Open Race Round-Up: Harlow Lad impresses at Crayford

General / Editor / 02 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

Mistley Colonel roared home at Hove last week to continue our Open race 'dogs to follow' man, the Lord, continue his terrific run of form. Here's another look at the Open race scene and a list of dogs to follow.

A massive week in greyhound racing saw not just the Golden Jacket gala at Crayford but Monmore, Nottingham, Poole, Hove and Sheffield, not to mention Wimbledon, spread the Open race word.

We start at Crayford and three finals which were beamed live into the country's betting shops. Lorrys Options was a great winner of the main event and looked all over the winner off the second bend in one of the cleanest-run Crayford finals there has been.

The Kent track gets its fair share of criticism and there is always a certain amount of scrimmaging in the 380m races, but the 540m events and, especially, the 714m races are often truly-run races and there is no doubt Dean Childs's dog appreciated every metre.

He will remain tough to beat over similar trips and possibly further, while from the same race keep tabs with Harlow Lad. He ran a great Jacket and, while bothered for most of the trip by Jaytee Holly, was not disgraced and will be winning again soon.

Nebuchadnezzar ran like the country's best hurdler in the supporting final, coming away from a good dog in Little Boy. The Wimbledon race this week probably came too soon, but I'd take on the winner of that with Lorraine Sams's dog anytime!

Barnfield Slippy checked away his chance when challenging Special Liberty at the third bend, but credit the winner who kept on pulling out more and remains in great heart. Get her on the bunny and she will not let you down.

Head Iton Ellis, probably the best dog to have been trained by Steve Race, won as he liked in Nottingham's big race last week, but it was kennelmate Head Iton Tyler who went into the notebook after a great second to Drink Up Zorro in the sprint competition.

He never gave up and, but for checking inside his rival up the run-in, would no doubt have won. He is a pretty unexposed dog and worth keeping tabs with over a testing two bends or a comfortable four bends.

Hove's open-race card last week had punters out in force and plenty steamed into Hawks Dilemma in the 'lucky last' and Seamus Cahill's Prestige winner returned to winning ways in good style. But harder tasks await - and soon!

But Mistley Colonel, a winner earlier on, did this column a turn with a fluent success and his star is very much in the ascendancy just now. But the dogs to take out of the night are Lenson Flash and Glenard Sunrise.

The latter won his sprint event in a fast time for Matt Dartnall and, still a puppy and a terrifically well-bred one at that, shoud continue to be monitored, while Lenson Flash, although down the field also over two bends, stayed on with enough purpose to suggest he will come on massively from that comeback run.

Incidentally, Lenson Flash's kennelmates are also beginning to fire. The likes of Paradise Santana and Raving Black also ran solid races and it augurs well for the Irishman successfully defending his Betfair Trainers' Championship title at Sheffield on March 17.

Dogs to follow:

Harlow Lad
Nebuchadnezzar
Head Iton Tyler
Glenard Sunrise
Lenson Flash