Afternoon all.
Now that the first round is all done and dusted we have all seen the dogs competitively race around Nottingham. Last week we saw a track record among 32 competitive heats which saw the strong Irish Challenge show they mean business this year! Tonight sees 8 of the 16 second round heats and I’ve added my selections for the evening here. Enjoy!
Heat 1 Nottingham 7.26
Droopy’s Verve received absolutely no breathing space from the boxes in T2 last week however tonight should have a clear round the inside. With competition upfront early, the rail is the place to be and with a vacant T2 he can show that the first round performance should be put behind him. It’s rare for me to advise ‘going in’ on an 8/13 shot but Verve is a class apart here.
Droopys Verve – To Win – 8/13
Heat 2 Nottingham 7.42
Ultra competitive heat and no bet here.
Heat 3 Nottingham 7.57
There’s a lack of early pace in this race which is likely to suit the bookends Desperado Dan and Lemon Express. One which entered the notebook last week however was Blue East who at Even Money top 3 Finish (Coral, Ladbrokes) looks a good bet tonight. He broke well enough behind Emers Cookie last week however was bought to an absolute stop down the back straight. He somehow managed to regain momentum and pick up 3rd spot showing gritty determination. Today, with any form of a clear run – qualification looks assured.
Blue East – Top3 Finish – Evens (Coral & Ladbrokes only)
Heat 4 Nottingham 8.13
The NAP tonight is Ballyanne Sim. He’s a dog full of early pace and likes to be on the bunny. Last week this was achieved and a 4 length first round win was bagged! Watching back from last weeks heats, Bockos Tiger (T2 tonight), Front Edge (T3 tonight) and Magical Bale (T4 tonight) all turned right as the lids rose. This could cause potential carnage out wide and hopefully gives us a clear run round the inner! 7/4 available generally.
NAP – Ballyanne Sim – To Win 7/4 generally
Heat 5 Nottingham 8.29
A race full of EP and no tip for me. We have Lenson Blinder as our Antepost selection so hoping for qualification tonight (1/9 to do so).
Heat 6 Nottingham 8.44
Braveheart Bobby is sure to set the pace early tonight. After tearing down the lids last week he tied up in the closing stages and was caught late on. With 3 coming out left handed, he could halt Bobby early on and im therefore looking to the impressive Bockos Doomie to do the business here. He has the measure of the 3 dog on the clock and should be able to chase Bobby down late on (if he even manages to slip the field).
Nb – Bockos Doomie – To Win – Evens generally
Heat 7 Nottingham 20.59
Tonight we will see if that run from Queen Beyonce was just a one off. She put herself right in the frame last week breaking the 5 second sectional time and running on strongly. Rab McNair believes she will strip fitter after only a handful of trials recently. This is very competitive however and with a potential danger early in T1 it’s a ‘watch-only’ for me here.
Heat 8 Nottingham 21.14
Another dog who potentially went under the radar last week was Roxholme Butt. He received no sort of run around the first two bends before chasing down 3rd place late on to qualify. Should he get a clearer run tonight (drawn to do so) I can see him qualifying, possibly even achieving a Top2 Finish. He is 11/4 for a Top2 finish tonight (Coral & Ladbrokes) and worthy of a bet at a price.
Roxholme Butt – Top 2 Finish – 11/4 (Coral & Ladbrokes only)