Bally good show
BALLYMAC MARINO (8.26) can save the best for last by winning heat 16 of the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby second round at Towcester tonight, live on RPGTV/SportyStuff TV.
After eight heats at the Northamptonshire circuit last night, eight more heats tonight will see the Classic reach the last-48 stage next Saturday – and the Irish challenge remains strong, with Ballymac Marino set to roar into the third round with victory for Liam Dowling after an impressive first-round success.
Running as a middle seed then but now seeded rails, the switch to the white jacket looks perfect for the Juvenile Classic winner at Tralee who can make all ahead of another Dowling-bred runner in Ballymac John, trained by Mark Wallis.
Graham Holland’s kennelmates SWORDS REX (6.35) and CLONA DUKE (7.10) have set new track records at Towcester in recent weeks and look set to further strengthen Irish-trained runners’ grip on the Derby with victory in heats 10 and 12 – albeit both will be short-priced favourites.
Barrie Draper’s DISTANT PODGE (6.20) gets the narrowest vote over Brookside Richie and Faypoint Susie on the draw in heat nine, while other heat suggestions are Mark Wallis’ MAGICAL KYLE (6.50), Paul Hennessy’s MCNEILL (7.30), Paul Foster’s GOLDIES PERRYMAN (7.48) and Richard Rees’s COCHISE (8.05).
A fantastic day’s open-race action kicks off with a batch of opens at Crayford where the best picks are Jim Reynolds’ RITZY LADY (11.24) in the Ladbrokes Spring Bank Holiday Sprint Trophy Final, Ricky Holloway’s in-form RITZY SPIRIT (12.09) in the June Stayers Hurdle and Michelle Brown’s CHOSEN MAGGIE (12.24) in the June Maiden Stayers.
■ DISTANT EMMA, a litter brother of Derby entry Distant Podge, claimed the latest GBGB Category One crown with victory in the Time Greyhound Nutrition 3 Steps To Victory Final at Sheffield on Tuesday for trainer Barrie Draper and owner Peter Band.
■ RPGTV presenter Dani Jackson was leading the way in the Star Sports/GWA Derby Press Tipping Challenge as the runners went to traps for last night’s first batch of secondround heats at Towcester. Check out the latest scores via starsportsbet.co.uk.
■ THE six nominations for the RPGTV/GWA Greyhound of the Month award for May have been revealed as Clona Duke (Graham Holland), Distant Emma (Barrie Draper), Fearsome Enigma (John Marriott), Low Pressure (Belinda Green), Stormy News (Michael Hurst) and Swords Rex (Graham Holland).