Banksies Five to Follow- StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby Thursday Night

Banksies Five to Follow- StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby Thursday Night

Slightly different feel to my usual weekly column of trying to find five puppies that have ran in graded action in the last week or so that could be worth a follow in the next few weeks.

For the first few rounds, we will take a look at five Greyhounds who ran well in defeat but still managed to qualify for the next stage who may just be worth a bet next weekend.

DROOPYS BOOKEM: Ran from Trap 1 in Heat 1 at 6.35pm

Droopys Bookem is likely to have gone in plenty of notebooks as one of the unluckiest runners on Thursday evening, and perhaps the entire first round when finishing runner up behind Paul Hennessy’s Jaytee Craze.

 After a poor break which saw him nearer last than first going into the first bend, he got involved in a bit of crowding, firstly with Jaytee Craze, and then again with Icemans Girl. Off the second bend he was in fourth, a good four to five lengths behind Peter Harnden’s early pace setter Salacres Tipster.

But Tom Heilbron’s runner showed good pace down the back, and coming off the last bend, he had managed to get into third just over a length behind Jaytee Craze, who was now challenging Salacres Tipster for the lead. Just as it looked that Droopys Bookem may be able to challenge and produce a surprise victory, he had his racing line taken by Jaytee Craze, which forced Droopys Bookem to check off his back, but he was still able to stay on well and finished a length behind the winner Jaytee Craze, who himself is known to be a strong running type.

That was just Droopys Bookem’s second run in the UK and he could be one to follow in the coming rounds on the back of this very impressive performance.

HELLO DIEGO: Ran from Trap 6 in Heat 3 at 7.10pm- Finished Second

Hello Diego is surely another who will have gone in the notebooks of plenty of punters last night as Paul Hennessy’s runner secured qualification having looked in danger of going out of the competition at one stage

Having came out of the traps in last position, he was forced to spin off wide rounding the first bend, as Pat Buckley’s runner in Trap four Ballymac Sorrel found a little trouble and had to check off behind Trap five Keefill Maverick.

 Heading down the back, he was in fourth, five to six lengths behind the pace setter and eventual winner, Paul Young’s Teejay Chelms, running from Trap two, but only a length or so behind Keefill Maverick in third, but going into the third bend, he just had to check his stride as Keefill Maverick turned into the bend ahead of him. He lost some momentum at this point and dropped back to fifth with a good three lengths to make up in order to qualify.

But anyone who had seen his Maiden Derby victory here a few weeks ago knew he would be staying on well again and a power packed finish saw him finish in second, just over a length behind the winner Teejay Chelms.

As long as he manages to keep out of trouble rounding the bends, I think it’s going to be almost impossible to keep him out of the frame for the next few rounds at least, and could be set for a deep run in this year’s Derby

KEEFILL MAVERICK: Ran from Trap 5 in Heat 3 at 7.10pm

Phil Milner’s Keefill Maverick may not have immediately struck people as being an unlucky loser but having watched a few replays last night and again this morning, I think he’s ran an absolute blinder in defeat.

Keefill Maverick is essentially a greyhound who is at his best when able to hit the front in the early stages of his races, and in recent trials, his sectionals had been 4.04 and 4.05.   Last night he missed his break entirely when recording a 4.17, though he paced up well enough into the bend, but when Trap four Ballymac Sorrel had to check off his back, Keefill Maverick just had his own back legs clipped a little, losing a little momentum and when Ballymac Sorrel bumped into the Trap one runner Davo You Go, he again caught a bit of that trouble on his back end but was still in third going down the back.

At that point, his qualification looked to be in doubt with the strong running Hello Diego looming large in his mirrors, but having cut across him into the third bend, Keefill Maverick started to make inroads into Teejay Chelms' lead, and off the last bend, overtook Ballymac Rapid into second. Hello Diego then re-rallied and passed him to claim second but he was able to hold off the late charge of Ballymac Sorrel to qualify in third.

I think that if Keefill Maverick can produce one of his better breaks in the next round and is able to turn the opening bends in front, then there’s no reason why he can’t run another good race at a decent price

BETGOODWIN ED: Ran from Trap 1 in Heat 5 at 7.46pm

The performance of Diane Henry’s recent Towcester sales purchase Betgoodwin Ed may have gone under the radar of a few people last night. All eyes would have been drawn to the front of the field as Mike Burton’s winner Droopys Aladdin took the notable scalp of multiple Category One winner Proper Heiress with a brilliant front running display, but it was Betgoodwin Ed that caught my eye in defeat.

Sent off at 33/1, Betgoodwin Ed produced a break that could set the definition of the term “Walked out”, when recording a 4.36 sectional and was last into the first bend. To make matters worse, he lost a little ground when checking off the back of Trap six Arthur Crumpet round the opening bends and would have been at least ten lengths behind the leaders Droopys Aladdin and Proper Heiress.

But from the third bend onwards, Betgoodwin Ed stayed on really strongly, cutting into the lead with every stride to finish third, just over four lengths behind the winner Droopys Aladdin and three lengths behind the runner up Proper Heiress. Although he is often a slow starter, Betgoodwin Ed has shown in trials he is capable of trapping better, and could be one that keeps on qualifying if able to trap on terms in the coming weeks and given the fact that it was also his UK debut, Diane Henry may be able to get some more out of him yet.

ROMEO TOMCAT: Ran from Trap 4 in Heat 9 at 8.57pm

Having spoken to trainer Patrick Janssens a few weeks ago in the build up to the Derby, he was quite keen on the chances of Romeo Tomcat going deep into the competition and on the back of this run, you can certainly make a case for that.

Romeo Tomcat was one of only two greyhounds I actually backed on Thursday, the other being impressive winner Tiffield Tarquin at 15/8 in the morning, before the price totally collapsed. Standing on the terrace with my mate Tony Alexander, who also fancied Romeo Tomcat, we both said If he leads, I think he wins, and when the traps opened, we both said at the same time, that’ll do.

Leading into the first bend with a half length advantage, he was then overtaken by the eventual winner, the Graham Holland trained Val Tashadelek, who may have given Romeo Tomcat the slightest of nudges out of the way in doing so. The two then went at hammer and tongs down the back, drawing well clear of the remaining three runners, but despite looking as though he may get past Val Tashadelek on a couple of occasions, Romeo Tomcat couldn’t quite reel him in as he checked his stride behind him on the run in,but stayed on well again, going down by just under a length.

Val Tashadelek’s winning time of 28.81 (-20) was the fastest time of the night and bettered kennelmates Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches winning times, which is a huge credit to him, but also Romeo Tomcat’s time in finishing runner up, 28.88, shows just how well he ran, giving him the second fastest time of the night and he may not be far away at the business end in the next few rounds.