THE JenningsBet Puppy Classic kicks off at Nottingham tonight and features a number of high-class youngsters.
All will be looking to add their name to an impressive roll of honour featuring such stars as Top Savings, Droopys Shearer, Eye OnThe Storm, Ballymac Eske, Newinn Yolo, Bubbly Bluebird and Ice On Fire - what a list! - with the track building up to a huge double-header on Bank Holiday Monday (August 26).
This meeting will feature not just the £12,500-to-the-winner JenningsBet Puppy Classic Final but also the JenningsBet Select Stakes, the prestigious one-off also worth £12,500 - and all staged as part of National Greyhound Week (August 26 to September 1) in which tracks across the UK will have events and special offers.
So to tonight's Puppy Classic heats and Millbank Boiler (7.27) gets the vote in heat one.
Gemma Evans' runner was beaten a long way by really impressive trial stakes winer March On Freddie last week - he runs later on - but was held up early on and the Romford raider remains a progressive sort set to step up again. Monmore's No Better Feelin is an obvious threat on his form at Sunderland and here in May.
That formline on May 6 was behind Droopys Extragud (7.44) who gets the vote to shine for Heather Dimmock in heat two. He ran third in the recent Juvenile Classic behind Slick Sentinel and his early pace can win the day albeit Swift Underwater showed plenty over C&D when winning a trial stakes himself a fortnight ago.
Seamus Cahill has a nice youngster in the shape of Missile One (8.01) who bounced back from a troubled run on debut to win back-to-back races in a Hove maiden event and looks sure to enjoy the Nottingham gallop. He ran a decent enough trial at Colwick Park before his Hove debut - a shrewd move from the Hove handler.
Jimmy Fenwick has happy memories of this event during his time with Ice On Fire and sends out Skeard Josie (8.19) with an obvious chance in heat four. He will improve for his prep trial and, in possibly one of the weaker heats, might always be pitching for the victory - although speedy locals Salacres Wild and Bellmore Bailey need respecting.
David Mullins has a huge hand in heat five with ante-post favourite March On Freddie the eye-catcher. However, Syd Zafiro (8.36) is not a bad second string to have here - and might be better value for the spoils tonight. His strong-running style should suit Nottingham and any mistakes from the favourite might be taken advantage off.
The final heat will see Fire And Ice popular after some cracking runs at Hove and he could well race clear, but this might be as far as he wants and the Belinda Green-trained Ballymac Kinga (8.54) looks a more than viable alternative, especially given the space of a vacant trap inside.
Before the Puppy Classic heats, Velvet Violet (7.11) might be worth interest in a one-off over 500m. Phil Barlow's bitch looked good in her early races and will improve for trials - she might run fresh and fast on comeback.
Nottingham nuggets
Velvet Violet (7.11)
Millbank Boiler (7.27)
Droopys Extragud (7.44)
Missile One (8.01)
Skeard Josie (8.19)
Syd Zafiro (8.36)
Ballymac Kinga (8.54)
