GREYHOUND PREVIEW: With mild semi-final surprises behind us, the finals take centre stage: Irish Laurels Saturday at Curraheen Park, Gold Collar Final on Sunday at Hove. Barry looks at all the big races with recommended BETDAQ bets.
After a weekend of mild upsets that saw Proper Heiress and Droopys Patriot eliminated at the semi-final stage of their respective competitions on both sides of the Irish Sea, all eyes now turn to the finals. It promises to be a thrilling weekend of top-class action, with the Irish Laurels Final at Curraheen Park, Cork on Saturday night, followed by the Gold Collar Final at Hove on Sunday.
Irish Laurels Final Curraheen Park, Cork (Saturday)
🟥 Solo And Go
🟦 Ballymac Brandan
⬜ Ballymac Setanta
⬛ Magical On Fire
🟧 Trionas Tribe
🔲 Lemon Joey
Verdict:
Liam Dowling holds an exceptionally strong hand as he bids to capture the famous classic for the very first time. The Ballymac maestro is responsible for the three inside seeds, and it would come as no surprise if he finally got his hands on the Laurels trophy.
Solo And Go was among the early ante-post favourites and now finds himself perfectly housed on the fence. The Kingdom Palace Syndicate-owned speedster has shown versatility throughout the competition, running well from off the pace on occasions, but he’s at his absolute best when able to dictate matters from the front. A previous 550-yard winner around Shelbourne Park, he’ll take some pegging back if hitting the ground running, and he’s my selection to make all.
Litter brothers Ballymac Brandan and Ballymac Setanta complete the Dowling trio. Setanta broke the track record in the quarter-finals when edging out Solo And Go, but the trap positions are reversed this time, and that could prove pivotal. Exceptionally fast and clearly a greyhound of the highest potential, Setanta must come away racing from trap three to land the spoils. Brandan, for his part, doesn’t quite possess the early pace of his kennelmates and may find himself playing catch-up from the start.
The main outside threat looks to be Lemon Joey, who impressed in last week’s semi-final for Murt Leahy. Already a Produce Stakes winner at Clonmel earlier this year, he boasts an ideal draw as the lone wide seed and seldom runs a bad race. Should there be any traffic trouble on the inside, he’ll be poised to pounce.
Magical On Fire, the sole lady in the line-up for the ever-reliable Pat Guilfoyle, continues to defy tricky draws. She did superbly to qualify from a difficult position in the semis, and if she can reproduce her quarter-final effort, she won’t be far away, though her draw once again poses a challenge. Completing the line-up is Trionas Tribe, who has finished third in every round to date. He’ll need luck and clear passage to spring a major surprise.
A cracking contest in prospect, but the draw looks to have fallen kindly for Solo And Go, who can make every post a winning one for Liam Dowling.
The final will be broadcast live on Virgin Media TV at 9 p.m. this Saturday evening. Best of luck to all connections.
Gold Collar Final – Hove (Sunday)
🟥 Rackethall Brute
🟦 Droopys String
⬜ Antigua Kestrel
⬛ Noellie
🟧 Romeo Topcat
🔲 Slick Sentinel
Verdict:
The elimination of Proper Heiress in the semi-finals after early crowding was a surprise, but the final still promises a superb event.
Romeo Topcat continues to light up the track with his remarkable consistency. Now chasing an incredible eleventh consecutive victory, he’ll go to traps a strong favourite and rightly so.
His most recent success suggested he still has a bit up his sleeve, and if he breaks level, he’ll take plenty of catching.
The chief danger appears to be Slick Sentinel, who produced a polished display last weekend when lowering the colours of Proper Heiress, with Noellie running a fine race in between them. Droopys String will aim to seize an early advantage on the inside but must find a couple of lengths on the clock to figure prominently.
At a price, Antigua Kestrel could emerge as a lively outsider. He ran with credit behind Romeo Topcat last time and, if he can get first run on Droopys String to the corner, may well claim a place on the podium.
It’s difficult to oppose the relentless Romeo Topcat, who is fancied to extend his winning streak, with Antigua Kestrel and Slick Sentinel fighting out the minor honours.
All the best,
Barry.
