in trap 3 he can ping out and make all. Falcon shouldn’t be too far away and can claim his place in next week’s final.
Back to Derby trial stakes action at 6.58pm and Richard Yeates classy sort Faughan Rebel can smash out and make all. He’s drawn a little nearer the inside than would be ideal here in trap 3 but he can soon take control and then have full control of where he wishes to race on the track. Jet Stream Socks stays on well and can keep on for second for Henlow trainer Carol Grasso. Lee Fields Mr Roo looks well drawn tight on the rail but in a race of this nature over the Derby trip will need to go clear and hope for crowding in behind.
The second of the KAB Maiden Derby semi-finals at 7.18pm and the Gary Griffith’s trained Brynhall Respect can prove that last week’s 6/1 heat success was no fluke. It was some effort from the Wigan based handlers greyhound which saw the well related son of Laughil Duke and Jaytee China gain his first but almost certainly not the last open race victory of his career to date. Quickly into stride he made just about all to beat off Rob Gleeson’s Irish raider Duke De Janerio by 4 3/4 lengths in a fast 29.48. That rival reopposes in a race containing much more strength in depth but the result can be repeated with Respect to smash out and make all for the Bryn Hall Racing kennel.
Droopys Addition is a high-class sort for Romford based trainer Gemma Evans. Although he took a fall when last seen at the track in competitive action he comes into this 7.36pm Derby trial stakes with his confidence high after a mid-April 29.57 trial here was swiftly followed up with an open race double down on the south coast at Hove. He’ll have to be at his imperious best though with good competition throughout. The forecast spot can be filled by Patrick Janssens Lenson Doolin.
The third of the three KAB Maiden Derby semi-finals at 7.56pm. Kevin Hutton is no stranger to success at this venue and he could well have a bitch on his hands capable of landing him even more silverware at the Northamptonshire venue. Not Too Late was having just the second start of her career when demolishing her heat opposition by fully 6 lengths in a fastest of the first round 29.38 last week. It was a run right out of the top drawer and from a nice enough looking draw once again on the wide outside she looks capable of following up. If the breeding sounds familiar it should do for this strapping 30 kilo bitch is a half-sister to non-other than superstar of the sport Ice On Fire.
Derby trial stake action all the way home from now on and Rob Gleeson can land the 8.17pm with his 2020 Irish Derby semi-finalist Toolmaker Sydney. A high-class sort he may be given most to do from Paul Burr’s Swift Cope. The Yarmouth raider was mightily impressive when leading all the way in a trial stake here last week, stopping the clock in 29.33 with nearest challenger Night Time Danny some 9 lengths adrift. He’s not always so quickly into stride however and I’m not convinced the move to the inside will aid him in his efforts at repeating it. That being the case Sydney can cease command of the inside by the turn and if doing so will prove extremely tough to beat.
The 8.38pm is a tough puzzle to solve and stakes should be kept small but a chance is taken on Jim Hayton’s Strides Farran who has a break in him and will prove tough to beat in a race of this nature if leading early. He’s not getting any younger at March 2017 but retains enough ability to win this despite lacking a look round.
Queen Dolly can win the penultimate race of the evening at 8.54pm. Dolly who gained the big race success she deserved when impressively going unbeaten through the BGBF British Breeders Stakes at Nottingham last year can ping out from a plot looking draw in trap 3 and make every post a winning one. Dolly has a fall to overcome from her outing at this venue last time out but there is no more professional training pairing in the sport than Liz and Rab McNair and this bitch wouldn’t be on the track if she was anything less than 100%.
Icaals First can gain both the first win of his career and also the first win under his new trainer John Mullins. He’d run well in a few sprint trials here before again running well in an open over an inadequate 400m at Romford on Friday. This testing 500m here at Towcester is much more like it for him and it would be no surprise at all if money was to arrive for him in a race which looks more than winnable.
Last but by no means least at 9.28pm Ballynabee Jet is selected to make it 6 wins in his last 10 starts for Hove trainer Sam West. Given a reasonable break this is a race he really should be winning.
