Paul Blake reviews Tuesday’s graded racing from Hove, Crayford, Towcester, Suffolk Downs and Romford.
Hove
With the Hove track running on the slow side (-20) for most of the afternoon meeting, only 3 greyhounds were able to go below 30 seconds on the 500m oval. All of the first 3 home in the 3:28 (A2) achieved the feat with Greenys Bear clocking the fastest time of the day with a calculated 29.77.
Carl Gardiner added 3 more wins to his tally to make it 61 winners for the season, consolidating his fifth position in the @WeeklyGreyhound graded trainer standings, just two points behind Stuart Maplesdon and Jason Heath who are third and fourth respectively.
Skyblues Best recorded his fastest calculated time of the year with a 16.52 for George Andreas in the 2:52 (D1). The black jacket now has five career wins in the grade around the 285m Hove U-bend.
Crayford
Only two outright favourites were able to cash in on a fast running Crayford track on Tuesday evening. Marshalls Mabel took the 8:03 (S7) for Tom Levers with a powerful finish around the outside of Istheinterneton in a hard fought six bend encounter. Then, in race 10, Special Thanks delivered for favourite backers in an A10, reverting back to four bends after two recent outings over a longer 6-bend trip. With a winning time, good enough to compete in A8, the red jacket took a while to reel in Memphis King (K A Daly) in the black jacket on the run-in.
The trainers shared the winners around them with twelve different trainers managing a single winner each. Current leading trainer, Darren Whitton, added to his tally with a win for Moaning Agassi in the 8.23 (A10). The blue jacket took advantage after finding plenty of space on his outside to reel in and overhaul Annual Nell (J Luckhurst) in the red jacket with 7 1/4 lengths to spare on the fast finishing Burrow Merle (K A Daly) at the line.
Towcester
John Mullins secured a treble on Tuesday evening to make it 22 winners in graded racing at Towcester this year. With an impressive strike-rate of 25.28%, Mullins is certainly a trainer in form at the Northamptonshire track.
The performance of the evening came from Chelms Chris (J Mullins) in the 7:36 (A1). The brindled dog in the blue jacket made all with great efficiency of movement to record a blistering 29.43 calculated time around the 500m oval.
Laurence Tuffin and Seamus Gaughan both achieved doubles on the card with Gaughan’s Unlikely Darcy making all to win the 6.28 (A1) in fine style.
Suffolk Downs
Jason Ray extended his lead at the top of the Suffolk Downs @WeeklyGreyhound trainer standings with a quadruple in the morning meeting on Tuesday. Opening up with back to back wins courtesy of Notinmyname (A6) in the first, and Blackrose Cybl (A5) in the second, the Lincolnshire trainer went on to secure another back to back double in the fourth and fifth race. Phoenix Lucky made all in a sharp 24.12 in the puppy (P2) race, recording his fastest time on the 388m circuit before Savana Gucci made it four wins for the trainer on the morning card with victory in the (A6) fifth race.
Romford
It was not a great morning for favourite backers at Romford on Tuesday. Only one outright favourite managed to reward the faith. David Mullins trained Crystal Rose, who went off 11/10F in the 11:09 (A3), recovered from a flat-footed start to rail well and lead fourth. Both Mullins and Nathan Hunt secured doubles on the 12 race card.
Alan Jenkins secured a treble on the Tuesday afternoon card at Monmore. Ballinakill John showed good early before taking the lead on the back straight. The black jacket then demonstrated power and strength to hold off Chamberlain Mia’s late bid to win by a length. Wins in Race 6 (Relentless Rose) and Race 9 (Ballinakill May) handed Jenkins the treble.