Sky Previews: Eye Eye! Get on Storm in Eclipse showdown

Sky Previews / Darrell Williams / 25 November 2009 / Leave a Comment

I’m siding with Eye Onthe Storm to complete the Puppy Classic/Eclipse double and add yet another big prize to Mark Wallis’ bulging trophy cabinet.

It's a must view as an oustanding Eclipse final heads up a night of top class live greyhound action on Sky Sports this Thursday, where Mark Wallis is taken to claim yet another big prize.

Nottingham can give itself a pat on the back for putting together an excellent Eclipse final based Sky Sports programme on Thursday night.

Quality oozes through, and if there is a complaint it's only that winner finding might not be too easy given the highly competitive nature of many of the races.

The Eclipse final itself (21.45) is undoubtedly one of the trickiest to solve, with Charlie Lister's Derby runner-up Fear Zafonic - surely Greyhound of the Year elect if he wins - taking on current Derby favourite Eye On the Storm as well as Jordansoilutions, who has beaten his kennelmate Zafonic in both qualifying rounds.

Those who remember the East Anglian Derby when Fear Zafonic produced the goods on the night that matters will be wary of trying to take him on again, and despite his last grasp defeat in the Derby final itself, he is certainly a dog for the big occasion having also claimed the Birmingham Cup and Juvenile. The form book, which includes a 0-3 Nottingham CD record, says he shouldn't win, but don't bank on it!

Jordansoilutions, runner-up in a magnificent Lister 1-2-3 in that Yarmouth final, has missed the first two only once in his eleven races to date, and if his early speed were to take him to the front he'd be a big player again. However, while the draw (2-2 in trap 4) and a Nottingham record of 4-6 over the 500m trip should not hinder him, the clock suggests he may come under pressure even if securing an early advantage.

While I'll be saving on Fear Zafonic, I'm siding with Eye Onthe Storm however to complete the Puppy Classic/Eclipse double and add yet another big prize to Mark Wallis' bulging trophy cabinet. Beaten only twice in his last fourteen outings, including a 5-7 record over CD, his determination to win affords him the vote despite an unfamiliar trap five berth. Overcoming early trouble in the semi-finals, he still dipped under the 30 sec benchmark, and with both his immediate neighbours also looking for the inside, I'm hopeful he can enjoy an unhindered run. Take the [3.8]

The first three from last week's Yorkshire Leger final do battle in the Stayers Trophy (20.35), but I'm prepared to take them all on with Swift Ninja. Michael Harris' course specialist might have preferred the slightly longer 730m trip where he is unbeaten in six tries, but can still boast an excellent record over this 680m journey. Admittedly, prone to the odd costly error, as was the case when we were on at Newcastle recently, I remain convinced this is his time of the year - just look at his winter form in 2007 and 2008.

Farloe Lee, who ended Eye Onthe Storm's nine race winning run at Nottingham in one of the races of the year recently, can beat a high class field in the 21.10. He'll need to avoid Wise Thought, who beat him in the first round of the Eclipse, but that rival is poorly drawn in trap 4 while the selection has his favourite draw (5/7 in trap 5 over CD).

Ballylacey Boy might offer some value against Jimmy Lollie in the Sprint final (20.00) - the pair are closely matched on their last two starts, but the selection remains open to improvement after almost a year off.

Runemragged (20.50) looks an obvious play in the Puppy final in the absence of Borna Rocker, while Midway Skipper is impossible to oppose in the marathon at 21.25.