OR Preview - 1st September

Good afternoon folks, and welcome to another edition of my ramblings!

I thought I'd take you through tonight's open races.

And just a heads up, I haven't looked at the RP picks to anything before hand, this is all solely my opinion!

20:11 - The September Sprint Stakes
My Pick: Shreyas Trojan

I must say that, as a punter, I tend to swerve sprints really. Realistically, anything can happen, and your pick only has to fluff his lines to cost them the race. I don't know many that play sprints to be honest!

Shreyas Trojan, trained by Graham Holford at Coventry, has been only sprinting recently at his local track, however in his last couple of runs he's dipped under the 16 second mark for their sprint trip, which is a good indication of a very good time. In his last run, he recorded 15.89, winning by 3 lengths. It all depends really on whether he takes to the Swindon circuit and the differences with the traps. I think he could be a fair value bet, with a couple of the other dogs that are in the race. Expect around 5/2.

The two Hutton dogs, Glenbane Air and Kilmalady Biffo, are interesting runners here, and both have chances. Air, who recently posted a sprint win at Coventry, to me never really looked to be a true four bend performer against opposition, and I think the transition to sprinting is a very good idea. I do think he can become a top sprinter. The reason I've swerved him here is, if you've read any of the other blogs, is the draw. I don't like the red box for sprinters, and though he is a bang railer, I reckon he'd trap better from 2.

Biffo is an experienced campaigner now, and has recently also won a sprint open, and has form over the short 4 bends. In the opposite to what I think about Glenbane, I think this dog is at his best in the short 4 bend races. He's a dog that for me takes a couple of looks at a track, however once he's settled his early pace is phenomenal. 

As for the other runners, Tseal in trap 2, though a graded favourite of mine, isn't up to this class. Although the trial times are very good, there is a massive scope of difference between trials and open racing. The last couple of four bend trials at Coventry aren't very promising either. Bealady Rover, once a regular winner of A1's and sprint opens, has gone really off the boil recently and is swerved here. Aegean Bullet looks outclassed here.

My Trio: 4-1-3

21:02 - The September Standard Stakes
My Pick: Taranis Rex

We've got ourselves a 480m open next, with all local dogs in the mix! My pick here is rather the standout pick of the race, and that is the former Gymcrack champion Taranis Rex.

Rexy, once trained by Nick Colton and now in the hands of the Hutton camp, has recently had his first race back from a near year lay off after a horrible Achilles injury.  I praise the patience of owner Roly Woodcock and everyone involved with this dog to take as much time as was possible to get him back. 

His trials round Swindon have been great, regularly posting 28.60's, and showing the trademark early pace that made him such a force in the Betfred Gymcrack at Kinsley last year. He is, without doubt, an incredibly fast dog. I must admit that I do question the decision to run him at Coventry. Obviously he would've needed the run etc, however I always had Rex down as a short four bend runner (Honestly, I think even Swindon is a serious test for him). Coventry's standard trip is the toughest standard trip in the country to get in my opinion, and realistically he didn't look to get it very well. Still, this is the 'homecoming' race for him. He should clear the one dog easily, and with River Dubh keeping directly middle, he should get a clear passage up the rail.

For the forecast linker, I'm sticking with a favourite of mine, Ardmayle Mohammed. Chris Stringer's charge showed some cracking early pace in his last run (for a dog that I considered a stayer, I was rather gobsmacked) and recorded a brilliant 28.75, beating a good A1 field. With Hey Diego on his inside having the better early, he should get a clear pitch on the wide outside, and could mow down the early pace through the middle (I'm envisaging some trouble through the middle, with Kays To Blame and River Dubh having such good early)

My Pick: 2-6-3

21:36 - The September Stayers Stakes
My Pick: Forest Bonjo

This is a cracking little race, and I'm siding with the Ladbrokes Festival Stayers runner up Forest Bonjo. Bonjo, trained by Paul Foster, recently ran a couple of brilliant races at Monmore, against come very good competition. He stayed on very strong over the 630m trip and, even though I didn't think he'd stay the 685m trip here very well, I think this is ideal (and maximum) distance. To be fair, he beat most of these in the last 685m open race he won here.

Penskey Rain is the one to watch coming home. The St. Leger Finalist recently went over the marathon trip at Coventry, which he seemed to see out very well. He's rather one paced all the way round, and the translation to Marathon's, in my opinion, is a good move. I'd have him at Monmore for a couple of looks before the TV Trophy. He'll be flying home over this trip, and he loved the Swindon circuit.

Wise Totty is a Swindon favourite, however again she seems to have very much gone off the boil. Her last OR win was in a marathon down at Poole against some rather mediocre opposition, She needs to find a bit of form really to make a big impact. However, she does always run her heart out and, again, loves the circuit.

As for the other runners, Twisted Soul is an interesting runner for Laurence Wynn. I tipped him up last time at Swindon off of his good Coventry form, however again he seems to have gone off the boil. Scala Cosey is another runner that has some OR wins elsewhere at Oxford. My problem with her is that I thought she ran a very flat trial on Tuesday, and the quick run, I don't think, will do her alot of good. She can become purely Open class, if only she would go to another track other than Oxford for her races. Silverton Blaze is the second Maurice Walsh runner, who, to be honest, never runs a race the same. He could romp up at 10/1, who knows. He'll be running on at the finish.

My Pick: 5-4-2

Happy Punting Folks!

Chris,