Joe's Friday Tips - 27 June

Romford and Sunderland

***8.54 Romford - Mad For Sterling (4pts) 5/2

Three semi-finals of the Coral Coronation Cup take place at Romford this evening. However, the feature race of the night is the £7500-to-the-winner Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final at Sunderland at 9.14pm.

Slingshot Poppy heads into the final as the only unbeaten greyhound and looks set to go off favourite. An unfamiliar scenario with four middle runners and two wides sees us with no railers qualifying from last week's semi-finals, and I am with Slingshot Poppy in trap three. She looks well drawn with trap one Sunnyside Jayden set to lead on the inside, albeit moving off, so as long as Slingshot Poppy can avoid any bother early, she should prove too strong for Sunnyside Jayden from the second bend. Jacktavern Chief in trap six looks the main danger to the selection. He improved drastically in last week's semi-final, winning comfortably in a fast 26.93, but I feel he will play second fiddle to Slingshot Poppy in what is an intriguing final.

At Romford, the first semi-final of the Coral Coronation Cup takes place at 8.19pm. Trap one Fabulous Sonique is drawn to go well from the inside. However, trap one over the 575m trip can be a hinderance to some but as long as she takes to the inside trap, she should lead and make all, with Dower Duchess chasing her home. Brigadir Brindle is not running to the level we know he can and doesn’t look set for a clear passage, so I will be with Fabulous Sonique on the inside. 

Semi-final two at 8.36pm sees ante-post favourite New Destiny line up in trap two and she should take all the beating. She was sensational last week in coming through the field to win by over eight lengths in 35.00 and we know she can break and lead, which is a scary thought for her opponents. If she gets the run required, she will win with Radical Scoby finishing second. He was just as impressive last week when going past Fabulous Sonique comfortably at the fifth bend to clock an impressive 34.82, so he can qualify for next week's final behind New Destiny.

A four-dog affair for semi-final three at 8.54pm can suit the strong-running Mad For Sterling (NAP) to get the better of Avongate Venus.  She stepped up to the the short six bends well last week but the four-dog race allows the likes of Mad For Sterling to turn closer without having to pass too many greyhounds. If he gets the run required, he can have too much for them off the final bend to give Mark Wallis a treble in the three semi-finals.

Other selections from the open races at Romford include Bacon Roll in the Greyhounds Make Great Pets Bitches over 400m at 9.28pm, as well as Gary The Arb in the Romford Greyhounds Owners Association Stayers over 575m at 9.46pm.