Good evening folks, and welcome to another page of my ramblings. This week, we are looking ahead to the Pinpoint Recruitment Arc, which starts a week Friday. I think it's fair to say that the build up has been rather slow, and we certainly haven't had the number of triallers that we had last year for the event. However, Wednesday brings us six trial stakes, giving us a sneak preview at the possible contenders for this year's £8,000 prize.
19:16 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
My Pick: Gemstone Jack
Price Guide:
1 - Farloe Iceman - 6/4F
2 - Fizzypop Supreme - 7/1
3 - Gemstone Jack (m) - 5/2
4 - Jacobs Courage (m) - 9/2
5 - Bodell George (w) - 16/1
6 - Guinness Wild (w) - 5/1
We've got a fairly decent little race to start off here, and I'm rooting for one of the locals, Gemstone Jack. Jack, trained by Kevin Hutton, has some really good form since being cleared, running well in both A1's and OR's. His times are fairly good, to me enough to win the race. The key to his race will be taking advantage of the EP inside him. There will be alot of dogs going up to the bend together, and my reading of the race should having slip-streaming them round. The key danger is the other Swindon dog, Farloe Iceman, who is sure to go off favourite here. If Jack is lying in around 3rd/4th down the back-straight, expect a big run to home! For an outsider's chance, do take a good look at Jacobs Courage. The Ken Humphreys-trained greyhound, who was a finalist of the Golden Muzzle at Coventry late last year, has some good recent 2nd's behind such dogs as Jazz Apollo, so he clearly has some gears
19:32 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
My Pick: Hey Diego
Price Guide:
1 - Lookoutforoscar - 8/1
2 - Barley Hero - 3/1
3 - Sawpit Sydney - 10/1
4 - Skelligs Yahoo (m) - 8/1
5 - Brizzle Blue (w) - 3/1
6 - Hey Diego (w) - 7/4F
A rather unoriginal pick in this one, however I'm rooting for the likely favourite, Hey Diego. Once again trained by Kevin Hutton, Diego ran a particularly good race at Coventry back on the 31st March, and to me looked a good thing for the next time out. At Coventry on Sunday, he fluffed the start completely, but coming home to the Swindon traps, he should find himself right at home.
19:48 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
My Pick: Crusty Crab (NB)
Price Guide:
1 - Sharies Miller -7/2
2 - Forest Mollie -.3/1C
3 - Dustin Eagle - 5/1
4 - Barley Brave - 8/1
5 - Crusty Crab (W) - 3/1C
6 - Jaytee Swaby (W) - 3/1C
I'm really trying to now show so much bias to the local dogs, but it has to be said that they've got the best of the draws on the night! Crusty Crab, the old boy trained by Ray Jones, has had a really stop-start campaign. The 509m track record holder, the Crab is still pulling out some excellent times, maybe due to him not having too much mileage on the clock! To be, he has an absolute plot draw here. I watched the 4 dog at Henlow last week, and he was desperate for the rails round there, whilst Sharies Miller should really be seeded middle (in my opinion). Jaytee Swaby, on the outside, really ran wide in his trial. I've always had the Crab down as a trap 4/5 dog, so he should get a clear run up.
20:04 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
My Pick: Taranis Rex
Price Guide:
1 - Taranis Rex - 6/4F
2 - Matties Mate - 5/1
3 - Rusheen Major - 8/1
4 - Swords Messi (m) - 6/1
5 - Bit View Micko (w) - 7/2
6 - Airlie Impact (w) - 3/1
Once again I'm going with the local runner, however there is an argument to be made for the 6 dog here, Airlie Impact. First, Taranis Rex is a little hot-pocket at the moment, winning the trial stake last week in impressive fashion, posting a 28.32calc. His early pace is superb, winning his races by rocketing off that 2nd bend. In a similar position to last week, he can lead up the dogs on his inside, with the only concern being if he can stay on or not.
Airlie Impact, however, is one to keep a look out for. Paul Young's charge, a Sussex Cup finalist from last year, has some seriously fast times down at Hove, and looks a genuine Arc contender. The main problem with him (for anyone that's watched him), is that he runs ever so wide in his races, costing him valuable lengths.
20:19 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
My Pick: Dusseldorf
Price Guide:
1 - Slippery Patch - 9/4F
2 - Jaytee Jules - 5/1
3 - Downton Flyer - 4/1
4 - Tibetan Skies (m) - 4/1
5 - Ballycowen Dave (w) - 4/1
6 - Dusseldorf (w) - 4/1
I know, I almost couldn't believe it myself. A tip, that isn't a Swindon dog! Some might be suprised by my choice here, in picking Seamus Cahill's Dusseldorf. He's a greyhound that hasn't exactly had the best of starts over here, winning a maiden open at Romford and running over all sorts of trips. I think it's just been really difficult to find his ideal distance. Anyone who saw the Hove 515m run will know that the trip was just too far for him, whilst the Romford trip is a tad on the short side. He's got bundles of early pace, and I'm hopeful that this 480m will be right up his street.
20:36 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
My Pick: Jolly Bullseye (NAP)
Price Guide:
1 - Jolly Bullseye - 3/1J
2 - Droopys Reason - 4/1
3 - Longwood Bound - 3/1J
4 - Tyrur Andy (m) - 8/1
5 - Sawpit Sensation (w) - 4/1
6 - Any Dak (w) - 4/1
I'll say now that the Bullseye is also one of my picks to win the competition. Jolly Bullseye, trained by Kevin Hutton, has some awesome form over the 480m, most recently posting 28.65 at Wimbledon, beating some decent dogs in the process. His form is top draw, and you've got to think that a competition is in his sights for this year. The trial last week was a touch disappointing, but expect him to come on from that run.
Monday, 8 April 2013
Monday, 1 April 2013
Monmore Roundup, OR Preview 03/04
Yes, it's true, we actually have a couple of (very decent) open races on Wednesday evening! Obviously, with the Arc coming up, there will be a stream of outside trainers coming in to have a spin round. This year, I'll be trying to keep on top of all the action by tweeting all trial results live on the Tuesday trial sessions, as well as keeping this blog up together with all the previews you need!
However, first things first, a big well done to the greyhounds that represented us at Monmore on Good Friday in the BAGS/SIS Eggstravaganza. I have been somewhat apprehensive in the build up to the competition, however I must admit I did get caught up in the day's events. Our two winners, Alarming Jacks and Gemstone Annie, ran really good races (as did all our dogs), and well done to both the Hutton and Foster camps for making the journey, as well as all the owners.
The actual points side of it did get rather confusing, as you had some tracks that were due to run most of their heats when others had already run all of there's. My overall impression of the competition is that yes, it worked OK in the end, however I think it might be worth going back to the drawing board to tweak and mould a new style of competition for the Easter. The one massive positive that came out of the day, that was to be expected really, was that the coverage on SIS was excellent. Errol 'The God Of The Mic' Blythe did his usually great job interviewing as many people as he could, which made for really interesting viewing. The Good Friday racing slot is slowly becoming greyhound racing's day to shine, alas the slot should be used to full advantage in some format like the Eggstravaganza.
Anyway, onto the two opens for Wednesday evening. The prices that I've set are merely my opinion and (most probably!) an extremely rough guide:
19:16 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
1) Droopys Reason - 5/2
2) Matties Mate - 6/1
3) Longwood Warrior - 5/4
4) Farloe Iceman - 5/2
5) Stockwell Cher - 33/1
6) Tyrur Willyjoe - 12/1
Percentage: 126.5%
My Pick: Longwood Warrior
A brilliant little open kicks us off on Wednesday, and I've tipped Colin Callow's Longwood Warrior to win this one. Warrior rounded off 2012 with some impressive performances at Wimbledon, proving himself to be a big derby prospect. He's started back in 2013 very slowly, taking in just a couple of sprints at Coventry, with his first 4 bend blow-out coming at Swindon last week, posting 28.64 calc. This is a cracking run, considering the dog would've needed the run.This is his first competitive run back since last year, so you've got to think that he can improve on that trial time, and come on even more for this run. I'd go so far to say that, from what I've seen of Warrior, that at full fitness he could be a potential track record breaker.
19:32 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
1) Tyrur Andy - 5/1
2) Taranis Rex - 2/1
3) Longwood Fantasy - 2/1
4) Sharies Miller - 9/2
5) Islas Scolari - 5/1
6) Brizzle Blue - 10/1
Percentage: 127.3%
My Pick: Taranis Rex
I'm hoping that the comeback king can do the business in this race, in the form of Kevin Hutton's Taranis Rex. He's not exactly a spring chicken anymore, however he's still running at the top of his game. He's been beaten in his last couple of A1's at Swindon, however the ground has been pretty saturated, which would never suit this lad. At the moment, the track looks fairly firm and fast, which is exactly what Rexy wants as an early pace machine. I'm thinking he can track in front of the 1 dog and get to that rail early on. The only thing that will beat him here will be stamina.
Happy Punting!
Wattsy
However, first things first, a big well done to the greyhounds that represented us at Monmore on Good Friday in the BAGS/SIS Eggstravaganza. I have been somewhat apprehensive in the build up to the competition, however I must admit I did get caught up in the day's events. Our two winners, Alarming Jacks and Gemstone Annie, ran really good races (as did all our dogs), and well done to both the Hutton and Foster camps for making the journey, as well as all the owners.
The actual points side of it did get rather confusing, as you had some tracks that were due to run most of their heats when others had already run all of there's. My overall impression of the competition is that yes, it worked OK in the end, however I think it might be worth going back to the drawing board to tweak and mould a new style of competition for the Easter. The one massive positive that came out of the day, that was to be expected really, was that the coverage on SIS was excellent. Errol 'The God Of The Mic' Blythe did his usually great job interviewing as many people as he could, which made for really interesting viewing. The Good Friday racing slot is slowly becoming greyhound racing's day to shine, alas the slot should be used to full advantage in some format like the Eggstravaganza.
Anyway, onto the two opens for Wednesday evening. The prices that I've set are merely my opinion and (most probably!) an extremely rough guide:
19:16 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
1) Droopys Reason - 5/2
2) Matties Mate - 6/1
3) Longwood Warrior - 5/4
4) Farloe Iceman - 5/2
5) Stockwell Cher - 33/1
6) Tyrur Willyjoe - 12/1
Percentage: 126.5%
My Pick: Longwood Warrior
A brilliant little open kicks us off on Wednesday, and I've tipped Colin Callow's Longwood Warrior to win this one. Warrior rounded off 2012 with some impressive performances at Wimbledon, proving himself to be a big derby prospect. He's started back in 2013 very slowly, taking in just a couple of sprints at Coventry, with his first 4 bend blow-out coming at Swindon last week, posting 28.64 calc. This is a cracking run, considering the dog would've needed the run.This is his first competitive run back since last year, so you've got to think that he can improve on that trial time, and come on even more for this run. I'd go so far to say that, from what I've seen of Warrior, that at full fitness he could be a potential track record breaker.
19:32 - The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc Trial Stakes
1) Tyrur Andy - 5/1
2) Taranis Rex - 2/1
3) Longwood Fantasy - 2/1
4) Sharies Miller - 9/2
5) Islas Scolari - 5/1
6) Brizzle Blue - 10/1
Percentage: 127.3%
My Pick: Taranis Rex
I'm hoping that the comeback king can do the business in this race, in the form of Kevin Hutton's Taranis Rex. He's not exactly a spring chicken anymore, however he's still running at the top of his game. He's been beaten in his last couple of A1's at Swindon, however the ground has been pretty saturated, which would never suit this lad. At the moment, the track looks fairly firm and fast, which is exactly what Rexy wants as an early pace machine. I'm thinking he can track in front of the 1 dog and get to that rail early on. The only thing that will beat him here will be stamina.
Happy Punting!
Wattsy
Thursday, 28 March 2013
The BAGS/SIS Easter Eggstravaganza Preview
The BAGS/SIS Easter Eggstravaganza
So, Friday brings with it a cracking line up of races at
Monmore, with 16 different finals taking place in the Easter Eggstravaganza
competition. Having initially being a tad detrimental about the competition,
after looking through the race card in better detail, it’s actually a pretty
decent line up, with some particularly good races to look forward to. Remember,
you can watch the finals in any betting shop, with greyhound racing being the
particular highlight of the day. There’s certainly a lot of racing to take in,
and here’s my take on the races:
13:07 – Eggstravaganza Pups Final
My
Pick: Klockwork Kindra
The one
thing that hits home more than anything, looking through the card, is that the
home advantage will obviously favour the Monmore dogs massively, none more so
than this first race, which is actually a top draw puppy contest. Paul Sallis’s
Klockwork Kindra has been moving very well in recent races, posting regular
28’s in both the IV race and in her trial at Monmore. The key to her race is
the early pace, which she looks to have plenty of. The draw also really works
in her favour, as the 3 dog will dart for the rails straight off, whilst the
wide runners are legitimate trap 6 contenders, so she should get a solo up
through the middle. It’s a competitive race though; expect Gortown Ben and
Vanjohn to put in good races (the definite trio in the race).
13:22 – Eggstravaganza Sprint Final
My
Pick: Big Blue Havana
Everyone
knows that sprint racing isn’t really my thing, and when you’ve got a
competition like this, with dogs coming from all sorts of different tracks, it’s
really hard to make a decent assessment of the race. For example, the 3 dog,
Ryves Rock, is actually a decent dog at Crayford; however that’s over 380m,
which is their 4 bend trip; however it qualified him for the sprint.
My Pick here
is Big Blue Havana for the in-form trainer Paul Young. He had a really impressive
night Wednesday evening, and Havana looks a decent sprinter. His 13.75 win
there is impressive enough to win this race. The only issue here is the draw,
stuck inside a railer. However, from what I can read, there aren’t a lot of QAw
types in the race (considering it’s a sprint and all?). A look round is also a
benefit.
13:38 – Eggstravaganza Dogs Final
My
Pick: Barracuda Frank
This is a toughie
to fathom out, as all I can envisage is trouble. There’s a whole lot of early
pace in the race, with the 3 dog, in my opinion, likely to move off, causing a
few traffic problems. The 6 dog comes with a decent reputation, but from what I’ve
seen of him he’s lacking a yard of pace to the bend.
My pick lies
with trap 1, Barracuda Frank. He looks like he leaves his running late on, and
has a plum draw on the rails. My thoughts on the race are that he can track the
2 dog round the bend (the likely leader), and hopefully take advantage of the
non-stayers in the race. The finish will definitely come from 5 and 6; it’s
just whether the 1 dog has that kick more early than those two.
13:58 – Eggstravaganza Stayers Runners Up
Final
My
Pick: Maverick Flame (NB)
A funny race
this one, and admittedly one that I didn’t see scheduled! I’m presuming this is
in place of the marathon. In this race, I have a rather soft spot for the 6
dog, Maverick Flame.
I’ve been
watching this lass run at Sheffield in open’s there and, although lacking the
class to beat the better types, hasn’t every really been disgraced in some
pretty decent company. She’ll be the sort to come late on, but really there are
only 2 dogs with the early pace to get round early (1 and 4). I have a gut
feeling this is going to be a race won by a finisher. This race is a class step
down for her, hence getting the nod, and the NB tag!
14:18 – Eggstravaganza Bitches Final –
GEMSTONE ANNIE
My
Pick: Gemstone Annie
So, our
first runner goes here, in the form of the form of Kevin Hutton’s GEMSTONE
ANNIE. Annie, bred and owned by the Robson family, is a funny sort in that I’m
struggling to place a particular trip against her name. She seems to go well
enough in four bend races, but always looks to stay further, yet didn’t really
run too well at Romford. I’m of the belief that this 480 is too short for her,
but actually she looks to have a chance of leading here. The 3 dog is her
obvious danger, being a rails to middle sort with the equivalent early pace.
14:37 – Eggstravaganza Pups Final
My
Pick: Courts Ad Stanly
14:57 – Eggstravaganza Stayers Final
My
Pick: Kielduff College
I’m tipping
another winner for Newcastle, and they look as though they could have a rather
good day! College, trained by Jimmy Wright, is a really classy sort, winning
regularly at Newcastle over 6 bends. If
you look at the form, you could argue that he’s been in the wars a bit.
However, they run handicap 6 bends at Newcastle, and this dog always make the
scratch box, meaning he always has to come right off the back. However, over an
even-keel 6 bends, he’s a class above most.
15:17 – Eggstravaganza Dogs Final
My
Pick: Dustin Eagle
Of course,
as well as rooting for Swindon, we shall be rooting for the sister track,
Poole! They look to have a cracking chance here in the form of Shaun Gresham’s
Dustin Eagle. Eagle has been flying up the grades at Poole, winning some decent
A1’s there in some cracking times to boot. His trial doesn’t read too well, but
the look round is the key for a first trial.
The only
hazard to him is the draw, which hasn’t been particularly kind. The 4 dog,
Daithis Roscoe, looks like a seriously fast dog, and will be gunning for the
rails early. Also, there’s a bundle of early pace in the race. So long as ‘The
Eagle’ can get round safe and in front, he should win this one.
15:38 – Eggstravaganza Bitches Final –
ALARMING JACKS
My
Pick: Alarming Jacks (NAP)
Well,
fingers crossed, we come out of this with a great winner in the form of
Alarming Jacks. Jacks, trained by Kevin Hutton, has been running some excellent
A1’s in good company, posting a best 28.34. She has absolutely bundles of early
pace, and looks (to me) a serious Oaks prospect for later in the year. The draw
is also brilliant, with the 2 dog lacking that yard of EP, and the 3 dog
looking to move off wide. She should get a solo here, and will, I envisage,
being one of the big stories to come out of the day. Don’t expect too much of a
price!
15:58 – Eggstravaganza Stayers Final –
DROOPYS HARPER
My
Pick – Droopys Harper
This is a
race that I have really taken quite a long time looking into, and I’m picking
Harper mainly due to how I feel he’ll be priced.
My reading
of the race is that the 1 dog is the early pace dog in the race, getting round
early. There is a lack of pace on his direct outside, with the 4 dog being the ‘follow’
dog to go round with. When there are 5 railers in a race, I’d certainly rather
see my dog in 5 if he/she can’t get trap 1. I feel that, so long as Harper can
go with the 4 dog early, and follow it round; he’ll outstay the other early
pace types and win this.
16:18 – Eggstravaganza Dogs Final – BLACK BEACH
My
Pick: Remix
I promise
that I don’t secretly work for Newcastle! They do look seriously strong in this
competition, with the highlight coming from the early pace machine that is
Remix. I’ve watched this dog several times at Brough Park, and he’s got some
freakish pace to the bend. The times might not look too brilliant at Newcastle,
but I think the 480 there is really his absolute limit. The 480 at Monmore is a
lot easier to take to, and should make this race easy pickings.
The only
problem I can possibly foresee, and this is where I may go off at a tandem, is
that the lack of a look at the track. Monmore have a different set of starting
traps compared to most tracks. They have an American style, flat fronted lid
that may take some adjusting to. Most tracks operate with hydraulic, flat
fronted traps where the lids actually rise straight up 90 degrees (Swindon
operate the much older-fashioned curved front, roll on-roll off style trap,
which I personally love). Monmore’s traps make a different action at the start,
going up and in rather than straight up. You may have seen that Henlow operate
the same style of trap. This can take some adjusting to, and may catch the
early pace types out.
I apologise
for that hideous description of starting traps!
16:37 – Eggstravaganza Bitches Final
My
Pick: Ballymac Guitre
This to me
looks like a really easy race to pick from, with the Nottingham-based Ballymac
Guitre getting my vote here. She’s a good early pace sort, who has some
seriously fast runs over 500m , though don’t let the times deceive you too
much, the going at Nottingham recently changed so that +50 is the new normal,
much like we did making the new normal +30. Still, the times that this bitch
has posted are enough to win this race easy
16:57 – Eggstravaganza Sprint Final –
FOREST BRACKEN
My
Pick: Swift Cougar
Forest
Bracken runs here, representing Swindon and trainer Paul Foster. I never really
had Bracken down at as sprinter, but he certainly made easy work of winning the
heat 2 weeks ago. His times are actually really decent for the trip, and again
it’s a case of ‘shouldn’t be dismissed’. The lack of a look round is a worry,
as with a sprint you’re going into the bend at full pelt, and when you haven’t
had a look the tendency is to move off slightly.
My pick here
goes with Swift Cougar. I think the draw works in her favour, on the outside of
the pacey middle runners, where she can tuck in and hold the middle course. She
has some decent form over a sprint trip, and has the benefit of a trial. The
concern is the middle to rails comment, I’m hopeful that she doesn’t try and
come in too much!
17:17 – Eggstravaganza Dogs Final
My
Pick: Fivestar Gooch
My selection
here is solely on the idea of following the decent line of form, and Gooch
seems to be heading in the right direction. Derek Knight’s runner has been
running in decent company in graded and the final’s race at Hove, and ran a
really good race in behind Bubbly Lucky, who has since gone on to run a stormer
on trainers championship night at Yarmouth, which (again, all opinions) really
beefs up that run. Again, the worry is the early pace, and having to miss the
trouble on the run up. However, Hove’s form is very decent, and Gooch should
frank the decent lines.
17:33 – Eggstravaganza Bitches Final
My
Pick: Round Woman
Round woman,
trained at Belle Vue, has some really good form going into this final. She’s
won her last 3 races well, however the times don’t particularly leap off the
page. However, it’s her trial round Monmore that really takes the eye, posting
a good 28.52. The sectional as well shows that she can ping, which is the name
of the game in this race.
17:47 – Eggstravaganza Stayers Final –
SWIFT KENNEDY
My
Pick: Mordred Saul
I’m sure I
wasn’t the only one to be scratching their head when Kennedy won his stayers
heat of the Eggstravaganza! Obviously, no offence intended to the connections,
but Kennedy came into that race in pretty poor form. I was struggling to place
him race wise, as again he obviously needs further, but looked to be struggling
over the 685m trip. However, credit where credit’s due, he ran an excellent
race in winning the leg, and goes into this race fresh. It’s hard to see him
winning this though, as there’s some decent company in here.
Mordred Saul
looks to be the one to beat here. Trained by Kim Billingham, Saul has some
really good stayers form over the 630, meaning the home advantage really should
play into Monmore’s hands here. He’s got some good times on his card as well,
certainly enough to win this race.
Keep an eye
on Swift Lucozade though. Mark Wallis’ charge cramped in her trial at Monmore,
but is certainly classy enough to beat these.
Well, 2000+
words later, and there’s the preview done. Apologise is I petered off slightly,
but writing for 16 races is a bit of an undertaking!
I should
say, on behalf of everyone at Swindon, I wish all the connections of our 6
finalists the very best of luck on Good Friday. Most of all enjoy the big day!
Happy Punting!
Wattsy,
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
'Egg' Trials, Arc round the corner, OBS
Over the weekend, Monmore saw the start of the Eggstravaganza trials, with Kevin Hutton giving his four a spin round the circuit. Out of his recruits, Alarming Jacks went best, posting a 28.63 calculated for the 480m trip.
The notable point to come out of the trial sessions is that the quality of the competition looks to be pretty poor. Bar an exceptional few (Jacks being one of them), there aren't the flashing times being posted that usually graces competitions like this. When you look at the Intertrack at Perry Barr, you had some cracking dogs going for that competition, with the likes of Bold Three now being an active competitor on the OR circuit. It seems that the competition just hasn't got that sparkle that the IT has. Fingers crossed that, on the day, the racing is top draw and makes for good viewing (16 races and all!)
Well, it's snowing and bitterly cold outside, so that means that it must be Arc time! Even with a different start date, we still manage to get some bitterly cold weather. Hopefully by the time the competition gets started we'll have some decent weather! The preparations kick off at trials on Tuesday, where Colin Callow gives his 'Longwood' team a spin round, with the obvious target being The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc. I've heard several good things about a new recruit in Longwood Bound. I saw him trial at Coventry in a sprint, where he went about a spot off that track record, so this newbie obviously has pace. It'll be interesting to see how he, and old timers Warrior and Fantasy, handle the Blunsdon Circuit.
On the subject of incorporating more competitions for graders, which seems to have people really talking about possibilities, I thought of one way to do this would be to re-format the Owners Bonus Series. It could be done in such a way that the competition actually has 3 rounds, with semi finals and a final to decide the winner. I think a competition with, say, 24 dogs, then being cut to 12, and then your 6 for the final, could work well, and provide more greyhounds with a chance of earning some decent money.
I've taken a quick look at the 'Egg' card, and I'm hoping to have a preview of each race up here for Thursday evening. Obviously, I'll be highlighting the Swindon dog's races in particular detail. Do keep a look out!
Happy Punting!
Wattsy
P.S; for those interested, no I'm not off to Coventry.
The notable point to come out of the trial sessions is that the quality of the competition looks to be pretty poor. Bar an exceptional few (Jacks being one of them), there aren't the flashing times being posted that usually graces competitions like this. When you look at the Intertrack at Perry Barr, you had some cracking dogs going for that competition, with the likes of Bold Three now being an active competitor on the OR circuit. It seems that the competition just hasn't got that sparkle that the IT has. Fingers crossed that, on the day, the racing is top draw and makes for good viewing (16 races and all!)
Well, it's snowing and bitterly cold outside, so that means that it must be Arc time! Even with a different start date, we still manage to get some bitterly cold weather. Hopefully by the time the competition gets started we'll have some decent weather! The preparations kick off at trials on Tuesday, where Colin Callow gives his 'Longwood' team a spin round, with the obvious target being The Pinpoint Recruitment Arc. I've heard several good things about a new recruit in Longwood Bound. I saw him trial at Coventry in a sprint, where he went about a spot off that track record, so this newbie obviously has pace. It'll be interesting to see how he, and old timers Warrior and Fantasy, handle the Blunsdon Circuit.
On the subject of incorporating more competitions for graders, which seems to have people really talking about possibilities, I thought of one way to do this would be to re-format the Owners Bonus Series. It could be done in such a way that the competition actually has 3 rounds, with semi finals and a final to decide the winner. I think a competition with, say, 24 dogs, then being cut to 12, and then your 6 for the final, could work well, and provide more greyhounds with a chance of earning some decent money.
I've taken a quick look at the 'Egg' card, and I'm hoping to have a preview of each race up here for Thursday evening. Obviously, I'll be highlighting the Swindon dog's races in particular detail. Do keep a look out!
Happy Punting!
Wattsy
P.S; for those interested, no I'm not off to Coventry.
Sunday, 17 March 2013
A Bit Of A Damp Egg?
My apologise again folks for the lack of updates on this here blog. Unfortunately life has been rather hectic recently, and I just haven't had the time to sit down and jot down my ramblings for you to enjoy. Alas, here is my belated nonsense.
The big thing to come out of Swindon this week was the Easter Eggstravaganza, where the Hutton and Foster camp's dominated proceedings, with the 'Burford Mob' (as I have now aptly named the kennel!) winning four of the six races. In fairness, credit where credit is due, their charges were quite honestly head and shoulders above the competition. Paul Foster (can't really dub them the 'Next-Door-To-The-Kennel's Mob really?) picked up two very good wins, one of which, Swift Kennedy, I must say was the shock of the day!
The general feeling with this competition, however, is that alot of people don't really seem particularly bothered by this competition, and I must say, me included. It doesn't seem to have the 'buzz' about it that the Intertrack competition in the winter does, and seems to be merely an added extra into the calendar, that most people don't really understand the rules about!
Now, I'm of the opinion that any extra money that is pumped into the sport has to be a good thing, and I think the overall added sum is something like £120,000, which is superb. However, one does wonder whether this competition really works as a competition itself. 16 races on finals day, although hopefully proving to be a good days racing, sounds to me like overkill. Again, one can understand wanting to utilize the fact that there is no horse racing on Good Friday, so greyhound's takes center stage.
I know that logistically it probably isn't possible, as the scope in class of grades is so great at different tracks, but my feeling is that the graders, who cover most of the BAGS racing in all honesty, could and should be rewarded in some way. Why not some competitions at each track, culminating in a final at one of the tracks on the day? See, even writing that I understand how illogical and stupid that sounds, however there has to be some way of incorporating the graders into more of these inter-track shindigs, rather than the borderline (and in some case, out and out) class dogs that take centre stage otherwise.
Enough of my moaning however, leading into some good news. The Arc is back! This year, it's sponsored by Pinpoint Recruitment. Like me, you might know them as 'those blokes who have the good dogs with Kelly Macari'. In all seriousness, a big thank you for their kind sponsorship, and furthermore there increased portfolio of sponsored greyhound races, as I notice they've sponsored a fair amount of races (mostly at their home track, and Newcastle). The dates for the competition are as follows:
1st Round: Friday 19th April 2013 BAGS (6 races, 36 runners)
Semi Finals: 26th April 2013 BAGS (3 races, 18 runners)
FINAL: Wednesday 1st May 2013
As an Open Race follower primarly, I'm mega excited for this competition once again, further more because of the altered format. I know amongst some that the above format isn't particularly favoured, however I like it. I think it makes it all to play for in the semi finals, rather than the mindset to sneak through in 3rd place. I would like to see a competition where in the 1st round the 1st 2 home go through, I think that could work quite well, with then the first 3 through in the semi finals (very Greyhound Manager 2-esque for anyone who knows the PC game!)
This Tuesday evening also ushers in a new era of Sky Sports coverage, with the first meeting in the new format taking place. I say new, it's more altered slightly. It's the same team in charge, mostly the same competitions on the scene. In actual fact, it's just different time slots at the moment. It's far too easy to criticize before the program has even gone out, but all I will say is that the program should take the opportunity to make itself different from the previous show. Take the opportunity to change things up and bring in some new ideas.
Back to the graded racing at Swindon, and things seem to be going very well at the moment. The track itself has a good strength of dogs, with a good mix of grades and styles, making what, in my opinion, has been some cracking racing recently. The one thing I will say is that, with the Eggstravaganza taking place and the necessity for graded stayers and sprints, is that I hope that these stayers and sprint grades can be formalized and used more. On the evening meetings in particular, there's nothing better than a bit of variety.
I will make a promise now that I will update this here blog every week on a Sunday, the same as I will the runners/wins table on the racing information sections (kindly nabbed from the GTA website, thank you Mr. Holloway!).
I'm looking at a complete redesign for this website in the coming weeks, as quite frankly I get bored with looking at the same thing all the time! I'm after your ideas as to what you would like to see on the website, and what things possibly you want rid of! Any suggestions will be taken on board (though derogatory remarks might not be so!), so please feel free to either comment underneath this blog post, or let me know at the track.
Happy Punting!
Wattsy
The big thing to come out of Swindon this week was the Easter Eggstravaganza, where the Hutton and Foster camp's dominated proceedings, with the 'Burford Mob' (as I have now aptly named the kennel!) winning four of the six races. In fairness, credit where credit is due, their charges were quite honestly head and shoulders above the competition. Paul Foster (can't really dub them the 'Next-Door-To-The-Kennel's Mob really?) picked up two very good wins, one of which, Swift Kennedy, I must say was the shock of the day!
The general feeling with this competition, however, is that alot of people don't really seem particularly bothered by this competition, and I must say, me included. It doesn't seem to have the 'buzz' about it that the Intertrack competition in the winter does, and seems to be merely an added extra into the calendar, that most people don't really understand the rules about!
Now, I'm of the opinion that any extra money that is pumped into the sport has to be a good thing, and I think the overall added sum is something like £120,000, which is superb. However, one does wonder whether this competition really works as a competition itself. 16 races on finals day, although hopefully proving to be a good days racing, sounds to me like overkill. Again, one can understand wanting to utilize the fact that there is no horse racing on Good Friday, so greyhound's takes center stage.
I know that logistically it probably isn't possible, as the scope in class of grades is so great at different tracks, but my feeling is that the graders, who cover most of the BAGS racing in all honesty, could and should be rewarded in some way. Why not some competitions at each track, culminating in a final at one of the tracks on the day? See, even writing that I understand how illogical and stupid that sounds, however there has to be some way of incorporating the graders into more of these inter-track shindigs, rather than the borderline (and in some case, out and out) class dogs that take centre stage otherwise.
Enough of my moaning however, leading into some good news. The Arc is back! This year, it's sponsored by Pinpoint Recruitment. Like me, you might know them as 'those blokes who have the good dogs with Kelly Macari'. In all seriousness, a big thank you for their kind sponsorship, and furthermore there increased portfolio of sponsored greyhound races, as I notice they've sponsored a fair amount of races (mostly at their home track, and Newcastle). The dates for the competition are as follows:
1st Round: Friday 19th April 2013 BAGS (6 races, 36 runners)
Semi Finals: 26th April 2013 BAGS (3 races, 18 runners)
FINAL: Wednesday 1st May 2013
As an Open Race follower primarly, I'm mega excited for this competition once again, further more because of the altered format. I know amongst some that the above format isn't particularly favoured, however I like it. I think it makes it all to play for in the semi finals, rather than the mindset to sneak through in 3rd place. I would like to see a competition where in the 1st round the 1st 2 home go through, I think that could work quite well, with then the first 3 through in the semi finals (very Greyhound Manager 2-esque for anyone who knows the PC game!)
This Tuesday evening also ushers in a new era of Sky Sports coverage, with the first meeting in the new format taking place. I say new, it's more altered slightly. It's the same team in charge, mostly the same competitions on the scene. In actual fact, it's just different time slots at the moment. It's far too easy to criticize before the program has even gone out, but all I will say is that the program should take the opportunity to make itself different from the previous show. Take the opportunity to change things up and bring in some new ideas.
Back to the graded racing at Swindon, and things seem to be going very well at the moment. The track itself has a good strength of dogs, with a good mix of grades and styles, making what, in my opinion, has been some cracking racing recently. The one thing I will say is that, with the Eggstravaganza taking place and the necessity for graded stayers and sprints, is that I hope that these stayers and sprint grades can be formalized and used more. On the evening meetings in particular, there's nothing better than a bit of variety.
I will make a promise now that I will update this here blog every week on a Sunday, the same as I will the runners/wins table on the racing information sections (kindly nabbed from the GTA website, thank you Mr. Holloway!).
I'm looking at a complete redesign for this website in the coming weeks, as quite frankly I get bored with looking at the same thing all the time! I'm after your ideas as to what you would like to see on the website, and what things possibly you want rid of! Any suggestions will be taken on board (though derogatory remarks might not be so!), so please feel free to either comment underneath this blog post, or let me know at the track.
Happy Punting!
Wattsy
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Swindon on Sky!
In terms of news in our fine sport, last week had to be up there as one of the busiest, and most confusing!
First and foremost, it's brilliant that a Sky contract has been signed up for this year. Tom Kelly and everyone else involved deserves a serious pat on the back in getting 22 dates signed up for the year. The deal means that the meetings will also be broadcast into bookmakers via SIS (who are producing the shows), meaning that the viewing audience for these big meetings will be much bigger this year.
As for the show itself, news came out this week detailing the presenters of the program with Jonathan Hobbs being the 'anchor' of the program, along with Gary Wiltshire, who will provide the betting perspective on the race. It cannot be denied that sticking with a formulae that works and that has broadcasting experience, is paramount to this show working. I do think, however, that this is greyhound racing's time to showcase some new, fresh faces on screen.
Without actually having seen a program yet, and merely making an observation based on what details have been given, one does have to wonder how the one-man presentation approach will work. The greyhound program of old (which, co-incidentally, I don't feel we should really compare the new show to, as this time around I'm expecting a more streamlined, back to basics broadcast) I felt worked well because you had the main anchor, in the form of Gary Newbon, playng off the techincally superior knowledge base of Hobbsy. This interaction between two people allows for a better flow of presentation, rather than one bloke in front of a camera.
RPGTV is another example of this. Would the program work if you had Sir Errol in front of a camera hosting on his own in the studio? Yes, it works with having someone to link to (such as how it will work, I suppose, with Hobbsy and Wiltshire) however there's nothing better than having a 'double act'. Jonathan Kay works really well for example. The main presenter can ask a question and the response can be received from a different point of view, such as Mr. Kay's.
It's here that I think the Sky coverage could be the start of a breakthrough for introducing some fresh blood to the system. It'd be great to see someone like Kaan Hughes, Billy Brennan or Mick Livesey step up to this sort of role, and establish themselves amongst the old guard.
Again, one shouldn't be detromental to something which hasn't even started yet (which I hope I haven't delivered this as!), however these are merely thoughts on where the coverage can be used for the good of the game's future.
Initially, the dates given included gave Swindon the TV Trophy. Seeing this actually enforced me to do cartwheels around my living room. However, it is now apparent that the date has been postponed. I am told that it may be due to the nature of our marathon trip, the 932m distance. I don't really see how this should be the case. There are other marathon trips around that are just as tough, including Hove's 930 and Nottingham's 905. BAGS have even included a marathon race to the 'Eggstravaganza' (I'm sorry, I still wonder how long the marketing department took to come up with that). The TV trophy that I know from old saw the legend that is Scurlogue Champ surge late on over trips of an equal distance to land his races in style. The TV trophy SHOULD be a test of a greyhound's stamina, and I can't think of a better test than a marathon at Swindon.
The date has been postponed, but finger's crossed Swindon can still be kept in the frame for running the competition.
Still, the good news to come out of the whole Sky date press release is the return of the Arc. What's brilliant this year is that we're running the competition much later in the year (May 1st), which should hopefully attract some different trainers and dogs that we don't usually see during the winter months. By my thinking, and literally this is just off the top of my head, apart from the Monmore Festival races and such, I think The Arc may be the first Category-grade 4 bend race of the year for all-aged greyhounds, so this race should be a good lead-in for the Derby, which starts a month later.
I think one thing that our track does very well is these competitions, and this year will be no different. Having a competition adds a different feel and buzz compared to normal, which can be felt from the crowd to the Racing Office!
One must also tip my hat to Bill and the guys sorting the schedule for getting The Arc into the list. Maybe we can hope that the Produce Stakes can be another competition that is considered?
First and foremost, it's brilliant that a Sky contract has been signed up for this year. Tom Kelly and everyone else involved deserves a serious pat on the back in getting 22 dates signed up for the year. The deal means that the meetings will also be broadcast into bookmakers via SIS (who are producing the shows), meaning that the viewing audience for these big meetings will be much bigger this year.
As for the show itself, news came out this week detailing the presenters of the program with Jonathan Hobbs being the 'anchor' of the program, along with Gary Wiltshire, who will provide the betting perspective on the race. It cannot be denied that sticking with a formulae that works and that has broadcasting experience, is paramount to this show working. I do think, however, that this is greyhound racing's time to showcase some new, fresh faces on screen.
Without actually having seen a program yet, and merely making an observation based on what details have been given, one does have to wonder how the one-man presentation approach will work. The greyhound program of old (which, co-incidentally, I don't feel we should really compare the new show to, as this time around I'm expecting a more streamlined, back to basics broadcast) I felt worked well because you had the main anchor, in the form of Gary Newbon, playng off the techincally superior knowledge base of Hobbsy. This interaction between two people allows for a better flow of presentation, rather than one bloke in front of a camera.
RPGTV is another example of this. Would the program work if you had Sir Errol in front of a camera hosting on his own in the studio? Yes, it works with having someone to link to (such as how it will work, I suppose, with Hobbsy and Wiltshire) however there's nothing better than having a 'double act'. Jonathan Kay works really well for example. The main presenter can ask a question and the response can be received from a different point of view, such as Mr. Kay's.
It's here that I think the Sky coverage could be the start of a breakthrough for introducing some fresh blood to the system. It'd be great to see someone like Kaan Hughes, Billy Brennan or Mick Livesey step up to this sort of role, and establish themselves amongst the old guard.
Again, one shouldn't be detromental to something which hasn't even started yet (which I hope I haven't delivered this as!), however these are merely thoughts on where the coverage can be used for the good of the game's future.
Initially, the dates given included gave Swindon the TV Trophy. Seeing this actually enforced me to do cartwheels around my living room. However, it is now apparent that the date has been postponed. I am told that it may be due to the nature of our marathon trip, the 932m distance. I don't really see how this should be the case. There are other marathon trips around that are just as tough, including Hove's 930 and Nottingham's 905. BAGS have even included a marathon race to the 'Eggstravaganza' (I'm sorry, I still wonder how long the marketing department took to come up with that). The TV trophy that I know from old saw the legend that is Scurlogue Champ surge late on over trips of an equal distance to land his races in style. The TV trophy SHOULD be a test of a greyhound's stamina, and I can't think of a better test than a marathon at Swindon.
The date has been postponed, but finger's crossed Swindon can still be kept in the frame for running the competition.
Still, the good news to come out of the whole Sky date press release is the return of the Arc. What's brilliant this year is that we're running the competition much later in the year (May 1st), which should hopefully attract some different trainers and dogs that we don't usually see during the winter months. By my thinking, and literally this is just off the top of my head, apart from the Monmore Festival races and such, I think The Arc may be the first Category-grade 4 bend race of the year for all-aged greyhounds, so this race should be a good lead-in for the Derby, which starts a month later.
I think one thing that our track does very well is these competitions, and this year will be no different. Having a competition adds a different feel and buzz compared to normal, which can be felt from the crowd to the Racing Office!
One must also tip my hat to Bill and the guys sorting the schedule for getting The Arc into the list. Maybe we can hope that the Produce Stakes can be another competition that is considered?
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.
Happy 2013 to you all! Apologies for the lack of a posting, however with Christmas, New Year and all the rest of it, it's been a touch difficult to get time to write a decent posting.
So, the track championship ended up being rather the embarrassment for Team Swindon. Unfortunately the overall thing to come out of the day is that we were just outclassed by the opposition. Having watched the DVD back of the meeting, I thought we were actually very unlucky in a couple of the races. I don't think our points total really did us justice. Still, we'll be back fighting for (hopefully) the 2013 running of the competition.
Speaking of the BAGS competitions, it was great to see the announcement of the Eggstravaganza (I wonder how long the marketing department took to come up with that) to run over Easter. The idea of the competition (if I've got this right) is that Swindon will run 6 races to determine the representative to run at Monmore on Good Friday. The races that we've been given include 2 bitches races, 1x Dogs, 2x Stayers and a Sprint (I believe, please correct me if I'm wrong). So that's 6 representatives to run at Monmore, in what will be a 16 race bumper card.
First thought is blimey, 16 races! I feel for those racing office staff at Monmore! Secondly, whilst the prize money is superb, and the actual competition is a really good initiative for runners, it's not hard to forget about the vast numbers of lower grade dogs that are missing out on boosted prize money initiatives.
Admittedly yes, there are the Owner's Bonus Series (which has been renewed for 2013, yet more good news) and the odd BAGS/SIS 500, but apart from that there isn't alot. I'm all for the Eggstravaganza, but I feel that, as the main BAGS offering is racing of all grades, they should, if possible, try to invent some form of competition to include other grades from different tracks.
Even writing that hits home that it could be rather difficult to do that, however I do think it's something that should just be looked at, to allow for a much more inclusive competition.
Speaking about the OBS, it's brilliant to see that they been renewed for the start of this year. I believe 10 different dates have been put forward for January-June, so that means plenty of opportunity to earn some decent prize money.
Now then, this snow. Seriously, what a nightmare! One of the myths that seems to be existing amongst the greyhound racing contingent is about the safety of tracks in this weather. In actual fact, from my understanding, it seems that actually the tracks run very well in the weather.
Swindon, at the moment, has snow over the track, however it seems to be acting as a protective layer against the cold, meaning that the track underneath is actually very decent. The problem will be, by this theory, is that when the snow is cleared (by our top notch trackman) it is then open to the cold and ice, then proving to be problematic. Again, from my understanding of the track, salt in a track only really keeps the ice out up until about -5, so any colder (and colder isn't now forecast) can prove to be a bit of an issue.
Fingers crossed we can get back to normality in any case.
So, the track championship ended up being rather the embarrassment for Team Swindon. Unfortunately the overall thing to come out of the day is that we were just outclassed by the opposition. Having watched the DVD back of the meeting, I thought we were actually very unlucky in a couple of the races. I don't think our points total really did us justice. Still, we'll be back fighting for (hopefully) the 2013 running of the competition.
Speaking of the BAGS competitions, it was great to see the announcement of the Eggstravaganza (I wonder how long the marketing department took to come up with that) to run over Easter. The idea of the competition (if I've got this right) is that Swindon will run 6 races to determine the representative to run at Monmore on Good Friday. The races that we've been given include 2 bitches races, 1x Dogs, 2x Stayers and a Sprint (I believe, please correct me if I'm wrong). So that's 6 representatives to run at Monmore, in what will be a 16 race bumper card.
First thought is blimey, 16 races! I feel for those racing office staff at Monmore! Secondly, whilst the prize money is superb, and the actual competition is a really good initiative for runners, it's not hard to forget about the vast numbers of lower grade dogs that are missing out on boosted prize money initiatives.
Admittedly yes, there are the Owner's Bonus Series (which has been renewed for 2013, yet more good news) and the odd BAGS/SIS 500, but apart from that there isn't alot. I'm all for the Eggstravaganza, but I feel that, as the main BAGS offering is racing of all grades, they should, if possible, try to invent some form of competition to include other grades from different tracks.
Even writing that hits home that it could be rather difficult to do that, however I do think it's something that should just be looked at, to allow for a much more inclusive competition.
Speaking about the OBS, it's brilliant to see that they been renewed for the start of this year. I believe 10 different dates have been put forward for January-June, so that means plenty of opportunity to earn some decent prize money.
Now then, this snow. Seriously, what a nightmare! One of the myths that seems to be existing amongst the greyhound racing contingent is about the safety of tracks in this weather. In actual fact, from my understanding, it seems that actually the tracks run very well in the weather.
Swindon, at the moment, has snow over the track, however it seems to be acting as a protective layer against the cold, meaning that the track underneath is actually very decent. The problem will be, by this theory, is that when the snow is cleared (by our top notch trackman) it is then open to the cold and ice, then proving to be problematic. Again, from my understanding of the track, salt in a track only really keeps the ice out up until about -5, so any colder (and colder isn't now forecast) can prove to be a bit of an issue.
Fingers crossed we can get back to normality in any case.
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