Greyhounds Betting: Soppitt destined for Classic glory?

Sky Previews / Jonathan Hobbs / 22 October 2008 / Leave a Comment

After an awesome St Leger sem-final performance, Jonathan Hobbs salutes a greyhound who has stepped up a gear as in 2008 and is now sweeping fields away in a manner bordering on the disdainful.

From what looks like a high-quality and competitive St Leger, punters are now contemplating one of the hottest favourites in years in the shape of Ted Soppitt's Bubbly Totti - and Classic glory is surely destined for the Durham handler at Wimbledon on Tuesday, Sky's next port of call.

Soppitt has handled the likes of Droopys Rhys and Droopys Shearer and both went close in St Legers, but the love affair Bubbly Totti clearly has with Wimbledon manifested itself in a cracking Derby display, a near-miss in the Consolation and an almost unstoppable charge to a St Leger victory.

He was awesome on Tuesday in the semis. As much as Lenson Joker lacked the spark of his previous races in 2008, so Bubbly Totti has stepped up a gear seemingly and rushed past his field almost disdainfully after just missing the break and finding a touch of crowding approaching the first bend.

Only a trouble-marred run now stands between him and a St Leger win and the fact he has been allotted trap six is an added bonus as the sole wide seed. The race could be on for the forecast, and it's Midway Skipper who is fancied to come through in a race with quite a bit of early pace.

Henry Chalkley's bitch has had a cracking year herself and, while the 668m St Leger trip is short for her, her surge up the home-straight has been impressive. And with plenty of the early pacers likely to be denied too much of a chance to dominate with Bubbly Totti in the field, the way could be set for her to weave her way through.

Wimbledon's card on Tuesday looks a cracker in the making, if Tuesday night's trials session is anything to go by. Recent big-race winners Droopys Kez, Paradise Santana and Droopys Quinta were put through their paces, but it was Tyrur Hestor and Blonde Fern who caught the eye. Both seemed to run Wimbledon well.

Elsewhere, Goldcrest Lord caught the eye on debut at Romford last week. Trained by Mark Wallis for long-time patron Evan Herbert, the youngster won a maiden race in trap-to-line style and definitely looks one to follow. He boasts fair Irish form and has clearly settled in well.

At Nottingham the same night, albeit in graded company, Tony Hackett's investment in a Blonde Countess litter from John Mullins and Mark Currell looks to have born fruit with Toosey Sonic and, especially, Toosey Ross, both looking destined for open racing after winning A3s.

Indeed, Toosey Ross was thrown in at the deep end when coming in as reserve on Nottingham's open-race card on Monday and it proved a baptism of fire. But both look very strong sorts, who with natural improvement are fancied to win plenty of races for the more-than-useful Hackett camp.

As a final footnote to the recent Northern Puppy Derby at Sunderland, the performance of Drumcrow Cadet in the heats suggests there are plenty of wins to come with the ex-Irish speedster. He is now with Michael Walsh having been bought by Jimmy Brown. Unshakeable is another from the same event whose progress should be monitored.