7.30
A moderate maiden to kick us off which won't get the crowds flocking over in a hurry but I give one more than a squeak here to start the nights proceedings in the right fashion. T3 ZENAS PRINCE is only A5 round Peterborough but has shown his best form round this circuit imo. A best at his home track of 26.02 I rate near on seven lengths short of what I'd call a decent time there but in six fruitless efforts here he has managed to chalk a 24.63 best on the board which is considerably better than his home form. The other swinging factor here is the draw in three. His two best runs over CD both come from the pinging box where he has been beaten into second twice beaten only 1 1/2 and 1 3/4l. With sectionals of the 3.69 calibre this Jenny March raider can soon get these at it in behind in what rates a welcome drop in class from facing the likes of Kingsmill Beau whom he saw the behind of here recently. He was only 6/1 against that machine, I can't see him being half those odds tonight. Dangers look T1 Black Tennessee who is well drawn with the chance of two moving off a touch (a possible worry for us if we miss it). Tennessee has a 50% SR drawn red over CD but lacks for a yard of early so he'll need the gaps to appear at the right time along the paint. Two's form looks moderate although the dog is improving rapidly (found 8+ lengths in last four runs) while six looks a possible short runner who reverts back to four bends after sprinting the last few months. T4 Oscars Dreamer has the fastest time on the board but is 2/12 out of the coffin while Newlawn Rewards 23.47 round Crayford is the best line of form on offer but that was a one off run out of line with his average lines.
7.45
Getting carried away about an A4 winner round Harlow is a rare occurrence but when a dog flashes round in 26.02 you have to take note. A flash in the pan? Maybe, but considering it was only the dogs second run on these shores it could be a sign of things to come. T3 TOOK THE BOOKIES raced over thirty times in Ireland and was hardly a world beater tbh. A best round Tralee of 29.10 I have about four lengths off a decent mark but even that level of ability would be good enough to win a maiden of this nature. A change of handlers may have brought about further improvement even though the dog is an Oct 04 and if this Dave Lee charge gets loose he could take some catching. Lack of a look round an obvious concern but he looks worth chancing given the advantageous draw in the pinging box. Danger I have inside him in the two box. Ballymac Paula clocked 24.60 in defeat on her first look which tied in on calculated times with her Reading form. With the benefit of the look round under her belt and the early to get competitive from the start she could run a race here. The rest look held on best form. The six dog has over 2L to find with the selection while one and five have shocking strike rates and rate no appeal as betting prospects. T4 Mayflower Flight at least has decent CD form but a poor 1 from 7 out of four dampens enthusiasm.
8.01
Poor race this I’m sorry to say and I have it between the middle pair. Leader wins me thinks and I’m siding with T3 MILLWARDS NICOLA to get first run and hold off all challengers. Millwards has the best form on offer with a 36.23 clocked in defeat (btn 2L by Love Mac) and if ever she was going to get off the mark over the distance this is the race. Hawaiian Sun ran well on his six-bend debut here but was well beaten since. He'll need to beat the selection to the bend.
8.17
Our fellow forumite Destruction has been waiting for a race like this for his
T5 ARDMAYLE ACE for quite some time and it may be tonight he gets to savour another Friday night success. On his day Ace is a 24.25 dog blessed with a nice turn of early but he has been plagued by niggly injuries for the best part of a year which has seen his programme suffer far too many interruptions. He showed he still retained plenty of ability in March when boasting a smart 24.31 and has been unfortunate to find himself more often than not chucked in the top heat of the standard here where there's always been 'that one too good' for him. To be beaten by class animals such as Conker All, 'The Slug', 'Ping' and Love Mac is no disgrace and at his best is his level but he's not met them at the top of his game due to these injuries. Tonight he gets a welcome drop in class in race that is definitely winnable. What he needs to do tho is win from a berth he is 0 from 6 from over the trip so Charlie and his backers will be looking for one of his sub 3.70 breaks like the Ace of old...if we get one of them then he's got majors. I fear T4 Catsrock Ronaldo who is running consistently well and has the early to bustle us up from trap rise. He hasn't fared too well in two spins out of the coffin tho which I’m hoping is a trend that will continue and Ace can manoeuvre round that rival swinging out of the opening bend. Red lacks a look round and the Newcastle form is poor while Old Guinness in two is a hurdler in my book so I wouldn't want to be drawn anywhere near this one. Good Luck Charm I chanced last week but this dog is harder to win with than a Brit at Wimbledon while T6 Blonde Hero wants to behave itself early on as he has a tendency to run mid-wide at home but hopefully his lack of early toe will mean he's never close enough to bother.
8.32
An early contender for the bet of the night here. A dog with nearly four lengths in hand on the clock, better class prior to break, has three snails inside and should get plenty of room to attack the bend with the best early pace in the line up. My friends this could well be a blitz...a
PITTSBURGH BLITZ. A 24.14 at the back end of May marked this Mullins charge down as a serious animal. We haven't seen him since but he showed his early toe still remains in a recent trial spin and that should have him ready for this return to the track. A sub 3.70 breaker he can soon assert here with a distinct lack of pace inside him and as long as Oscars Crafty doesn't get a flyer should be at the head of affairs where he'll stay strongly on the bunny. Five is the only one I fear but he'd be a stronger threat if clad in the stripes plus he threw away a golden opportunity last Friday with wide running antics which Blitz can exploit if keeping a straighter line.
8.48
The bitches event over 400 looks a match to me. Kerrylane Ruby v
MURLENS SNOWDROP and I can this turning into a duel throughout. Ruby did us a nice turn last Friday when just out gunning Droopys Geisha to the line in gutsy fashion. That form was boosted on Weds night when Geisha ran an absolute stormer at Sunderland in a very hot race. The draw in four looks fine as she boasts a 4 from 7 record out of the coffin and only a stumble out of the blocks would have meant she's never finished out of the first two in all runs from this box. She has plenty of early and three railers inside her so applying the early pace into the race looks a strong possibility as drawn. If she can hold Fastaway Socky on her right to the bend that one will throw the towel in but the same cannot be said about a formidable opponent in six, Murlens Snowdrop. Last week Snowdrop flashed home a cosy three lengths clear of her field in a fast 24.27 further enhancing her reputation round this venue which she clearly likes. Trap six again tonight, a draw which she's not been out of the frame from and as the sole wide is arguably the best drawn here. I see the race unfolding like this. Ruby trapping out, Murlens turning second or no worse than third. The two locking horns down the back but Murlens having that bit extra close home to win this on the run to the line. This looks a banker forecast for players too.
9.04
So many similar types in here that the race for the lead could be a race within itself and a few hearts are gonna be broken here early doors. The inside trio all want that rails perch and whoever gets round the opening arc along the paint will go close. On current form I favour
T3 LIZZYS LEGEND to get across and this dog can certainly run. A best of 35.77 here is not a flash in the pan as he's dipped under the 36-sec barrier a few times. Although his record over the trip reads only two wins from twelve he has kept good company and ran a blinder behind a smart sort last Friday. She'll need a fast exit tho just like the one she found when last clad in the white jacket over this trip. Clearing Pure Paris is not going to be easy but PP has suffered a slight dip in form of late and Lizzys can take advantage of this in the early exchanges. T1 Molly Alice’s Stow form suggests she should hold her own here but needs to improve on what she's shown in four starts over CD to figure. T5 So Persistant returns to Open class for the first time this year and he's been running well without winning. A losing run stretching back ten now and I’m happy to pass on him while T6 La Motta's 35.89 is looking more like a flash in the pan run and until he gets anywhere near that again is not for considering. The big danger is T4 Lethal Luxury who will be coming late and fast and could find the race set up for him. Lethal is running well, a recent short head second to flying machine Eye Onthe Force probably the pick of his recent form and a dog well capable of running under 36 sec when the gaps appear. Lets hope Lizzys is far enough in front before he hits top gear.
9.20
Tonights feature is an exciting looking race and after Mondays rapid times in the heats race fans can be expected to stop the clock around the 24 sec mark again. As drawn though I’m sticking with one of my favourite dogs right now in the shape of
T1 KINGSMILL BEAU. Back in red this Patsy Cusack black can use his exceptional early pace to dictate this strong field from trap rise. I can't remember seeing a dog ping out from one quite like the way he did two runs back. The box isn't renowned for it which made it all the more striking. On Monday he was switched to three and duly missed it but done really well to still qualify for this tonight. He was last as they passed the winning line first time but his superior pace got him into the race as he chased after the resurgent Lambstown Hill who held him by a comfy 4 1/4L. I fancy Kingsmill to reverse that form by trapping out in usual fashion tonight but give Lambstown maximum respect. Kingsmill has 3.60 sectionals in his locker (from red) and that early burst in a race like this will prove such a weapon. He should lead Centaur Rover next door no problem and then it's a case of handling those middle drawn dogs who won so well Monday night. We've touched on Lambstown already and he has obvious claims but a bigger threat could be the on fire Ballyneale Turn who is in wonderful form right now. A winner of six of his last seven this son of Droopys Vieri has been winning for fun lately all built on his fast turn of early foot. None more so apparent than on Monday when making all here from Centaur Rover and any repeat of that effort will give Kingsmill plenty to worry about. My theory here is that Ballyneale has too much pace inside to clear to the first and it will take a flyer of seismic proportions to lead tonight. The outside pair have pace and Roofless in particular has a lovely berth out wide. He'll stay on to challenge for a trio place I’m sure.
9.36
Grillagh Jet looks the obvious one here on his leading claims but if he doesn’t lead he wins nowt and in all honesty I don’t think the dog is reliable enough out of the cans to be lumping on here. Sectionals of 3.62/63 and others of the sub 3.70 nature are the norm for this Gaskin runner but even on the back of a few of them flyers he has still failed to lead let alone win. There’s a dog in the line up who has plenty of ability on his day and gets a nice looking draw tonight.
T1 BOWMERS BRUISER is far from a prolific winner but his style requires things to drop right for him along the rails and tonight with a middle moving two dog he could get a dream run at the likely leader Grillagh. Bowmers hasn’t been troubling the clock much of late but ran well enough last week in defeat and indeed won well enough three runs back here in a similar race to this. I picture him turning handy behind the three, getting a dream run along the paint and begin to reel in the leader approaching the paddock turn. Of the rest T6 Blenheim Man’s Reading form isn’t too sad but a lack of a look round a big negative.
9.52
Not many dogs stop the clock on the 35.54 mark like
T1 FORM OF LOVE did last time out and in a race of this nature makes her a must bet for me. She’s got the form in the book, is in against a bunch who have either not been round or seen six bends before and is clearly running well which for a bitch is a sign to follow her. The dog has obviously got pace. I can remember seeing this dog run on a Monday back in March when a few of the shrewdies took fancy prices about her in an S1. She went in the notebook as she was showing different pace but was a bit clumsy with it. Improvement followed and since that luckless night she has chalked up six wins over CD and is clearly still improving even approaching her fourth birthday. The draw in red tonight is a bit of a concern. She’s 0 from 5 with three seconds drawn in one but her early pace can see her overcome this berth and once she hits the front she can open up an unassailable lead. The danger on form would be T4 Rahyvira Holiday who’s four bend Harlow form reads really well. This is six bends tho and the dog hasn’t ventured over this far before and neither did his parents so stamina could be an issue. Another negative is the lack of a run since mid May and that’s too many question marks for me. As for the rest two has a decent line round Sittingbourne but lacks a look round while the outside duo have bundles to find on what they’ve clocked so far.
10.08
The close to the card is tricky starting with this competitive four bender where last weeks impressive winner
CAPEL TOM DOOLEY gets a narrow vote. This John Mullins black clocked a smart time on his first look at the track and can be expected to improve on that run. He gets the same box tonight which he broke so well from and if he turns in front rank again should have enough in the tank to repel the likely staying on Lethal Rapunzal(good record from 6) out wide. 9/2 I’ve seen available this morning, that seems value to me.
10.24
A batch of inconsistent sorts here and not one to be too heavily involved in. Get A Grip, Xaar Dom Booty and Swift Maybole have all got talent but catching them right is another matter. With this in mind I’m gonna chuck a few shillings on
T5 SHOW YOUR METAL who took off last time and if showing the same kind of early could get a nice lead and never got collared.
10.40
Not original but
CONFIDENT PEGGY is a confident pick in the getting out stakes. Proven stayer, in form, moderate race and if you’re struggling should dig you out of a hole here.
