BAGS Track Championship - Hove Leg Preview

So, the championship is finally here, well for our group anyway. Wednesday afternoon see’s the first leg of the Track Championship take place for our group down at Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium. We face off against Poole and Hove, with none of the 3 teams really standing out against each other. In other groups, you can argue there is a ‘standout’ team, such as Newcastle in the northern side. However here, I believe we are pretty equal with Hove in terms of squad depth, with maybe Poole just lagging behind on the quality side.

There are 10 heats of the championship Wednesday afternoon (live on SIS), with the heats starting at Race 5 (15:28). We haven’t fared too badly on the trap draws, and to be honest we should be looking to come out of this leg with a decent point’s total. I do think that Hove will win, but we should aim for as many points as possible, so we can land a blow at Swindon on the 6^th December.

Here, I will be giving my thoughts on each race, as well as our chances for points;

15:28 – The BAGS Track Championship Sprint

My Pick: Drink To That (Hove)

Sprints, as I’ve spoken about before, are never going to be our strong point, however we don’t look to have a particularly bad hand here. Drink To That, trained by Seamus Cahill, looks to have been campaigned with this competition in mind, given his good form in D1 company at Hove. Form beating Kizi is pretty decent, and consistently good times also help his cause.

I think our best hope here lies on the outside in Conahy Dasher. Ben McBride’s dog has been running well in A2 company, showing good early pace, which seems to have translated well to sprinting. The 16.58 first look round there is OK, it’s not setting the world alight, however he should be able to improve on that. Given the narrow bends at Hove, the inside Middle runners might be looking to cut in, which could give him a nice run around the outside. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Recycled Theo is an interesting pick that didn’t even enter my mind before this competition in all honesty. I do remember the race in which he was disqualified, which I was shocked at in all honesty. Since then, it looks as though he’s training for a hurdle campaign, possibly the Springbok next year?

15:48 – The BAGS Track Championship Puppies

My Pick: Forest White Boy (Swindon)

The puppy division is one that I really thought we would struggle in, yet it turns out we have, arguably, the strongest hand here. Forest White Boy, trained by Neil Jones (who, by the way, has like a 400-odd mile round journey to get to Brighton, hat’s off to him) looks to have a plum draw on the outside of the group. To me, the only real obstacle will be getting ahead of the 4 dog, Questhouse Rocky, who looks a really nice sort for Derek Knight. I think White Boy, over this further trip, will be in his element, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him win this comfortably.

Ballyhill Oscar certainly isn’t without a shout in here either. Matthew Dartnall’s black has had a couple of decent spins round the track, and in turn won his A2 last week in good fashion as well. The issue with him is that he is completely devoid of early pace, meaning he’s always coming through walls of dogs. He has the pace to get there and compete, but it’s hard to fully back him when you know he has to do it the hard way. With the early outside him, he could find his way to the front late on and nab some decent points for us.

16:08 – The BAGS Track Championship Dogs

My Pick: Cashen Matteo (Poole)

3 different team winners in the first 3 races? That’s what you call fair tipping! I’ve gone for Cashen Matteo here, trained by Alma Keppie down at Poole. He’s run at Hove several times before. You’ll see on his card that he has the 1 OR win back in July, where he won (what was in all honesty, a very poor maiden) in style, however got put in his place a bit on the return visit by Droopys Odell. I think Matteo is a very decent dog, in this sort of company that he has on Wednesday. He’s got our Swift Eugene on his outside, who is as slow away as he is, with all the early pace in the race on the rails. I see it that he gets a solo on the outside and lands a blow off the 3^rd bend here.

I don’t think we’re without a chance here, but I think our best hope lies with Forest Hi Boy for Kevin Hutton. Hi Boy has been running fairly decently at Swindon, without landing that big win yet. He’s got some good times on his card, and has the benefit of a couple of looks round Hove. I can see him possibly getting squeezed a bit at the bend. In my view he needs to drop into 3^rd or so (look after himself), then start his running down the back. He’s got a decent sort in Boltatwelldigger on his outside, so he’ll be wanting to try and lead him. Zara Two, who, in my view, looks to be the worthy favourite in this one, has the early pace to lead round too, so he doesn’t want to let him get a run early.

16:27 – The BAGS Track Championship Stayers

My Pick: Ballyhill Amber (NAP, Swindon)

I’m really confident going into this heat, after the performance that Amber put in a couple of weeks ago over the trip. She looked like a completely different bitch, trouncing a class field to win in 41.76. It was her early pace, and all-round staying prowess that really impressed me. Fingers crossed she can reproduce that sort of run at Hove. Her most recent performances there aren’t exactly great, and she was relatively fancied in some of them too, but to me she’s come back from her lay-off a different animal.

This isn’t exactly an easy race to decipher, as there are a few greyhounds without recent form over this demanding a trip. The 695, though the times are quicker than our 685, takes some getting, but is a trip you can win off the front or off the back.

One greyhound that fits this is Bua Paprika. The 41.68 trial time is superb, however he has yet to do that sort of clock in a race there. Also, it’s easy to do fast times in solo’s.

16:47 – The BAGS Track Championship Standard

My Pick: River Ace

This, in all honesty, isn’t a particularly good race for us. Distant Everland, trained by Maurice Walsh, has a very peculiar trial line round there from last week. A time of 31.00 is obviously poor, but a ‘CkRnIn’ comment is a bit weird. Fingers crossed it was just a case of not knowing where he was, and getting used to his new surroundings. I did think that he would make a cracking Hove 515m dog. 

That’s My Hero is another that’s a bit of a mystery. To be honest, I thought he would really struggle to see out the tough 515m trip, and it looks as though that will be the case. I feel that, if they were running the 475m there as well as 515m, then he would’ve been a shoe in for that trip, but 515m is too far really. Potentially this is a pretty low scoring race for us (in what is, arguably, a poor race), so any points here are a bonus.

As for the winner, I say look no further than the Poole dog in 2, River Ace. Trainer Phil Chatfield seems to be getting the best out of this dog, with good sub 27.00 runs recently in top grade round there. Though I do believe that the quality of grade at Poole has somewhat diminished, those sort of performances are going to put him in good stead here.

One thing that has come to light in covering this card is the lack of trials that the Poole dogs have had. Going from a particularly tight, short track to Hove is a bit of a step up, and realistically you’d want a look round there before you race there. It might work in their favour, it might not, but at least our team can go there knowing that most of them have had a good look round the track!

17:07 – The BAGS Track Championship Dogs

My Pick: Millwards Joker (NB, Hove)

Again, this is a pretty hard race for us, as the 2 dog in here, my Next Best, looks to have been campaigned with this competition in mind. Seamus’s dog has really good 29.80 runs recently in top grade at Hove, a grade that really stands up against the best, This race is also seemingly devoid of early pace, meaning he should go up on his home and win this relatively easily.

In terms of our chances, I do think that Bezzas Boy has a cracking draw on the wide outside. Matt Dartnall’s dog has been really hitting the mark recently, shooting up the grades and posting a good 28.97 run last time. He’s looking better each time he runs, and the trap draw here suits. I hope he can improve on the rather flat sectional from his trial round Hove, as if he can track the leader round he might be able to pick up some points.

The rest of the make up of the race is really based on gathering as many points as possible. There are a few real ‘RanOn’ types in there, hoping to snatch a place late on. Maui Hawk, for example (who, as a follower of Hove, seems to have been around forever!) is a real late-charging greyhound, so he’ll be one to watch at the finish.

In the same breathe, it has to be argued that Millabbey Terry is there for the same reason. He looked to me a complete Hove dog back in his A1 runs, running on strongly over the 480m trip here. With a better trap draw, you could’ve made a bit of a case for him. The issue is that 3 box, though at least the 2 should be out of the way early enough. I reckon he could grab a few all-important points though.

17:22 – The BAGS Track Championship Bitches

My Pick: Monleek Diamond (Hove)

This, in my mind, is the toughest race on the card. It’s a 4/1the field job this, with a case being made for just about all the girls involved in this. I’ve sided with the top, Monleek Diamond, solely on the draw and the hope that, if she gets round, she has a great chance of winning.

The makeup of the race actually really suits our two runners, but it’s difficult to say whether one or the other will win it. It’s a race where the other two teams have out-and-out early pace, whereas we have two greyhounds who are going to be coming off the back.

Kingsmill Go ran an absolute stormer in an OR last week at Hove. It doesn’t look much on the card, but the way she went about her business was very impressive, and I reckon she could come on a bundle. If she can find a few lengths (which, on her last run, wouldn’t be too difficult), she could come through to win this easily, so long as there isn’t a wall of other greyhounds to go through.

Sharp Exit, although her recent card doesn’t read particularly well, always seems to be there or thereabouts in these competitions. She’ll be running on like a steam train at the finish, just fingers crossed that she can pick up some decent points!

17:38 – The BAGS Track Championship Stayers

My Pick: Tennessee Morning (Hove)

Another race where, barring the favourite, really the points are anybody’s. Morning ran a superb race a few weeks back, winning an OR over the 695m trip, bowling along up front to win in a good time of 41.60. That sort of performance would see him land this one too.

On the same note, we have two greyhounds in here that potentially have great chances. Portavoe Girl has experience on the OR circuit, however she never really put in too great a performance. She has a win round there, albeit in a pretty poor race. I do think that she has come on from then, after a spell of lameness and building up her fitness in the A2 grades at Swindon. I think she can come on from that trial round there and go well on the outside. 

Rockmount Delta is a very interesting runner through the middle for Paul Foster. Still a relatively unknown quantity, Delta trialled very well a few weeks back, clocking 42.00 for our 685m trip. Although she didn’t really get to stretch her legs in the S1 after her trial, you do feel that she has potential over the trip. She hasn’t had a look either, meaning you don’t really know what to expect from her going in. Will she run better fresh?

17:56 – The BAGS Track Championship Standard

My Pick: Ericks Gav

*Please Note: Since the original card came out, this race had to be re-drawn due to an incorrect seeding on Kingsmill Anois. The correct line up for this race is as follows:

1) Droopys Franklin

2) Kingsmill Anois

3) Ericks Gav

4) Droopys Bass

5) Athlacca Olympic (M)

6) Killacolla Lion (M)

This is a blinding race, with real quality going into the traps for this one. I’m siding with Gav, as I think he’s the star of this year’s team. Ben McBride’s charge has had a bit of a stop-start year, with plenty of time off the track and not a lot on it. He posted a superb 28.13 earlier in the year in the Monmore Puppy Derby. However, since then it’s fair to say he hasn’t really done a lot. Since being off for a couple of months, Gav has come back to win a top A1 in a decent time, as well as showing what he’s truly capable of in a cracking 29.99 first look at Hove. Looking at the comments, he looks to have lost a couple of lengths just due to his inexperience at the track. He should come on a bundle for the trial.

I wouldn’t be writing our other hopeful, Kingsmill Anois out either. Anois is another who has really hit form recently, showing some good early pace in his racing to end up in A1. His trial at Hove wasn’t exactly ground-breaking, but it is a look nonetheless. He can come on from that trial.

18.11 – The BAGS Track Championship Bitches

My Pick: Hoof It Katie

Hoof It Katie is another one for Team Seamus (how it’s looking anyway!) that has been laid out for this one. A progressive sort in graded company, she’s another that likes to be on the bunny early. When she’s paw perfect going into the bend, she can put in some decent performances, including a recent 29.99 in an OR. It’s a case of lead round, and hope that a certain Swindon raider isn’t waiting to pounce!

Lady Jayne was making me well and truly scream at my television last week. I fancied her quite strong in her race, and didn’t end up betting her. Instead, I ended up watching a decent race, where she lost several lengths around the bends due to bits of trouble, and she still ends up winning! She’s a lass who’s always going to be there or there abouts, and is a real asset to the team. I think it’s a case of more of the same here, so long as she can track down the favourite (and my tip).

I’ll be honest, I don’t really rate Cimla Visa’s chances to be very high here. She didn’t put in a particularly fast trial time, though it is a track she’s run before. She has race form round there, coming 2^nd in an OR, though it was a very standard time. Fingers crossed she can get us some decent points.

Happy Punting, and the best of luck to everyone involved! I’ll be down at Hove, come along and say hello if you’re there!

Wattsy,

Potential Selections for Team Swindon

So, with just over a month until our first heat away at Hove, it's time to start looking at the potential greyhounds to go for the competition. This year, we require a team of 20 greyhounds to travel (obviously, with reserves on standby), meaning it will be a difficult job for the Team Captain to get this team together, using different trainers and types of greyhound.

Obviously, one issue is that certain trainers may not want to travel. I can see both sides to this. On one hand, it gives the Team Captain a real headache in picking greyhounds, as you can't use certain dogs that you would otherwise. There may be greyhounds not listed on here and you will be wondering why, well this may be the reason. On the other hand, travelling is a big deal, and these tracks aren't particularly close. Remember, our trainers don't just come from Swindon, but Oxford, Bristol and Wales even, meaning the travel is more so for them. However, the one conclusion I have is that, if we do happen to win a pot of money, the money should first and foremost go to those greyhounds and trainers that have travelled and showed the willing, as it's them that have earned the prize money.

So, the first leg is at Hove on the 6th November 2013 (Wednesday afternoon). One thought I had about the Hove team is that their consistent running of open races may be their undoing. They run open races week in, week out, and a lot of the time they are rather weak maiden races with a lot of their own greyhounds. This could mean that a lot of their greyhounds are ineligible (can only have won one open race).


Again, these ideas for selections are just my idea, and have no bearing on what the actual team is. I'll be recommending dogs for both legs of the competition (Hove and Poole), with the track most suited to indicated. Feel free to comment on selections, as well as suggesting others that I may have forgot.

Stayers - 695m Hove, 640m Poole

Gemstone Meg - 695m/640m - Hutton
Gemstone Meg would be the first on the team sheet for me in both legs. She's the winner of just one open, at Coventry over their 672m trip. I've watched her at Hove the times she has run there and, although bashed about a bit, showed promise round that trip, and could do with another go down there, albeit in with less class of greyhound. She runs on well over further trips, yet is capable of a dash to the bend, as seen in last weeks 737m.  

Lady Jayne - 695m - Dartnall
Lady Jayne is a lass who is certainly knocking on the door over the trip, however has yet to land a killer blow. She posted an excellent 41.69 trial at Hove, which would win a good open round there. The problem is that she requires a race to go all her own way. The recent experience round the Neville Road circuit though could earn a vital extra point.

Swift Kennedy - 695m - Foster
Amazingly, Swift Kennedy has yet to win an open race yet, remarkable considering the amount of opens he's been in. Paul Foster's fawn is a very strong runner over a galloping trip. Arguably, at times, looking as though he could do with a marathon trip. Greyhounds that run on like he does make for good points scorers!

Gemstone Billy - 695m - Hutton
Again, much like Kennedy, Billy is one of those greyhounds that runs on very strong over these sort of trips. He's an out-and-out points scorer. 

Silbury Campion - 640m - McDowell
Recently hitting form again, Silbury Campion has been posted some really good times in A2/1 company. Always looking like a bit of a stayer, I reckon he'd be a cracking runner at Poole over the 640m trip.

Portavoe Girl - 695m - Hutton
Her sole winning open race actually came at Hove, posting 41.90. She's ripe out of season, recently winning in A2 on the BAGS on Friday. The other thing is, she's a wide runner. In a competition that is likely to be dominated by railers (as Open Racing generally is), she could get a decent draw at Hove.

Sharp Exit - 695m - Foster
One of the members of the team from last year, she put in our best performance at Perry Barr last year, and is still a force over an extended trip here. 

Ardmayle Molly - 695m/640m - McBride
Although, arguably, she's gone a bit off the boil recently, Molly could be a potential pick, based on her exploits in the stayers grades at the start of the year.

Jolly Be Good - 640m - Hutton
A stunning front running performance on Saturday evening. Be Good looks to be a good pick for Poole, where being out on the bunny is crucial. The 685 at Swindon looks to be her maximum trip in my eyes, so the 640 should be right up her street. Wide runner too, ideally from a trap draw point of view.


Ballymac Shaw - 640m - Little
Again, it's looking at the performances from Saturday, and Shaw ran really well winning the S2. He's an out and out bunny runner, who has bundles of early pace to put a distance between his rivals early. He struggles staying the full 685, so again it's a case of 640m looks ideal.

Puppies - 515m Hove, 450m Poole

Ballyhill Oscar - 515m - Dartnall

Matt Dartnall's youngster has just hit form, winning an A4 in a cracking 28.97. He looks to be an out and out Hove dog, however he has taken a while to find his feet, my fear is that he'll take time getting used to a track.

Swift Eugene - 450m/515m - Walsh

Maurice Walsh' Feb'12 has just come good in A3 company, posting a good 28.90. He also looks to have got his trapping a bit better. He's a litter brother of Swift Keith, who looks to be the pup to watch in open racing. Eugene would be first on my list for both tracks,

Forest White Boy - 515m/450m - N.Jones

Winner of the one open, White Boy looks to be a bit of a versatile sort, showing some decent early pace, aswell as staying on strong. Ideally, he looks to be a Hove dog, however I think he could run Poole.

To Tone Charlie - 450m/515m - Swadden

A recent winner of A2, Charlie's ascent up the graded ranks has been very good to see. Only a Jan'12, he looks to be a short runner, making Poole and ideal track for him. **After his recent form, he looks like he would run Hove well, certainly worth a spin there**

Jet Stream Lewis - 515m - Hutton

Lewis has really been shooting up the grades recently, last winning an A2 in a good 29.07. He showed there both early pace, aswell as some strong late speed to beat Bealady Rover. He's coming on in leaps and bounds, and looks like a dog who will eventually want further. 515m would be a naturally good step up for him.

Sprinters - 285m Hove, 250m Poole 

(Sidenote: I think it's safe to say that this is probably going to be our weakest area of the competition. The current plan is to not hold graded sprints, and instead run straight into the competition. In my eyes, I must admit I think that might be our disadvantage, as Hove run regular graded sprints, meaning they have quite the arsenal to pick from. Alas, the picks here are just a couple of the early pace sorts that could be selected) 

Lady Maud - Hutton

To me, the first pick on the sheet. Although, it has to be said, she was a touch outclassed in a recent open at Swindon, she does have that consistent trapping ability and early pace to get round in front. 

Ericks Gav - McBride

I highly doubt that Ben would want him running in sprints (I would think the standard trips would suit better), however Gav's last sprint trial time of 16.06 was absolutely motoring round. He's a class dog on the bunny.

Ballymac Montana - Little

Although maybe a bit below the class that will be required, Montana has a great turn of early foot, and could be an out and out sprinter if aimed solely at these events. I reckon with a first look she'll run fresh too.

Standard - 515m Hove, 450m Poole: Bitches/Dogs  

2 x Dogs Standard, 2 x Bitches Standard, 2 x Mixed Standard
 

Thats My Hero - McBride - 450m Poole

A dog that's certainly turned into an early pace machine, Hero recently clocked a superb 28.95, with a 2.33 split, in A2 recently, and looks as though he would suit Poole down to a T. He's only won the one open, which was a decent win at Henlow.

Tarty Toes - McBride - 450m Poole

This little lass took part in last years competition, and I feel could be a feature this year too. Although only 5th last year, she was very unlucky not to make it round the bend at Poole. She's that much older and wiser now, and is running well at the moment, including a recent 28.78 win in A2.  
 

Tictac Chili - McBride - 450m Poole  

Again, another greyhound that finds the 480m Swindon a bit of a struggle, however looks as though he would thrive on a smaller track. He's an early pace wide runner, who put in a very good run last time out. 

Hey Diego - Hutton - 450m/515m

Believe it or not, Hey Diego has only won the one open race! Diego is a class act over shorter trips, however proved himself over the tough 485m at Coventry too. I'm not sure on exactly what the ruling is with regards to dual attachment. However, as he has had the required amount of graded runs, I presume he's eligible. A potential big player for us.

Cimla Superstar - N.Jones - 515m Hove

Superstar, when hitting her break and getting on the bunny, is a seriously fast lass. She's been round Hove before too, which is a massive bonus.

Almost Blew In - Bevan - 515m Hove

Recently landing at QB's, Blew In has really come to light over the past couple of runs, putting in some good performances in A2/A1 company. He looks to be a good Hove dog. 

Rodger - Wallington - 515m Hove

Rodger is currently one of my favourite greyhounds at Swindon. He's a versatile sort, who manages to pace up well enough, aswell as running on towards the finish. I've said for a while that he looks like an ideal Hove dog, and this could be the making of him.  

Offshore Cruise - Swadden - 450m Poole

Cruise has come into some awesome form since arriving at Model Farm, winning in A2 and A1 company, showing some trademark early pace. He looks like an out-and-out Poole dog, and would be one of the dogs on the teamsheet for that leg for me.  

 

Ericks Gav - McBride - 450m Poole/Possible 515m Hove

Possibly in the sprinting league too, however I would personally have him over a standard trip and day of the week. I think the 515m Hove might be a touch too far for him, however he is of different class, and class prevails in a competition such as this. Poole's 450m trip will be right up his street. He's trialling back well after a lay off, and a 28.13 Monmore run on his card does wonders.

Ring The Alarm - Hutton - 515m Hove
Recently hitting a good patch of form, Alarm looks to be an out-an-out 515m bitch. She's run the track before, and was unlucky not to get onto the scoresheet down there.

Swarez - Hutton - 515m Hove
Coming back from a spell of lameness, Swarez looks like, if anything, she would need a touch further than the 515m. She's still got a 28.54 on her card from back in March. Anything like that would be a massive bonus going into the competition.

(Greyhounds will be added over a period of time)

    

The BAGS Track Championship 2013

First blog post for a while. With the start of university again, I'm back into study mode for a couple of months, up until January when I'm finished. 


The announcement of the BAGS track championship is a big bonus to head into the end of the year with. With £200,000 worth of prize money up for, it does give owners and trainers a chance of winning some really decent prize money and compete for top honors in a competition. The rules have changed a little bit from last year. This time around, we are in with Hove and Poole, and there are now 10 races to compete in. The races are: 


1 x Sprint (250m Poole, 285m Hove + Swindon)
2 x Standard (450m Poole, 480m Swindon, 515m Hove)
2 x Standard (Dogs)
2 x Standard (Bitches)
1 x Standard (Puppy) (greyhound under 2 years old at date of event)
2 x Stayer (640m Poole, 685m Swindon, 695m Hove)


The legs of the races are:

Hove - Wednesday 6th November 2013
Poole - Saturday 23rd November 2013
Swindon - Friday 6th December 2013

All in all, I think we have a pretty decent chance to qualify for the grand final, which takes place at Sheffield on Monday 23rd December 2013. Hove is an ideal track for us to go to, as it's a good galloping track that our dogs should suit really well. Poole, as was the case with last year, is always going to be a bit of a headache, as it's a tight, short track which, in comparison to Swindon, is a massive difference.

In terms of the competition itself, I think the ones to beat will be Newcastle. There grade is very strong, and it seems as though they aim for this competition all year by cementing their top A1's. Their recent introduction of sprints will also be of benefit to them. 

I hope to have a more in depth look at our potential squad in a blog further down the line. However, I will look into the two tracks that we're going to:

Poole - 250,450,640m 

 

Poole is a track that we know pretty well from past Championships. It's a tight circuit, with a fairly long run up to the first bend. That bend in particular is a tough one, as it doesn't have lots of camber on it to keep the wide runners in. Dogs who haven't had a trial here often find themselves going in OK, but end up getting lost coming off the second. One big positive to Poole is that they use the same curved front, roll on-off traps that we use here, which is a big bonus for our early starters. 

The 450m trip has a good long run up, however you do have to be able to get home off the last, as the run to the line is quite significant. The 640m trip is smack on the bend down there. Again, getting out in front can be useful. The sprint trip, on the other hand, has an especially long run into the first. I've always favored a greyhound who has the early pace to get into the bend handy, rather than a pin

The key to Poole in my eyes is getting out in front. Early pace is the name of the game at Wimborne Road. The local runners are always within a shout, as it's a track that you have to be used to, 

Last year we ended up doing well very down there, so hopefully there's more of the same this time. 

Hove - 285,515,695m

 

Hove is personally my favourite track in the country (barring Swindon, obviously!). It's a really good test of a greyhound, with it's long straights and banked bends. It's 515m trip is a great, safe gallop, with one of the best racing surfaces either side of the water. They have a plethora of talent on their graded strength, with some top class trainers too. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the competition, however I do think that we can pick up some decent points down at Nevill Road.

The track itself has a long run up to the bend, and a good long back straight too. The bends are actually rather narrow, however they're well cambered to keep the runners in. Passing, in my mind, is best made on the straights. Over 515m, you can win off the back or out in front, it's a very fair, yet demanding trip. The 695m does take some getting mind, a good stayer here is a must.

 

New Website, Irish Racing, OR Preview for Friday 20th Sept

I get the feeling this may end up being a rather lengthy blog! Nevertheless, another page of ramblings from your's truly. First thing on the agenda is the new website, which has certainly divided opinion between people. The reason for the new website is that the old one, to be honest, was severely dated and (from an admin point of view) a nightmare to update. The new way in which to deliver racing information (the primary reason for the website) is now a lot more streamlined, and can be done from near enough anywhere (which helps greatly). I know a few people are having some trouble with the method in which the information is delivered. It's literally a case of clicking on the 'More Details' tab in the pop up bubble that comes up when you've clicked on an event. From there, there is a screen that has the attachments for the meeting, including the advance and results sheets. I'm hoping that full form could feature in time, however it's publication is out of my hands. It will take time to get used to, and it is a significant upgrade on the old one, but it will come!

Unfortunately this was the first weekend in rather a while that I was actually away from the track (holiday's are a novelty!), as I was attending the Irish Derby over at Shelbourne Park. I must say that the track itself is just superb, with a cracking running surface and facilities that are top notch. The prices and admission were very high. However, it shows that with the right promotion and advertising of a big race night at a nice venue, that people are willing to pay. The track itself must've made a fortune on the night, which is a credit to them as you can tell they worked their tailfeather's off to make the night a success. Things such as live music, tote promotions, and good grub all add up to an entertaining night out, and it does make you wonder why tracks don't invest in the whole entertainment package on offer to customers. A simple thing such as a disco after racing could do wonders for crowd numbers (and profit, obviously). 

Talking to a few of the guys in the stands over there though, the picture looks just as bleak over that side of the sea. It's the same sort of situation there as it is here, in that the mid-week meetings just don't attract the general public (rather logical, really). Alas, promotion is saved for the big weekend meetings, with top grade racing taking centre stage. However, they are now finding that there are more 5 dog races and diminished crowds. The IGB's recent 5-year plan documentation, in my mind, only really scratched the surface of confronting the problems, without actually coming up with realistic, logical solutions. Anyone can say that prize money needs increasing, and another person can say that sponsorship needs to increase, however it's getting down to how we're going to achieve this that needs to be addressed. 

Anyway, a look now at Friday's opens. The card itself is a really good card, with a decent little graded card under the opens. Hopefully the next competition can fill (over 509m) so we can be treated to another good night of open racing.

20:45 - The Lady Lane Sprint
My Pick: Lady Maud

This isn't exactly the hottest sprint race in the world, and I've basically broken all of my rules in following Lady Maud (Trap 1 in a sprint, aswell as no sprint race form) however it's hard to look beyond her in my eyes. She's been running out of her skin since coming back from lameness, putting in both cracking sectionals and good all-round performances. To me, she looks tailor made for sprinting, as she has some fab pace to the bend. Again, the issue is the lack of sprint open race form. However, with a tidy draw on the rails, on the inside of middle runners, she could be housed well here to win in style.

To me her main rival looks to be Vindepa in trap 5. Paul Foster's dog has been off the boil slightly in his last few races, including unfortunately taking a knock at the first last time out. However, when you look back through his form, he's more than capable of a big sprint run, and with the race being relatively weak, he could land a big blow here. He's certainly one to watch.

21:00 - The Lady Lane Standard
My Pick: Shelbourne Geoff

I'll be honest, I was getting a little bit worried when Geoff started trialling in, as he was doing more A4 times than the classy times he's known for putting in. Alas, it was good to see him winning the A1 well last Saturday (at a cracking price that I couldn't believe!). He's an older boy now, however class does last, and he's still running really well for Brian. 

Chow for Now looks a big runner out wide for Kevin Hutton (good TV spot by the way). One big problem though is that awkward mark last time out at Romford. A mark in an open race I always take more seriously, as the Racing Manager will be looking at a dog that he probably doesn't know too well. In what is just my opinion, I think that a Racing Manager can gauge what a greyhound is like when they're running graded constantly at the track. Alas, this must've been a bit of an incident. I haven't actually seen the race in question, as such I don't have an opinion on the greyhound. Hopefully he's just a dog that will appreciate a switch in track to keep his mind on the game. Using this logic, he could be a big runner here. 

Trap 2 here looks to be an interesting runner, Skywalker Kate. Paul Sallis' runner has some really good Irish form on her card, however things don't seem to have gone to plan on this side of the water. The thing with greyhounds such as this is that you're always expecting a big run from them at some point, as they're obviously capable. I envisage she'll go off near favourite here.

21:15 - The Lady Lane Stayers
My Pick: Gemstone Meg (NAP)
  
Nap time here, in the form of Gemstone Meg. In reading the race, I'm of the belief that the 3 will obviously lead round. With the 1 dog being so slow away, I'm thinking that Meg will go round in about 2nd/3rd. From here, she should be able to assert and win this race in my mind. Whenever I've seen her in stayers races, she's had a lot of traffic problems, and doesn't get the race to go her way. In this one, so long as all the stars align, she shouldn't have any excuses.

The 6 dog, Silverton Blaze, is always one to have in the back of your mind over this sort of trip. Maurice Walsh's greyhound is capable of awesome performances over this trip, so long as he traps and gets on the bunny early. His 13.66 split and 41.70 time on the card is proof that he's capable of wiping the floor with this field on his day.

Sharp Exit is also another lass to consider here, possibly for your trio's and forecast's. Paul Foster's girl has always put in good performances over the trip, and seems to be running really well at the moment, however the performances have never equated to good wins over the trip. Her form is top draw though, and will see all of this 685m trip out.


21:30 - The Lady Lane 509 Maiden
My Pick: Jet Stream Bolt

Jet Stream Bolt, the ex Institute, looks to make his mark on the UK scene with his debut here. His Irish form is just awesome, with a 28.55 (calc) time over the 480m at Tralee (before going, the 5th fastest time round there this year). He's put in some decent trials over here, including a pacey 28.62 here last week. This 509m trip also looks tailor made for him. The obvious target for this year I would guess is the Essex Vase at Romford.

The big stumbling block with backing him would be 1) He'll be a seriously short price, and 2) the draw is pretty bad. Trap 5, with 5 railers in the race, could make the first bend a potentially tricky area. 

Due to this, trap 6, Fridays Turbo, could be a handy runner for Lynn Short. Turbo has only just graded in over here, posting what has to be said are a standard set of times. He does have 31.82 over at Lifford for there 526m trip, so he'll be seeing out all of this trip. If he's handy into the bend, so long as he doesn't find any trouble himself, he could be a big runner on the outside.

21:45 - The Swindon Friday Night Standard Final
My Pick: Longwood Bound (NB)

This is a cracking little final we have on offer, and some good winning prize money too. The very best of luck to all 6 runners.

Watching the two heats back, you can't help but be impressed by Longwood Bound. He put in an awesome 2.32 split to lead all the way in a decent time. As I've said before in the blog, class does carry through, and he's certainly a classy dog when it all goes his way. He's a finalist of the Arc and the Sussex Cup this year, and Colin Callow has a plot pitch as the sole wide runner in this final, with Kaipo most probably turning left on the run up.

Not knowing the dog completely, however if he has to lead all the way he could have a bit of a problem with Witcombe 'The Swindon Bullet' Dilemma in trap 4. Dilemma posted one of the fastest splits ever on Monday with a 2.23 (the record is 2.20) to be a few lengths clear off the 2nd. What's always going to curtail him winning is his lack of staying power, which Longwood Fantasy took full advantage of on Monday. However, it's always better to be out in front in a big race, so you have to respect Dilemma's chances.

Best of luck everyone!

Happy Punting!

Wattsy,

New Trainer, A Look At The OR's Friday

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Neil Jones to the graded strength at Swindon! Neil currently trains the 'Cimla' prefix dogs. Looking at the grading for Saturday, it looks as though they are bolstering the top grades here at Swindon, which is a big help in getting quality racing on. Neil's a great bloke, who has long supported the track in open racing. All the best!

Anyway, a look at the competition heats on Friday. Unfortunately, there were only 14 entries in the book (half of which were a certain Mr Hutton's!), alas this is only now a 2 heat affair. It's a touch disappointing really, however what we do have is two top quality heats. Best of luck to everyone in the competition. On the final's night, there are supporting opens over different distances, so hopefully next Friday night will be an OR extravaganza!

One thing to note before looking into these opens, and this is more a general note about the open race trap draw procedure in general, is quite frankly how backward it is. Any outsider looking at the races will wonder why the middle seeds were not more spread out. I understand the thinking that a random draw (which it is, as entries were faxed to the GBGB, where they were drawn for) is the only fair way of doing it, however surely it's a common sense and welfare issue that greyhounds are split in accordance to safe racing. Having 5 railers in a race is never good (however, it does happen alot), and if anything can be done to avoid this (things like finals etc, it's unavoidable) then it should be done.

Anyway, rant over, let's look at the opens;

21:00 - The Swindon Friday Night Standard - Heat 1
My Pick: Witcombe Dilemma

By how much I'm tipping the dog, you'd half think I owned a leg in him! In all seriousness, this is a seriously tough heat to fathom.  The 5 railer conundrum is hard enough, let alone the sheet amount of early pace that's in the race. I've sided with Dilemma solely on the draw. On the outside of the 5 railers, you have to fancy Dilemma to slip round the outside. If he's out on the bunny, I can't see much picking him up in a race which is full of 'ping gone' sorts.

Arguably the one to look at would be Ballymac Cryan. Matt Dartnall's Arc winner from 2012 will be running on like a steam train against this field. The stumbling block in fancying him is that his recent form isn't the best (compared to what he used to be). However, he has to be looked at as a forecast link.

To me, trap 1 Youtalktoomuch looks a touch outclassed here, though he does have a good draw on the fence inside a sleeper at the traps. I see him going off at double digits here. 

Trap 3 Jolly Bullseye is an interesting runner here. A finalist in the Arc this year, aswell as a big OR runner at Romford, Bullseye has had a bit of a stop-start campaign recently. His latest two trials aren't up to his standards really, and it'll be interesting to see how he takes this race. You write him off at your peril, yet on his recent form you wouldn't be a player at any price.

Trap 4 Alarming Jacks, to me, looks to be one of the best bitches in training this year, and you have to think that Kev has her lined up for the Oaks at Belle Vue later in the year. She's recently come back from a spell off the track with a good 29.42 run at Coventry, and she can only come on from that run. The problem here is the horrendous trap draw. Jack's is one of the tightest railers around, so trap 4 is a bit of a nightmare here. Fingers crossed she can show a good kick of early and get a handy position early. If scooting clear, she'll certainly be in the frame.

Longwood Fantasy for Colin Callow runs in trap 5 here. He's one of my favourites, as the old boy has put in some cracking races in his career. He's certainly past his absolute best, however he proved in the Arc this year that he can put in a big run when needed. I think the 5 box here is ideal for him, however it's whether he lives with the early pace around him.

My Qualifiers: Witcombe Dilemma, Ballymac Cryan, Alarming Jacks

The Swindon Friday Night Standard - Heat 2
My Pick: Klockwork Kaipo

Again, another cracking heat that's also rather difficult to fathom. 5 middle runners make this one a battle to the bend again, with Klockwork Kaipo my pick to lead and win all the way. Paul Sallis' Produce finalist ran the track really well during the competition back in July, and can make all so long as he's reproducing the sort of split times he was during the competition. He's a cracking dog, with a big future ahead of him still. He should win this one comfortably enough, but I can't envisage him being much of a price.

Trap 1 Rewind Express, on paper, looks to have a lovely draw here for Matt Dartnall, however I was really disappointed with her run on Tuesday night. She looked a bit flat coming off the 2nd to me, and when early pace and hanging on is your game, then you really need to be running better into the 3rd bend. She has the draw, but to me she's a slight drop in class to the others in here.

Jacobs Courage, for Ken Humphreys, in an interesting runner in trap 2 here. He's a dog that can trap and can stay on well enough too. His races at Belle Vue are pretty decent, however he'll have to be with them early to hang with the leaders in this race. I'd personally rather see him out of 4 or 5 (obviously, we can't pick traps in OR's!), so he may possibly veer towards the middle of the track early.

Stanton John is my forecast linker here for Kevin Hutton. He's made a cracking start to his racing career, winning two maiden races over the 4 bends, winning in style the last time he was here. This is a step up for him, and it'll be interesting to see what he makes of the early pace battle with Kaipo. He's another pinger who can stay well enough, and I certainly think he has the class to get to the final. He also has the ideal trap for him in my mind.

Trap 5 Cremartin Lark is a new one for me. Looking at his form, he looks a seriously handy dog. He has winning form over 480m and 630m at Monmore, however I can't help but think that this Swindon 480, with the early pace sorts in the race, might be a bit too short for him. I can't help but think though that he could be an awesome 509m dog (a competition for this will start in two weeks time). Definitely could be in the picture.

Trap 6 Longwood Bound is my third qualifier from this race. Colin Callow's dog doesn't have the best immediate recent form, however he was a finalist of the Sussex Cup a couple of months back at Hove. On his way to that big final, he recorded a 29.72, a good run for their 515m trip. He's a finalist of this year's Arc, and looks a big runner out wide. He will be tracking in on the 5 dog, however with the 5 being a bit sluggish at the traps, I can see him going up with a clear run. I reckon he could be a big runner at a good price.

My Qualifiers: Klockwork Kaipo, Stanton John, Longwood Bound

All the best to everyone in the competition!

Happy Punting!

Wattsy,

New Website, OR Preview for Tuesday 10th September

You may have noticed (rather obviously) that the website has been redesigned over the weekend. I got to thinking Thursday that the old look was a bit dated and tired, alas I've redesigned the website top to bottom. I hope you like it. Some of the new features include the renewal of the Hall of Fame. With the Hall of Fame, I hope to add a new greyhound every 2-3 weeks or so, and do an indepth profile on each member of it. Any assistance with names that should appear in the Hall of Fame is greatly appreciated!

You'll also noticed the new way to deal with Advance Cards and Results Sheets, via Google Calendar. It's a more complex way in actually getting the cards, however the actual hosting looks alot more professional, with the monthly calendar view. I'm hoping to build up the archive over time (there's alot of advance cards and results sheets to go on!), alas do give me time and it'll be done.

A mobile version of the site will also be coming soon, giving all the main features of the site, specifically for Android and Apple devices.

Here's a look then at the OR's coming up on Tuesday evening:

19:11 - The Swindon Sprint
My Pick: Witcombe Dilemma (NAP)

It's hardly an original pick this, however Witcombe Dilemma is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with round Swindon. He's picked up some really convincing wins recently, with last week's run in winning by over 5 lengths taking some beating. He's arguably got an easier task this week, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I wouldn't be expecting much of a price this time around, however!

In terms of a likely challenger, I would look at the trap 1 dog 'Youtalktoomuch'. Nathan McDonald's greyhound has a decent win at Romford on his card, however the step back to sprinting company might show a dip in sheer trapping and early speed. However, he has a decent draw and looks the likely forecast link.

19:43 - The Swindon Maiden 509er
My Pick: Pookies Zoe

Slightly methodical pick here, with Pookies Zoe looking to go off at a big price here. The way that I've read the race is that trap 2 Ballymac Jordan is going to be off and away, allowing Zoe to tuck in inside. She'll be coming late, so expect only a short margin victory (if one at all!).

Forest White Boy, trained by Kevin Hutton, looks to be a decent prospect out of six, however this is a big step up in class from an A3 (albeit, it's not the hottest maiden).

On his Irish form, Ballymac Jordan looks to be the dog to beat here. His sprint times are excellent over 285. He won't have a problem seeing out the 509 trip, as he has form over 575 at Shelbourne. However, I do really fancy Zoe to pick him up (over 6 bends, Zoe could potentially be dynamite)

20:14 - The Swindon Standard
My Pick: Swords Brett (NB)

A pretty good 480m open graces the middle of the card here, with Kevin Hutton's Swords Brett looking the likely winner (and favourite) for this contest. As you may (or may not know), Kevin is dual attached to both Swindon and Coventry, with Brett one of his runners who is graded on at Brandon. Their A1 grade is top notch, and the times on Brett's card prove that. His recent run of 29.10 is blistering round there, and would easily win most opens. He ideally needed to be closer to the rails, however he should go out of 3 ok, with Hernandez in 2 not exactly being the fastest trapper.

A big challenger to him will be Rewind Express in trap 1. Matt Dartnall's bitch recently returned to winning ways after a long spell off lame. Before that, she was running round Hove really well, clocking a 29.87 run in the process. She looked a good thing on her run back at Swindon, showing some trademark early pace to see off Mullingar Mer (who's no slouch herself). This is a nice step up for her, and with a rails pitch, she could be a contender here.

20:47 - The Swindon Maiden Stayers
My Pick: Lady Jayne

Lady Jayne, trained by Matt Dartnall, looks a good thing in this maiden stayers race. She's got an ideal trap draw, on the outside of four railers. She's also got a handy piece of stayers form on her card, winning a trial sround the 695m at Hove in a time of 41.69, which is a really decent time for a debut over the trip. I must admit I never really had her down at a 6 bend greyhound, however she should beat this field quite comfortably, so long as she reproduces that sort of Hove run. I do feel she'll have to be out and gone on the bunny to reproduce that sort of form, though.

Swift Kennedy looks an interesting runner here. He always puts in a good performance over these trips, without actually winning an open yet! To me he looks like more of a marathon dog.

Happy Punting!

Wattsy

OR Competitions, Looking at the Owner's Bonus Series etc.

This is quite a different blog really. It's more scraps of bits and pieces of just general chat and discussion. There will be no tipping or anything, just literally the brainstorming of ideas. Some of the comments I've been getting back on here are great, and it's good that people have strong, good opinions on the sport (some of the comments, it has to be said, are rather bad). One thing that is the absolute key when we're discussing greyhound racing is that everyone involved has the same end goal. We want the sport to thrive and succeed. On that front (and possibly that being the only front), everyone involved in the game can agree on!

One thing that seems to have got people talking is the Group 3 competition's that we're holding over the next couple of weeks. We've already got some entries in the book for the first one, due to start next Friday night (13th), with the final the following Friday. I don't have the details in front of me, however I believe its £150, £25 others for the heats, with £750 to the winner, £100 second and £50 others for the final. The trophies also came in the other day, and they're fab! I do hope these kick off, and allow us to have a good month's open racing. This time of year is when the old Pride Of The West used to be run, which was always an exciting little competition. Hopefully these two competitions inspire some of the old atmosphere.

Recently, we've also seen a bit of a resurgence in the Owners Bonus Series events taking place. Basically, we get a quota of competitions to run in each half of the year, hence the reason they're back on. I can't help but feel that the format, and prize money structure, could possibly be altered during these hard pressed times. The prize money for the final is fantastic, and for the greyhounds involved it's a real bonus. However (and I'll hold up my flame shield for giving this opinion), I think it would make more sense to half the prize money for the final, and run double the number of competitions. This way, more people have the opportunity of winning £250 (a months kennel bill paid for I would suspect). It's merely an idea to spread the wealth round so more people can have this opportunity. 

One big thing on people's minds at the moment is the obvious dog shortage at the track at present. As you would've noticed, a new trainer hasn't come to fruition, with open racing being the planned assistance to the problem. The greyhound shortage issue isn't just a Swindon problem, but more an industry wide problem. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone can wave a magic wand to solve the issue. One must wonder if there are any short-term measures to help alleviate the financial aspects (perhaps the scrapping of registration fees?). However, feelings are that this isn't just a short term problem .........

My view on it is to get the owners of the track alot more involved. I know that a couple of comments have come through from owner's. Greyhound owner's are obviously the key to the game, and need to be looked after. As I've blogged about before, I think things such as trophy nights, and celebrating landmark achievements (ala Crayford, who celebrate winning streaks, 100 races milestones etc) are some minor things that could be done to put the owner's of said greyhound in the limelight a bit. 

I've also blogged about this before too, and that's that track and trainers have to work together to generate interest in the sport. The old fashioned mode of thinking that owner's will flock to a trainer have long gone. This day in age, there are so many mediums that trainers (and tracks) can advertise their business. Facebook, Twitter, Websites, loads of different cheap/free mediums that a trainer can advertise their kennel. The Swindon Greyhounds website has a section dedicated to the advertising of kennels. This service is entirely free. The uptake of said service can be judged for yourself.