Lots of quality on show at Monmore
A Category Three event with boosted prize money gets under way as part of a quality-filled card at Monmore Green tonight.
The Ladbrokes.com 480 Maiden – for greyhounds yet to win an Open over four bends in the UK – sees three heats take place and two will advance from each to next weekend’s final, with the eventual winner bagging a cool £1,000.
One to watch will be Hopes Romeo, who makes his British debut as he runs from trap two in the second heat for Oxford-based trainer Kevin Hutton.
Romeo qualifies despite having won an Open at Shelbourne Park in Ireland on August 10th when known as Kilara Inferno.
Chris Fereday’s Uptown Girl will hope to impress from trap six in that race, too, having been in fine form in the graded ranks as of late – rising from A6 to A1 in recent months.
Longacres Urban (Pat Doocey) is out to grab that elusive Open triumph in heat one after going close on several occasions. Richie Taberner’s Holding Harry also goes into it with confidence having won an A3 last time out.
Nathan Hunt’s Rachel You Go finished second in her last Open appearance and is among those in heat three along with Ellie Field’s Pheonix Sydney – the November 22 pup stepping up to Open class for the first time in his burgeoning career.
Also tonight, the Category Three Ladbrokes.com 480 competition comes to a head with Swindon trainer Patrick Godfrey’s Arthur Cornflake running from trap one again after setting the quickest time in last weekend’s heats, winning in 28.44secs.
Hunt’s Zebedee Cluasa has also been in fine fettle, though, and will provide strong competition from trap two having won his last three races.
The Ladbrokes.com 480 Division One race sees Vixons Filofax return to Monmore having recently made the Category Two Yorkshire Derby Final at Doncaster for Brian Thompson.
The Alan Jenkins-trained Ivy Hill George is out to impress in the Ladbrokes.com 684 while Taberner has both Alien Bolt and Cree Jo Jo competing in the Ladbrokes.com 264.
The final race of the night sees Taberner’s Bangon The Clock aim to follow up a fine sprint success with another encouraging performance back over four bends in the Ladbrokes.com 480 Division Two.
