The Lord's Dogs to Watch: Don't be charmed by the Dazzle

General / The Lord / 19 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

"Crayford is a track you want to be in the front line, or just off it. Can Dazzle Special, a top bitch if ever there was one, afford to be as distant early as she was? Especially when it's just the first two qualifying for next week's final."

Our expert looks at forthcoming meetings at Crayford and Romford as well as the Betfair Trainers' Championship

All roads lead to Crayford this weekend, where the advice from The Lord is to take on the favourite.

Dazzle Special lines up a red-hot favourite for her semi-final of the Golden Jacket and heads the outright market. But despite an awesome run in the heats when she came from well off the pace to qualify, we reckon she is a lay at [3.0]!

Crayford is a track you want to be in the front line, or just off it. Can Dazzle Special, a top bitch if ever there was one, afford to be as distant early as she was? Especially when it's just the first two qualifying for next week's final.

That's not to say it's an easy event to unravel. The Golden Jacket can be as trappy an event for punters as there is, but there was nothing wrong with Danbury Dodger's heat win and she is the type to keep with heading into the latter stages.

Jim Reynolds's bitch has a great semi-final draw and was machine-like in the heats. She doesn't do anything flashy but keeps up the gallop, stays very strongly and must be tough to keep out of the frame.

Others to respect not just for this event but onwards and upwards are Ashby Diamond and Lucerne Rhys, both of whom starred in their heats. And if you fancy a big-priced runner who is set to give you a run, Bubbly Bam Bam caught the eye in victory.

The supporting competitions are always interesting and trial stakes for the Chief Ramsbottom and Peter Bussey Memorial events threw up some nice performances - Romeo On Course looked at home at Crayford judged on last week's victory.
Catch the Lord next week for his lowdown from the heats of the supporting events and the Golden Jacket semis.

* * *

Pat Rosney must be fancying his chances of making the 2011 Betfair Trainers' Championship line-up if last Saturday's evidence at Monmore is to be heeded.

Rosney has a veritable feast of talent, puppy talent especially, to call upon and should be in for a cracking year if the likes of Bower Eagle, Little Hawk and Little Sensation confirm the promise of their races on Saturday.

All three were really impressive, and the victory of Droopys Simon for Rosney on the same card underlines just how well his team is just now. But keep an eye out on those given the bold type!

Of course the Monmore card was noteworthy for a new 480m track record posted by Farley Blitz. It was, indeed, a great run and underlines again the precocious quality of that June 2008 litter of Barrie Draper's. Farley Totti, a favourite of ours, is from the same batch.

As for the other eyecatchers on the card, Rockburst Canyon wasn't disgraced in a fast-run race won by Bower Eagle; Eye Onthe Flash almost got round in the race won by Amazing Value and an inside pitch can see him home next time; Blonde Lucy is still running well despite her last-place finish behind Jodu Flame (she is desperate for the rails!); Magna Alstar could be interesting if trainer Laurence Tuffin steps him up to six bends, while Ballymac Cher ran well on debut and, guess what, is another Pat Rosney-trained newcomer!

* * *

Romford's times have caught the eye of late, the track certainly having quickened up.

Three heats of a 575m event on Monday saw trap-to-line performances in each qualifier, and being out in front was clearly the best place to be.

So with that mind, perhaps Rio Quando ran better than the bare form suggests heading into Friday's final. He is no spring chicken but is running into form.