Sky Previews / Darrell Williams / 02 February 2009 / Leave a comment

As the Arc gets underway at Swindon on Tuesday night Darrell Williams likes the look of the in-form Shaneboy Luke and Goldcrest King. But our man also has his eye on a pair of big price back to lay picks...

While it's with a ting of sadness that the Arc, for so long associated with Walthamstow, has had to be relocated, Swindon's galloping circuit makes it a worthy recipient as the new host. The four round event gets underway on Tuesday evening, with the final set for Sky Sports on 17th February.

While the overall standard might be a touch below recent renewals, it still looks a decent competition with the Birmingham Cup form particularly likely to play a major part.
Runner-up Goldcrest King, while no match for runaway winner Fear Zafonic at Perry Barr, confirmed his well being with an easy trial win and last year's Gymcrack second with four wins in his last seven starts looks a big player.

He's been drawn against Droopys Carvalho, a runaway winner of the Coronation Cup at Romford last month, in a hot first round heat (8.45). The latter, the ideal competition dog, having reached numerous big finals last year, as well as winning the Sussex Cup, also posted a decent trial, but was ultimately on the back of a wide margin defeat to Shaneboy Luke in a trial stakes last week. Nevertheless, you wouldn't back against him reaching the final again.

His conqueror Shaneboy Luke does however look to have a great chance to justify his position as ante post favourite at [4.8]. Liz Mc Nair's runner, the Birmingham Cup fourth, looks a decent long term prospect and his fast 2827 (calc) in beating Droopys Carvalho by more than five lengths, sets the standard. He faces another finalist from Perry Barr, Directors Ruler, in the first round (8.30), who while disappointing in his trial, might still be over-priced in the outright market.

However, the two at big odds that make most appeal for potential back to lay candidates are Little Jig and Vito Rocket, although it's a shade unfortunate that they've been drawn in the same heat (8.15). Of the two, the former, trained by Richard Baker, gets the casting vote. A recent Oaks semi-finalist, she only returned to the track in October, after a lengthy seasonal break, and while I would have liked to have seen her trial at Swindon, she still makes appeal at [32.0]. Vito Rocket, just back on the card herself after a three month absence, looks open to plenty of improvement, and her third in the Pride Of The West (509m) at the track last autumn confirms her liking for the circuit. At [55.0] she is also worth a play.

Eye On the Brave, who failed to land a big gamble in a supporting race on Birmingham Cup night, is also interesting, and looks a solid play in the 9:30 heat, although his outright price of [17.5] is not big enough to tempt me in.

In the other heats Blue Gent might be value to beat Lenson Express (9:15), who is unraced since November, while Corrig Vieri looks good enough on his trial to bounce back with a win in the 9:00. Local Anzio also makes plenty of appeal in the final heat at 9:45.