A WEEK tonight Nottingham will be the focus of a third Gone To Dogs - Live! broadcast with the £20,000-to-the-winner Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse centre-stage - and three brilliant semi-finals of the Category One competition take place at Colwick Park tonight.
Won last year by Newinn Syd, the reigning champion is still in the mix and goes in the first semi-final, albeit places in next week's final will be keenly fought - this is a high-quality Eclipse renewal.
Patrick Janssens numerically holds the ace and quality-wise the Derby-winning trainer must be delighted with the team he has for the 500m feature - and it could have been stronger had Druids Say Go joined the party!
Either way, his Romeo Steel (8.36) should go well in the first semi after a cracking show of early pace in the heats secured victory - although kennelmate Droopys Plunge will not be easily held.
Another top-class Janssens runner, the youngest runner in the Eclipse semis posted the fastest heat victory seven days ago and his all-round speed is a joy, but he needs to be paw-perfect again given the speed of Romeo Steel next door and Velvet Madrid against the fence. Throw in the powerful and up-and-coming Proper Heiress and another Janssens runner in fast-starting Slick Sentinel and this race is a cracker.
Wicky Ned (8.54) has first-run potential over Barntick Bear in the second semi-final and could use that to best effect to grab gold for Jimmy Fenwick.
The Newcastle raider won his heat well in a fast time and looks strong enough to hold off Barntick Bear - if getting the run of the race early. And that might depend on how Avongate Venus traps well and paces up as we know the Empress Stakes winner can. She could escape the pack.
Patrick Janssens, given six of 18 semi-finalists in total, holds a strong hand outright and two of his runners could fill the places in the third semi.
The vote goes the way of Romeo Command (9.11) who could take advantage of drawing arguably the weakest of the three semis by pacing up in contention at a track he boasts a fine record at.
Expect kennelmate Droopys Doughnut to lead the charge into the turn but he might struggle to hold the back-straight surge of Romeo Command who has the edge on the clock over these rivals in a clean-run race.
The supporting card is decent enough with places up for grabs in a number of events, the finals of which will support the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse decider on the PGR service and via the Gone To The Dogs - Live YouTube channel via youtube.com/@gonetothedogs-live
Pick of the bets tonight could be Mark Wallis's Gun Slinger (8.01) over Romeo Crossfire in what might be a match in heat one of the Arc Gents 480m Trophy and well-drawn local Links Weapon (8.19) for Sarah Spillane.
