Prior to the quarter-finals, we are half way through, three rounds gone, three to go, writes Peter Walker.
My last comment before the previous round was “but that can all change as the competition intensifies, and it certainly will!”
I obviously didn’t realise at the time how significant that would be.
Even before racing on Saturday, news filtered through that the reigning champion Bockos Diamond has been withdrawn due to a muscle strain sustained on the gallops at home.
Big disappointment
Although a big disappointment, in no way did this diminish the excitement of heat 3. The outcome was a fantastic duel between Proper Heiress and Cheap Sandwiches.
Our only British runner left in set the pace early on and managed to repel Cheap Sandwiches on the run-in who lost nothing in defeat.
Undoubtedly the best and quickest race of the round. Prince Naseem slipped when exiting the traps and could only finish fourth.
More drama was to come when Bombay Pat was also eliminated following a real battle of early pace supremacy.
READ MORE: Sovereign Poppy makes history by becoming Dunstall Park’s first winner
Ante post favourite
He was made the ante post favourite in Bockos Diamond’s absence but he missed out finishing behind the front three.
The same fate befell another odds-on chance Ballinabola Joe in an earlier heat. The only winning favourite to oblige was Magical Mag in the last heat.
With both previous joint ante post favourites unable to progress, Cheap Sandwiches and our Proper Heiress are now vying for favouritism around the 10/3 mark.
The only unbeaten greyhounds are Cheque For Cash and Proper Heiress who now oppose each other in the third quarter-final.
My only remaining selection Shanahee Boomer continues to impress and has been drawn in trap 4 again which hopefully bodes well.
Of the rest of the field, Lennies Dream appears to have been underestimated by the layers and at 33/1 is worth a speculative each-way option.
The day before at Shelbourne Park saw the five first round heats of the Michael Fortune Memorial Derby Plate take place.
Troubled passage
The only favourite to lose out on qualification was Epic Ace who had a troubled passage from the outset.
Magical Major was made favourite after a wide margin victory.
However, Sunshine Sioux won his heat well beating the highly respected Carrick Scholsey and looks the value call at around 5/1 where available.
All comparative race ratings and summaries are provided to whet your appetite, and hopefully a few winning pointers of course.
This weekend promises to deliver the best of open racing with quality in abundance. It coincides with my first visit to H.Q., so all flights (from Leeds & Bradford Airport in my case) and streets in Dublin lead to South Lotts Road.
A friend is joining me and he hasn’t been before either. He has a share in Harlequin Paul so he’s going to be in the right place at the right time on this occasion.
Good luck to all greyhounds and connections still in the Derby and Plate competitions.
