Perry Barr will try again tonight to run the finals of both the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger (710m) and M Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup in Memory of Michael Lambe Senior (480m).
The two finals - both live on the Premier Greyhound Racing service - make up a brilliant double-header and were due to be run last week. However, persistent and heavy rain, including thunder and lightning, forced an early abandonment of last Saturday's card and management have rescheduled the finals and a few of the supporting opens seven days on.
Droopys Clue (9.20) still wins the St Leger, doesn't he? And, if doing so, will create history as Seamus Cahill's defending champion and Greyhound of the Year aims to become the first greyhound to win back-to-back St Leger titles in the competition's long and famous history - stretching back to the 1920s.
Unbeaten in five starts at the track, the powerful Hove raider is tough to look beyond despite coming up against a classy line-up and his early and middle pace over this trip should soon see him in command.
Coonough Crow (Mark Wallis) will be keeping on well, while fast starts from the likes of Tuono Bella (Paul Donovan) and Clona Curly (Diane Henry) could make things interesting. Trickycinderella (Robert Holt) ran a good race behind Droopys Clue in the semis, while Hurry Up Jordan (John Lambe) is back in top form.
The latter would be a popular winner not just as a Perry Barr star but also because the Lambe family sponsor the Birmingham Cup, the one-lap Category One which shares centre-stage with the St Leger.
Darley Diglake (8.44) gets a narrow vote to strike for Robert Hall given a plot draw outside and strong leadability claims, albeit mistakes will be costly given so much speed into the turn here.
Unanimous Leon (Tom Heilbron) and Long Fellow (Matt Dartnall) are quick to stride, with Rioja Bungle (Kevin Hutton) and Tricky Wiggles (Robert Holt) soon bustling them up - while Aayamza Sydney powers home and, if close enough, there is no question John Mullins' runner is good enough.
Other Perry Barr fancies are Richie Taberner's Aero Treat (7.18), who raced away impressively over C&D last week before the meeting was abandoned, Bill Russell's Arc Silver Salver champion Magical Bluebear (8.11) against the likes of Rioja Oisin and Cree Jo Jo, and Diane Henry's St Leger semi-finalist Savana Jackpot (9.36) over the shorter six-bend trip.
Doncaster's meeting live on SIS also sees two major finals down for decision for their biggest meeting for some time.
The votes in these go to Patrick Janssens' Slick Sentinel (8.52) in the the £8,000 Yorkshire Derby Final and Laurence Tuffin's well-drawn defending champion Fabulous Dyna (8.16) in the £3,000 BGBF British Bred St Leger Final.
Other picks at the South Yorkshire venue include two other Patrick Janssens-trained runners in Breton Molly (6.46), who shone at Yarmouth recently, and the classy Romeo Command (9.26), who barely needs any introduction.
