Timeform Greyhound SmartPlays: Friday March 11
Timeform pick out three bets from Hove and Sunderland on Friday.
"A similar break has her hitting the first bend in front again on our forecast first-bend sectionals, and if that proves to be the case, Lassie In Motion will be a tough nut to crack."
It's fair to say that CITIZEN COSTA's career at Hove has been rather stop-start, mixing two and four-bend contests with limited success, but his claims in the A7 contest at 17:38 are crystal clear following a cracking runner-up effort in an A6 a week ago. There is forecast to be a fair bit of pace out wide in the race, but for an ex-sprinter, Citizen Costa stays 515m pretty strongly.
The final two selections are saved for Sunderland's RPGTV card, with LASSIE IN MOTION (T5) first up in the A5 at 21:15. She was a winner at Kinsley in A4 company in October and it was encouraging that she immediately improved on her trial form at this venue when run down only late a week ago. A similar break has her hitting the first bend in front again on our forecast first-bend sectionals, and if that proves to be the case, Lassie In Motion will be a tough nut to crack.
The handicap contest at 21:48 is arguably the most interesting betting race on the card as, unusually for a race of this nature, it features several unexposed runners. The spread from top to bottom is 16 metres, and consequently the make-up of the race looks tailor-made for a strong runner to open up, which brings NIKKI BELLA (T5) firmly into the reckoning. The selection was unlucky not to finish closer in an A2 a week ago, and appeals as the type to do well in handicaps under a staggered start running down inferior opposition.
Timeform Greyhound Smartplays:
Back Citizen Costa (Trap 3) in the 17:38 at Hove
Back Lassie In Motion (Trap 5) in the 21:15 at Sunderland
Back Nikki Bella (Trap 5) in the 21:48 at Sunderland.