Karen Dodington’s string secured three wins on the card on Tuesday morning, narrowing the gap at the top of the @WeeklyGreyhound graded trainer standings at the popular OX4 track. Paul Blake reviews today’s meeting.
After two individual trials, the graded racing got off to a cracker of an A9 start with the third race going to Kevin Crocker’s Serene Magical in 28.53. Crocker’s white and black dog was slowly away out of Trap 5 but made good headway down the back straight almost running into Les Star Piggot (J.Foster) on the third bend. With Most People (T Nevin) rallying down the inside, there was little to separate the first three down the final straight. Serene Magical’s pace and power was evident as he dug in deep and passed Les Star Piggot near the line in a blanket finish between the trio.
The fourth race on the card was a competitive A5 on paper. Sing Out (R Tungatt) won the battle for the first bend rail and never looked back from Trap 2. The former Romford and Central Park runner looked at home turning in the second fastest time of the day with a handy 27.66. Norman, Rosie Tungatt’s other runner in the race, ran well in second after squeezing through the tiniest of gaps at the first bend. On pace, he was a match for his kennel companion. Future matchups between these two will be very interesting indeed.
Karen Doddington opened her account for the meeting in Race 5. Spot on Bob pinged the lids from the inside trap and maintained a two length advantage over the field for the majority of the 450m (A4) encounter. Pistol Gun (K Crocker) was unlucky in defeat after coming with a late run and missing out by a head to the winner who recorded a 27.78 to record his third victory in the grade at OX4.
Ballinabola Mol, Graham Wright’s blue and brindled bitch, ran another solid race in A5 to just about overhaul Pot Pourri (T Nevin) in the 12:01. Having outgunned the orange jacket of Bit View Belle (K Dodington) to the first bend, the striped jacket made steady headway throughout the race and was always poised when she took the lead at the fourth bend. She never fully shook off the white jacket, despite eventually winning by a shoulder. Farloe Caprice (R Yeates) was mildly disappointing in Trap 1 after being sent off as 5/2 favourite.
Terry Nevin’s Swift Casual ran the best time of the meeting in a 5 3/4 length annihilation of a strong field in the A5 seventh race of the day. The black bitch by Grangeview Ten out of Swift Feline is finding her paws in better company and made light work of this race when quickening from the half-way point. This is the @WeeklyGreyhound performance of the meeting and is well worth a second viewing.
Ebony Lass (K Dodington) was just unable to fend off the attention of Aero Fletch (C Hamblin) in the A4 eighth race, despite leading for the majority of the circuit. In a slow time for the grade, the striped jacket handed Chris Hamblin his first winner of two for the meeting.
Another wide runner earned Graham Wright his second and final winner of the meeting in the A5 ninth. Turning in a respectable 27.76, Fairhillthirteen (G Wright) in the striped jacket broke smartly and tracked the long time leader, Minnies Moskva (G Wright) in the red jacket. Taking the orange jacket of Savana Callie (T Nevin) along for the ride, both overhauled Minnies Moskva on the run-in with the striped jacket just about holding on.
Joint favourite, Headford Jasmine (K Crocker) made all to win the A7 tenth race smartly in the black jacket. Kevin Crocker’s black bitch is proving consistent in the grade despite not quite being strong enough to make the jump to A6.
On a day when the outside traps dominated, it was fitting that Karen Dodington won the eleventh race with Dundee Tracy dominating from trap 6, before going on to win the lucky last with Spot on Sconny from Trap 5.
Reminiscent of her early career as a sprinter at Central Park, Dundee Tracy (K Dodington) pinged the lids, and still had plenty left in the tank to win the A8 eleventh race by 4 1/4 lengths from Borstal Breakout (J Foster).
Spot on Sconny (K Dodington) made all to win the lucky last. The favourite, Abigails Rory (T Nevin) might have snatched victory had the beige and white dog switched inside, instead of outside, on the run-in. Spot on Sconny’s win in the last gave Karen Dodington her third win of the meeting and reduced Terry Nevin’s lead at the top of the @WeeklyGreyhound trainer table to just four points.