GREYHOUND PREVIEW: Barry Caul previews the quarter finals of the English Greyhound Derby at Towcester on Saturday.
Quarter Final 1
The opening quarter of the night is due off at 19:46 where Sole Mio will just get the nod here for me. The Peter Cronin trained runner beat a good field last week getting the better of Dynamic Force and Churchfield Syd on the run to the opening turn before holding off a late challenge by the rallying Dynamic Force. The clock backed up his run, and the sectionals also pointed to him coming home strongly despite Force closing in the latter stages. Mio will need to come away racing once again as the early paced Droopys Aladin in three will be moving towards the rail on the run to the corner. Cheap Sandwiches ran a cracker behind Bockos Diamond last time and will go off favourite. He did little wrong in defeat but is another will need to come away racing from five, I doubt he can afford to give some of these a start and a beating. Singalong Molly is the only bitch left in the event, but this is by far her toughest test, and she will need a little luck around the opening turns. March On Freddie is another hugely fast greyhound and will be hoping to be in a prominent position entering the back straight. The final runner is the well-drawn Droopys Bookem in trap one. Bookem will be finishing fastest of all here, and he will be hard to keep out of the frame. I will just side with the improving youngster Sole Mio to make all.
Quarter Final 2
Defending champion De Lahdedah will be all the rage in the second quarter. Liam Dowling’s runner can be hit and miss from boxes, but he was more hit than miss last weekend when winning comfortably in 28:73. Its hard to know what De Lahdedah will do from boxes. He now has eleven starts at Towcester and in three of those outings he broke the four second sectional, he has also posted four twenty-one or worse on three occasions! If he produces one of his better starts, he wins, but at 8/13 it is a brave man who sides with him. Obviously it will be a better competition if he makes it to another derby semifinal and barring accidents he should qualify. For betting purposes, a little value may come in the form of Tiffield Tarquin. Tarquin has an ideal draw in six with Hello Diego inside and Churchfield Syd likely to edge inwards on the run to the corner, he should have plenty of freedom out wide. Romeo Empire will be looking to pick up the pieces late while the outsider No Better Feeling has done remarkably well to make it this far but will need luck to qualify.
Quarter Final 3
Bombay Pat has been installed at the even money favourite but I think he will be a fraction bigger on the night. Pat can be a touch slow away from traps on occasions and as the quality of the opposition improves, he can afford no slip ups. For me Prince Naseem is the key to the race. I know this dog well from his Irish days and although his Shelbourne Park form is nowhere near the level of Bombay Pats, he can move well to the corner and could easily give Pat some early problems. Faypoint Harvey will be my selection in this. Harvey has run with real credit in defeat in his last couple of outings and if he were to get off the front in this contest, I feel he could be hard to peg back. Harvey was picked up by the strong running Singalong Molly last time but should be approaching peak fitness at this stage. Dynamic Force put in a huge effort behind Sole Mio last week, but he is similar to Bombay Pat, he can miss the break on occasions but there is no doubting his ability. The race to the corner between Bombay Pat and Dynamic Force looks key, as I cannot see one coming from behind the other. Harvey is the one to beat and with another fast start he can make all from the red jacket.
Quarter Final 4
Bockos Diamond is still the one to beat. Last years Irish Derby champion ran a cracker last weekend when just getting the better of kennel mate Cheap Sandwiches and he has been drawn in a winnable heat. There is a concern that the long run to the pick-up may affect him but until we see him beaten its hard to oppose him. I would certainly fear for Bockos if he were to be headed early in the contest but barring accidents he should lead this field. Bubbly Charger is running out of his skin and rates the main danger. The key to the race for him is holding Droopys Trade on the run to the corner, which is easier said than done. The switch to the inside box may just catch out Bubbly Charger, he missed it from one in the opening round but hopefully he has that little bit more experience under his belt now. Keefill Maverick is another who can move well to the corner but does have a tricky looking draw. Slick Sentinel will obviously find it difficult to clear Bockos Diamond but is not without a chance of making the semifinal. Hard to look past the Diamond, but the remaining qualification places are up for grabs.
Good luck to all connections,
Barry.
