Greyhounds Betting: Mercurial Lister's record upheld by blistering Ninja

Sky Night Reaction / Jonathan Hobbs / 25 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Jonathan Hobbs reflects on a memorable night in Yarmouth and tips Droopys Carvalho to return to winning ways soon.

Apologies for the cliché, but Charlie really can get them out in finals!

Time and time again, champion trainer Lister has done it when it matters most and the Newark handler was at his mercurial best with Ninja Jamie in Tuesday's memorable 62nd Betfair East Anglian Derby final, the increased £20,000 prize deservedly won by him and owners Terry Coveney and Geoff Bowmer.

He has always looked a top-notch performer and his Yarmouth Derby success seemed appropriate for three reasons.

1. It added to Lister's fantastic record in the EAD Derby.

2. His track record kept it in the family as he beat his brother's best-ever in scoring in a rapid 27.40sec.

3. The form of the Select Stakes was well and truly upheld.

From a punting point of view, those three reasons alone should have seen us snapping up the odds against as he lined up for the Sky final. Yes, he was almost puppyish in his heat defeat, but he was quite exceptional in the second round, the semi-final and, of course, Tuesday's final.
Movealong Blue and Droopys Carvalho were hardly disgraced in behind, however, and I'd wager that the latter will be back winning soon over a trip and track he is more suited to. He did well in the circumstances and might not be that far off his Sussex Cup form.

Boherduff Monti was brilliant in the sprint and I'm not sure anything could have beaten him on Tuesday. Miss Lee's reputation is intact, while the bare formline might not inspire backers of Ibetx Dot Com next time out, he was well and truly chopped for room on the run-up, and is better than that.

Lenson Flash will have gone in the notebook after a terrific win in the puppy event. He is a good dog and, but for checking at the third bend when inexperience caught up with him, he would have clocked a rapid time for sure. Blonde Fern is still a good bitch, mind.

Bubbly Kate would have won by 15 lengths in the marathon had she managed to get round the first bend unscathed. She could not escape the attentions of Bell Tempest thereafter, but then took off late on. But watch Swift Mischief when dropped back in distance. Lenson Express underlined what a great dog he is over 462m, upholding the Derby and Sunderland Festival form in winning and continuing a quite wonderful 2008 for owner Len Ponder and trainer Tony Collett.

However, his form is pretty exposed and Judicial Ace is the one to take for the race. He showed great speed throughout and might just have cramped on the run for home before the Lenson dog pounced. It was only his third race in this country, keep tabs with him.

Lenson Joker was another who might just have felt the cold in a workmanlike win over six bends and he remains on course for the St Leger. But perhaps a fluent first-round win is required at Wimbledon to ease the worry for ante-post backers.