GREYHOUND PREVIEW: This week’s preview Barry looks at the the Golden Sprint at Romford on Friday where his 66/1 ante post selection Jacktavern Don has made the final. On Saturday at Central Park it’s the semi final stages of the Kent Plate and in Ireland on Saturday we have the second round of the Easter Cup at Shelbourne whilst at Limerick it’s the opening round of the 2026 Kirby Memorial.
There’s plenty to look forward to this weekend, with the final of the Golden Sprint at Romford Greyhound Stadium on Friday night. On Saturday, we have the semi-finals of the Kent Plate at Central Park Stadium, while over at Shelbourne Park we move on to the second round of the Easter Cup. The opening round of the hugely valuable Con & Annie Kirby Memorial also gets underway at Limerick Greyhound Stadium, with thirteen heats down for decision. Let’s take a look at the best of the action …..
Romford Friday: Golden Sprint Final
🟥 Swift Hostile
🟦 Yahoo Mareike
⬜ Da Don
⬛ Sehnsa Amigo
🟧 Bombay Buck
🔲 Jacktavern Don
For the second event in a row, our ante-post selection has made the final, with Jacktavern Don (advised at 66/1) lining up in trap six. Toddys Wolf landed the each-way money when finishing third in the recent Gold Cup at Monmore at 66s, and hopefully Jacktavern Don can go a couple of places better.
We saw a few shocks in the semi-finals, with big guns Slingshot Poppy and Bockos Buster exiting the competition. It once again highlighted how crucial the break and the run to the opening bend are around Romford.
Swift Hostile looks to have the best of the draw, while the outside berth could suit Jacktavern Don, despite being a middle seed. I still believe we have yet to see the best of Don, and I wouldn’t swap him for any of the finalists. He ran well in the Romford Puppy Cup last September, and there’s a sense he has a big run in him.
He has winning form from trap six and should get a clear passage to the bend, with Bombay Buck likely to edge middle on the run-up. Buck was impressive when making all last weekend, and the same can be said for Sehnsa Amigo, both would have a major chance with a repeat.
It’s wide open, as the betting suggests, but I’m happy to stick with Jacktavern Don. He remains capable of better than he’s shown recently and can return to winning ways when it matters most.
Central Park Saturday: Kent Plate Semi-Finals
The Kent Plate reaches the semi-final stage on Saturday evening, and it’s hard to look beyond the excellent Proper Heiress. He ran a huge race to make the Irish Derby final at Shelbourne Park late last year and has returned in fine form this season.
He lines up in the last of the three semis, where he faces the in-form Headford Dane. Dane posted a rapid 28.58 when winning last week and has every chance of scoring again if reproducing that effort. The draw gives him a big chance, and both should make the final, but slight preference is for Proper Heiress.
The first semi (7:30) could go the way of Slick Sentinel. There’s a lack of early pace in this contest, and he should be able to race prominently. Droopys Graph impressed in victory last week but may struggle to secure a clear run. The current 10/1 about Slick Sentinel outright makes plenty of appeal, and it’s hard to see him missing out on qualification.
The second semi can go to last weekend’s impressive winner Scooby The Lady. She was sensational in a fast 28.48 and is ideally drawn to follow up. Upper Horgan, a greyhound I liked from his Irish days, ran better than the bare result last weekend and can challenge for qualification along with Bruce Bay and strong-finishing Silverhill Adam.
Shelbourne Park – Saturday: Easter Cup (Round 2)
It was great to see Droopys Kathleen (advised at 8/1 ante-post) back to winning ways last Saturday. She broke well, took control early, and never looked in danger. She now heads the market at around 3/1 after posting 29.38.
Despite a less-than-ideal draw in trap four, she should still race prominently alongside Miami Hyland. With four qualifying from each of the three heats, there is some margin for error. Kathleen runs in heat two and should at least turn second, and I fancy her to make it two on the bounce.
The opening heat looks wide open. Callaway Five impressed when making all last week and has a perfect draw on the fence. Kennelmate Callaway Knegare is always a danger in top-class contests but will need a clear run. Lennies Tank lost momentum at the opening bends last weekend but is well drawn and should be prominent.
Lemon Hidalgo also deserves a mention after a big run behind Droopys Kathleen last week and is clearly in top form. It’s a tricky race, but a tentative vote goes to Lennies Tank to make all.
The final heat could be dominated by the females, with Droopys Faithful and Coosane Pickles both expected to go well. Droopys Faithful was particularly impressive last week and, with further improvement likely, gets the nod ahead of Coosane Pickles and Hackney Mati.
Limerick Saturday: Con & Annie Kirby Memorial (Round 1)
The hugely valuable Kirby Memorial gets underway at Limerick on Saturday night with thirteen opening-round heats. Some big names are set to line up, headed by Ballymac Setanta for Liam Dowling.
Others to catch the eye include Bockos Gold, Lennies Dynamic, and Getup The Boy. There could also be value further down the market. UK raider Bouncing Monarch joins Michael O’Donovan for the competition, while Cushie Flytplan, also in that kennel, is no back number and could outrun big odds.
We’ll take a deeper look at the Kirby Memorial next weekend.
Recommended Bet
Kirby Memorial – Limerick
Cushie Flytplan – 0.5 pts each-way @ 66/1 (¼ odds, 6 places)
All the best,
Barry.
