THREE Category One finals take place today as Towcester and Crayford dominate the open-race schedule with the English Puppy Derby at the former and the Jay & Kay Coach Tours Gold Collar and Ladbrokes Grand National finals at the latter.
Starting with the action in Northamptonshire and King Jackson (3.49) might be the value to upset better-fancied rivals in the £10,000 showpiece and, in doing so, complete something of a family double in the live-on-SIS feature over 500m.
She 12 months ago, Liz and Rab McNair send out King Jackson's half-brother King Memphis to win the English Puppy Derby and establish himself one of the best winners of the recent years - he went on to win the Coral Olympic and reach the Derby final.
It would be unfair to put King Jackson in that bracket after just effectively one race - a victory in the semis after running in the no-race in the heats. However, he possesses cracking early pace and looks the one to catch in this afternoon's final.
Even there, there is no guarantee of success given huge quality in behind him, probably just in behind him!
The Romford-based pair of Bombay Birch (Paul Young) and Ballymac Kobe (Maxine Locke) have starred in the Puppy Derby and look huge dangers with their all-round speed, while the latter's kennelmate and littermate Ballymac Lucia remains programme, while respect also to Da Gooder (Kim Billingham-Hine) and Savana Woody (Jason Ray), with up-and-comers.
Other Towcester fancies on a good card go to Patrick Janssens' Romeo Control (2.52) after a close class on debut, in-form Sean White's Northamptonshire Sprint champion Broadway Murty (3.11), Liz McNair's super-quick King Capaldi (4.26), Mark Wallis's improving Vhagar (4.07) and Diane Henry's powerful Savana Jackpot (5.03) on comeback.
Crayford's double-header will be a bitter-sweet affair given its 'intended' closure in the new year, which suggests these could be the last Category One finals there unless the stadium is taken over by a new consortium, which has been mooted. Fingers crossed.
So to the action at Crayford on the PGR service and the huge irony is it's a brilliant card to get stuck into - just what Crayford is also about with variety very much at the heart of things.
The votes in the big events go to Patrick Janssens' Yahoo Megan (6.59) to win the Ladbrokes Kent Rose Bowl Final given a plum pitch inside, Barry O'Sullivan's fast-up Traceys Sydney (7.33) against a powerful Ricky Holloway team in the Ladbrokes Grand National and Droopys Eunice (8.07) in the Jay & Kay Coach Tours Gold Collar Final.
Maxine Locke's bitch gets the narrowest of votes over John Mullins' Aayamza Sydney in the 540m cracker, in which both deserve major success after placing in so many big-race finals between them.
The Gold Collar final overall is a cracker - probably the best Crayford has staged. Again, huge irony, so good luck to other finalists - Wrighty, another John Mullins runner, Ricky Holloway's Slick Sabo, Nathan Hunt's Peter Bussey winner Allowdale Cazoo and Tony Welch's Savana Moo.
*GONE TO THE DOGS - LIVE! is back tomorrow for a YouTube special from Nottingham featuring the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse Final.
Catch the show from 7.30pm via the GTTD's YouTube channel youtube.com/@gonetothedogs-live or @GTTDPodcast and Facebook - Gone to the Dogs Live! Group.
