PERRY BARR takes centre-stage tonight as another huge weekend for open-race fans sees Towcester kick off the Bet365 Empress Stakes tomorrow and the Birmingham track warm up for a major double header next week.
It's trial stakes time for the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger and the M Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup at the Midlands venue and if the entry for these is to be heeded we are in for two outstanding Category One events, with a host of star names having their final preparations tonight.
The action is live on the Premier Greyhound Racing Service.
Ballymac Taylor (7.53) catches the eye when Mark Wallis's champion marathon performer goes in division two of the St Leger trials. Edged out by Magical Luna in a close-run contest over 900m last week, this 710m trip sees her dropped in distance, but a handy position makes her told to hold as the race unfolds.
Expect the likes of Lively Lauren and Tuono Bella to cut a dash - both are classy sorts - but the strong-running Dorando Marathon champion might be too much to handle. Some might say the switch is no bad thing after a ding-dong battle at the Wolverhampton venue seven days ago - I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt!
Taylor's litter sister Ballymac Katie was a heat winner for Liam Dowling in the St Leger 12 months ago and returns to the Birmingham track tonight having been renamed and sold into the kennel of Kevin Hutton. Now known as Hopiehopiehopie, she goes in division one against another littermate in the form of Haka Carlo (8.28), who gets the vote.
Jason Heath's runner, a winner of Derby final night at Towcester, should get first run on his sister and might always be in a winning position in a race in which back-to-form Golden Jacket champion Dazl Rolex is respected as pitched outside, as is the consistent Coonough Crow inside.
Moving to the trial stakes for the M Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup and Long Fellow (8.44) stands out as drawn in the top division after a good trial.
The Matt Dartnall-trained Pall Mall runner-up looks perfectly pitched inside to unleash his cracking early pace and is preferred to the likes of up-and-coming Tricky Wiggles, Gold Cup finalist Cunnigar Yousir and well-drawn top local Darley Diglake.
Greenwell Ange (7.01) gets a tentative vote in the opener after decent comeback trials at Newcastle from John Flaherty's runner. She drops down in distance for this return to the track having reached the semi-finals of the Sunderland Grand Prix in April having won her heat well there - the white jacket could prove too strong.
Seaview Sydney (8.11) caught the eye during the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Monmore, especially when giving eventual winner Churchfield Syd a race to the bend in the semi-finals, and Nathan Hunt's runner could be tough to hold into the turn and onwards, albeit Distant Cara and No Better Feelin are no back numbers here.
Other Perry Barr votes go to Laurence Tuffin's in-form Fabulous Dyna (7.18) and Tony Harmes's improving youngster Chakra (7.36).
*SHELBOURNE is live on SIS tonight with the feature event being the final of the Time Juvenile Derby where the hot favourite is rising star Callaway Knegare (9.21). Owen McKenna's youngster is difficult to oppose.
