dailydogs.co.uk - Romfords Sky Card - Champion Stakes Final

WakingNed writes "It's Champion Stakes Final Night live on Sky Sports this evening and while we've got everything crossed for a win for Go Big Hitter in tonights showpiece the supporting card offers up plenty of opportunity to make a few bob...read more for tonights selections.

I’m going to start tonight’s preview with a look at the opening race on the card which they’ll show a recording of on the Sky coverage.

7.25 OR 575M

It’s a moderate event by Open class standard but a dog in here looks sure to enjoy both the luxury of leading and the drop in class from recent Champion Stakes exploits. T2 MOUNTJOY OPAL was a semi finalist in this years event, knocked out when finishing third last Wednesday after leading till the fourth bend for the third race in succession here over CD. She’s been a model of consistency at trap rise breaking superbly on all three occasions only to be reeled in by what would rate stronger staying and classier types at this level in the shape of Corrig Count, Westmead Ace and Westmead Tina. Now for me there’s nothing of the Westmead pairs calibre in this line up and those efforts read particularly well in the context of this race and even better when her PB of 36.08 is weighed up against the best of what the rest have to offer. Strictly on the clock Bellmore Ranger is the chief threat but I’ve seen this dog run twice now and I’m convinced this is an out and out stayer and already looks to want further than this sharp six bends. Bellmore Ranger lacks early toe and from a less than favourable looking draw could find plenty of traffic tonight and is opposed. A dog that finished in front of Bellmore Ranger last time out was the much touted Shadayid who did run a pleasing race first time round last Monday. Slowly away and forced wide at the first he showed really good back straight pace and passed a handy lying Bellmore Ranger at the paddock turn only to ease notably on that bend before running on well again to finish third. With a clearer run his finishing time of 36.66 would have been well improved on and I have him down as the main danger to the selection. When looking at the rest they all lack early pace and have achieved well below what’s required here to rate considerable. Mountjoy Opal looks drawn to lead and should have enough in the tank to see this one out dropped to this level. I’ve tissued her at 9/4 play at around this mark, looks a decent bet to start the night.

SEL: T2 MOUNTJOY OPAL 2PTS WIN @ 9/4+
0.5PT F/C T2/T3

Ok so onto the live Sky action where we can hopefully snap up any value being offered in the early prices.

7.40 400M

This is not heart ruling head this is taking advantage of what I consider a massive price rick for an extremely well drawn classy dog. He just so happens to be my current favourite hound and this winning would provide a double delight. T6 FIRE FOR EFFECT is a dog I’ve been a massive fan of since I saw his debut run at the back end of Jan this year. He was 4/7fav that night, clocked a mighty impressive 24.18 beating one of tonights opponents Kinda Handy in the process. He is the stereotypical ideal dog for Romford. All about early pace boasting sectionals like the 3.59 he clocked last time out over CD this dog has been exceptional at lid rise. In fact he has only ever failed to break 3.75 just twice and in one of them he nearly hit the deck when breaking too well for his own good. I love this dog, really do, think he’s got bundles of ability and this has to be his best venue. He has four wins from his ten spins here has dipped under 24 secs twice and at a massive 6/1 warrants a bet for sure. His ability aside the make up of this race favours him. He will get a dream run into the bend, Lethal Spurs in five will move left and if anything like his move three runs ago potentially violently left. FFE must exploit this racing room to gain that all important first bend lead…a repeat of his electric break when just bobbed by the now retired Milldean Buster would suffice and then we’ll need a little help from an old friend in behind to hold up the jolly. Bonville Stan has done us many a favour before tonight I’m hoping he can do us one more good turn by acting keeper to Ardbeg Kate along the rails. Ardbeg Kate is a very fast bitch as she’s already proven in winning 4 from 4 round Crayford including a superb 23.20 but she’ll have gained more followers thanks to her excellent run at Wimbledon recently when clocking the fastest time of the year for a bitch over the 480 there. She’s trialled here in 24.08, that though was from T3 so how she’ll operate tonight from red is another matter. That said trap one didn’t hinder her round Crayford where the hydraulics are in use but on her first race proper here has to be taken on in my book. Especially with rails loving Stan to her right and with the proposed trouble coming from her right another possible hindrance to her getting a clean run race I think evens rates poor value. Kinda Handy in T3 proved his well being recently with a flying 24.12 off the back of a 3.57 and anything with that in the locker being given the added bonus of the magic three box has to be respected. I’m looking forward to this though…the guns loaded…time to Fire For Effect.

SEL: T6 FIRE FOR EFFECT 3PTS WIN 6/1 STAN JAMES/PRIDMORE

8.00 575M

It would have been very fitting for T4 LENSON JOKER to have had his swansong in the showpiece final tonight but he never got a run in the semi’s and lines up here instead in a supporting race. He has though been offered a lovely looking opportunity to bow out on a high and give his colourful connections one last hoorah to cap a glittering racing career. In all honesty like many greyhound fans I want him to win and his claims go without saying anyway. Lenson Joker is the fastest I’ve ever seen over this trip, he’s a brute of a dog and looks to have a nice draw this evening to secure an early advantage that he’ll extend if given that opportunity. The question here tho is his price and whether you think 4/5 is worth a poke or not? That I’ll leave to the individual, me personally I don’t think it’s the worst 4/5 shot I’ve ever seen…this should see him touch odds against on the fair for those that play there and then that word ‘value’ might start getting banded about! I don’t fear anything drawn inside him but the two wide runners rate obvious threats. Droopys Carvalho on his day would give Joker a close race but as mentioned in previous articles those days are both hard to predict and seemingly less frequent especially round here of late. He made hard work of a weak first round heat before not figuring in his semi final last Wednesday and will need to rekindle some fire at the boxes to trouble Joker tonight. Franks Lad however is definitely an improving dog. His recent runs at Belle Vue were impressive and he now boasts the fastest figures over the 590 there for this year. He reached the Gold Collar final only to find first bend trouble but those recent efforts suggest his PB of 35.81 is there to be improved on and I wouldn’t mind a bet on him without the favourite. All the best to Lenson Joker, enjoy a well earned retirement.

SEL: 2PTS LENSON JOKER @ EVS+

8.15 750M

Sadly this is down to a five dog race after a couple of late scratchings mean we won’t see Bubbly Eagle or Danbury Dodger but Seamies Gambler gets in as a late reserve bringing some top drawer CD form to the mix. Might only be five but it’s a strong nicely matched five but I am against a dog I like and jolly here Melody’s Comet. He boasts a 3 from 4 record over CD with a PB of 47.74 but for me this is about as far as he wants. Last time over the trip he got very leg weary on the run in and if it wasn’t for the six plus lengths he’d poached on the first circuit I doubt he’d have won the race. That race didn’t include dogs as strong as the four opponents he is up against tonight and I’m opting to be against a dog I genuinely do like. No fewer than three track record holders from various venues line up tonight, something not many races can boast to having and it’s the recent Sheffield clock breaker T3 RAVING BLACK that I am very interested in this evening. He does step up in trip tonight, I don’t see this being a problem if anything I see it as a major plus round this circuit. When winning over 575m here he looked awesome and highlighted just what he can do when getting a run. He took it up by the fourth and simply powered clear winning as he pleased in a swift 35.65. That form over six bends ties in nicely with Melody’s Comet’s best but for me Raving Black wants more of a test. His best form has been at the larger tracks, Hove and Sheffield so the extra yardage tonight certainly offers a better test for him than a perhaps too sharp 575m. 660m is the furthest Raving Black has tried…he broke the clock for that trip so I see an extra 90m round this tight track as being no problem. Going back to his 575 win earlier I have to add he was still miles clear to the pick up where he galloped to all the way. His price tonight looks very inviting at 5/1 and a play is advised. Seamies Gambler has been one of the leading players at this trip for some time now. He is capable of hitting around the 47.70 mark but was very flat in his last spin here in what was a much lesser race than this. His slow starts leave him plenty to do no matter where he races but I don’t think he can afford to give classy sorts like Raving Black too much rope. Greedy Bridie steps up in trip but is running well and she’ll be looking to get on the bunny early while Gas Hawk is absolutely flying at present winning three of his last four starts after a recent step up to more marathon trips including a track record setting run over Sittingbourne’s 893m and is feared.

SEL: T3 RAVING BLACK 1PT WIN @ 5/1 TOTE/STAN JAMES

8.35 PUPPY STANDARD FINAL 400M

I hate to be un-original here but I don’t think I’ve seen middle pace like that shown by GUINNESS TIME last time out in a long time. That was the pace of a seriously fast animal, he’s improved bundles since his maiden days and will take all the beating here. He missed the up last Monday, gave his rivals a head start but then took off with the above mentioned middle pace to still dish out a five length beating. It was one of those wow moments and to add he still clocked a faster time that night coming from way off the pace than any of his rivals have achieved to date. That win completed a quickfire impressive hat-trick over CD, he is a dog going places and this should prove a stepping stone to much tougher and bigger assignments. 8/11 I’ve seen as the best available currently, that price is a fair reflection of his claims here and although I’m not big on playing odds on shots I don’t see this as a particularly risky wager. I will wish our fellow forumite owned Lann More all the best here, hopefully he’ll land some prize money for connections!

SEL: T2 GUINNESS TIME 4PTS WIN 8/11 BET365/STAN JAMES

8.50 CHAMPIONS NIGHT MARATHON FINAL 750M

This a tough one to call. Tinker was impressive in the heats winning very well in the faster of the two heats while there’s very little between Capel Yankee and Droopys Kirbee based on their heat run. Kirbee came out of that race with a lot of credit after fighting back well after being headed and was always closing to the line with her renewed effort although Capel Yankee again showed his liking for this track with another decent effort on the clock in line with his best figures here. It seems strange early pace over this trip being a major consideration but the inside trio are seen to best effect when allowed to bowl along in front and it could be very cut n dry this…leader wins. A phrase often thrown at many four bend races here I know but you look at how the front two do their best running and you’ll see where I’m coming from. Tinker gets a narrow vote, I liked his run last week, he showed the better early pace on the night and he is in fine winning form currently.

SEL: T2 TINKER 1PT WIN @ 9/4 GENERAL

9.10 CHAMPIONS NIGHT MAIDEN STAYERS FINAL 575M

Tight races can be settled purely on the draw and if like me you think T6 HILLCROSS SOPHIA has a plum make up out wide tonight then I’m sure you’ll be snapping up all the 3/1 you can get about this Dave Lee trained bitch. I was very impressed with her heat win and although this rates a much tougher test think she has conditions firmly in her favour to run a big race. Five railers inside is the first place to start, two dogs that cracked out of the middle cans in the heats switched to the inside two boxes is the next, the fact she has beaten the dog with the fastest time in the line up already is another plus and although like many others in the field she is very unexposed over the trip at least she gets optimum conditions to improve from. There will be plenty of CD winners to come out of this race I’m sure. Pride N Passion was the one I was interested in pre heats but he didn’t look to get home at full pace to me albeit he didn’t get the clearest of runs. Both Bang The Gate and Ballymac Roger made all in their respective heats. Ballymac Roger the quickest heat winner but he was perhaps fortunate that Boolavogue failed to get the room needed when making a challenge on more than one occasion. That rivals heart was finally broken off the last but it was a run full of promise from the runner up. Bang The Gate saw the trip out well but will do well to dominate like he did that night now drawn in red. On the clock Hillcross Sophia has three lengths to find, the make up of the race can allow that and I really am keen to back this tonight. Tonights Nappo.

SEL: T6 HILLCROSS SOPHIA 4PTS WIN NAP @ 3/1 BET365/STAN JAMES

9.25 CHAMPIONS NIGHT STANDARD FINAL 400M

I really couldn’t land on anything here, Bubbly Bullet rates the fastest in the field but can he break from five like he did when clocking his rapid 23.96 PB? I’m not so sure, that said I liked a lot about his run last Wednesday particularly his pace coming out of the second bend. He put the race to bed in a matter of strides…very quick ones at that and he is clearly a dog going places. He moved violently left from five in his first run here a move that those inside him may become affected by, this would also cause Bubbly Bullet problems too if he doesn’t clear these rivals so I’m predicting trouble for the middle runners. Instead I’m putting up a dog who hasn’t put a foot wrong here yet, has the early pace to secure a run into the first and would be the chief beneficiary from any crowding to his right. T1 ME BUDDY gets a tentative vote to run a big race at a big price. He’s clocked two 3.64 sectionals, one from three and the other from tonights one box. He managed to repel Kingsmill Beau in his first run here and just failed to keep Courtenay Ranger at bay last week but both are decent lines of form. If he breaks as well again he should go round and like I said any trouble behind will massively aid his chance.

SEL: T1 ME BUDDY 1PT WIN @ 5/1 WILL HILL

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