GREYHOUND PREVIEW: In this week’s preview we focus on Saturday nights meeting from Hove live on RPGTV including the first round of the Olympic and also the first round of The George Curtis and Ballyregan Bob Memorial 740.
Hove takes centre stage
All eyes will be on Hove on Saturday evening as they host the first rounds of the Olympic over 515m and the first round of the George Curtis and Ballyregan Bob Memorial over 740m.
There are six first round heats of the Olympic and four first round heats of The Memorial over 740.
In the first heat of the Olympic at 18:58 Make Noise looks to have an ace draw on the outside of Nipsey Hustle. Make Noise was a good winner over the trip earlier in the month when beating a quality field, he can go up strongly and will look to make all. Ex Irish tracker Scooby Prince is an interesting runner having only his third UK start after a failed bid at this year’s English Derby. He won last year’s Irish National Puppy Stake and, on his day, would be a match for any of these. He will need to improve on his recent trial but he’s a classy sort when on song.
There are some big names in heat two at 19:18 where Havana Bale Out will be hard to beat if reproducing her trial form.
19:56 sees the return to action of one of the most promising greyhounds currently racing in the UK in the shape of Frompillartopost, he was sensational when winning the recent puppy stake at Oxford and has always looked like a bigger galloping track such as this will suit even better. He has won six of his seven starts and all eyes will be on him this Saturday night.
Later on the card Ninja Kerry lines up at 20:38, winner of the Sussex Cup around here earlier in the year his recent trial form has been encouraging, however he hasn’t raced since early October, and it may be worth taking him on with Deelish Frankie in trap one. Frankie has some excellent form at several different tracks and could make all at a decent price in this.
The final first round heat is a real cracker, due of at 21:43 it features former Towcester track record holder Lautaro, last weekend’s Gold Collar finalist Feora Noel and last weekend’s Maiden Vase runner up Barley Panther as well as the classy Hopes Paddington. A case can be made for most in this contest, but I feel there is more to come from Barley Panther, if he can lead up Hopes Paddington in two, he should go well.
The first heat in the stayer’s event over 740m is due off at 19:36 where Space Jet and Shanbally Chris meet for the second week, Space Jet got the better of Shanbally Chris by a head last week and I fancy her to beat her old rival again. Blueberry Bullet should be on the premises and is strong over this trip, she actually holds the track record here over 955m.
Droopys Senorita is the one to be with in heat two at 20:17, she was just behind Space Jet and Shanbally Chris last week and looks to have an easier task in her opening round heat, she will be detached early but is another who is strong over this trip and is expected to come through in the second half of the race.
In the final heat Milton Pepe will look to gain revenge over Savana Volcano who beat him over further last time, Pepe will be better suited to this shorter trip and could go well form an ace draw in trap one in the concluding heat due off at 21:28. It’s a cracking card at Hove and there will be plenty of clues on offer for the coming weeks.
Friday Nights Under Lights
ROMFORD
As usual Romford and Oxford will host some cracking action live on RPGTV on Friday evening. The opener at Romford on Friday night is due of at 18:28 and Zoom will be looking to recoup losses for his supporters after a luckless UK debut. When trained in Ireland Zoom was mixing it with the best around and has stunning early pace, this isn’t the strongest of open races and if anywhere near his best he should take this. Hopefully he can improve for his debut run and get us off to a winning start.
Slider McCoy will be popular in the 18:58 although his odds may reflect this. He should prove hard to beat from an ace draw in one. Milton Rio in five may well give him most to do.
Droopys Good and Rail McCoy clash yet again in the 19:18. They have been two stars of the recent Romford Friday night cards, and both are a credit to their connections. On current form it’s hard to oppose Droopys Good from trap two.
It’s always worth following a bitch in form and Theresas Pet certainly fits that profile in the 19:36. She has won five of her last six and her only recent defeat came against the excellent Droopys Good, she is fancied to take the lady’s race.
Later on the card Urry Up Peejay looks a good bet to take a heat of the Maiden Stayers event over 575m, this looks a slight ease in grade to what she has been faced with recently and she looks one of the better bets on the card at 20:54.
OXFORD
Over at Oxford the action gets underway at 18:33 with the first round of the Challenge Cup over 640m. Former track record holder for the distance Frostys Ten goes in trap six in the opener but he has been handed a tough assignment. Gizmo Smasher has been running in red hot company over four bends in the last few weeks and has winning form over this trip. The race is full of fast finishing types, but I feel Gizmo Smasher may be away and gone around the tight Oxford circuit, Droopys Garden and Frosty Ten will be coming home late and fast but they may have plenty of traffic in front of them at halfway.
Antigua Sugar has won her last three starts by a combined twenty-seven lengths and is impossible to oppose in the 18:48. Muxton Lottie is another bitch in form, she was an excellent winner of a trial stake around here when making all in a slick 40:08. If she can slip the field early, she will be impossible to peg back.
Havana Lover broke the track record for the distance here last week and will be a very short price to go in again form an ideal drawn in six, Make It God in three looks her main danger in the 19:44.
Weekend’s Best Bets
Friday
Oxford 18:33 Gizmo Smasher Two Units Win
Saturday
Hove 20:38 Deelish Frankie One Unit win
