11 of the 12 races at Crayford tonight are Opens and in addition to the Golden Jacket heats, there are some other interesting events over 540m. Newcastle is a graded card sponsored by William Hill, with five A1 contests on the 12 race card.

The Golden Jacket is an event I really enjoy each year and being my local track, I like to go along to Crayford, especially when there is top class dog racing like this on offer. The race I can’t wait to watch is the 9.40 where favourite in the outright market for the Golden Jacket Express Trend takes on last year’s winning connections with their runner Bush Whitney. Although I fancy Bush Whitney to get the run of the race in Trap 6, over this type of distance it likely won’t be a huge advantage being the only wide runner in the race. Express Trend has that bit more class and it should tell tonight. The early price of 5/4 with bet365 is good value as far as I’m concerned. Elizabeth McNair’s runner is currently a best priced 9/2 chance to win the competition with bet365.

My next best of the evening is another short one but a dog I still think represents value on the back of his last run here. Farley Jack can be backed at 5/4 with bet365 for the 8.02 contest and when you consider the ease with which he beat Bush Whitney last weekend over course and distance, you’d have to be taking odds against about the Billingham trained runner. The danger could well be the unexposed Bubbly Swallow coming out of the 4 box and would make up my forecast.

Nap – Express Trend 9.40 Crayford @ 5/4 with bet365

NB – Farley Jack 8.02 Crayford @ 5/4 with bet365

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The pick of tonight’s action comes from Romford with a 13 race card where every race is an Open contest. The Maiden Stayers race at 9.06 looks particularly interesting and could well provide some useful clues for staying races at the track in the weeks ahead. Sunderland is a graded card sponsored by William Hill, the pick of which could well be the last race of the evening which is an A2 contest over 450m.

Nap of the evening for me goes in the 10.26 at Romford in the shape of the Dean Childs trained Curragh Kewell. On offer at a best early price of 5/4 with bet365, this dog ran a big race last time when finishing second to Munster Champ over course and distance. He met a bit of interference at the first bend there but finished very well and I can’t see much in tonight’s line up to trouble this son of Ballymac Kewell.

In Romford’s 9.24 I’m going to take on the favourite Sequential with Keith Allsop’s Slick Seamist. Although Sequential rattled off three wins in quick succession round here in December and is a very decent bitch, I don’t think Slick Seamist is very far behind and probably still has a bit of improvement in her. The value bet of the evening for me at 9/4 with Ladbrokes (as short as 7/4 in places).

Nap – Curragh Kewell 10.26 Romford @ 5/4 with bet365

NB – Slick Seamist 9.24 Romford @ 9/4 with Ladbrokes

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Coming out of trap one, the Derek Knight trained Rockin Roses was the winner of the second heat in 35.71, while Fatboyz Pacquiao managed to avoid all the trouble and seal victory in the final heat with a time of 35.76. Could he get a similar passage through in tonight’s final?

There are eight races live on Sky this evening with the action getting under way at 7.40pm.

Coronation Cup Final Draw

Trap 1 – All On Board
Trap 2 – Roses Rockin
Trap 3 – Rockview Sail
Trap 4 – Rathglass Hero
Trap 5 – Judicial Academy (m)
Trap 6 – Fatboyz Pacquiao (w)

Coronation Cup Betting

(Prices from bet365)
Rockview Sail 8/11
Roses Rockin 4/1
Fatboyz Pacquiao 6/1
Judicial Academy 6/1
Rathglass Hero 14/1
All On Board 16/1

Coronation Cup Tips

Rockview Sail looks like he’s going to be very hard to beat here. This dog holds a superb record at Romford with six wins from seven starts, should not be troubled by the draw and is versatile enough to come from off the pace and win. The race could work out well for Fatboyz Pacquiao in the six box and it would be no surprise to see this unexposed greyhound make up the forecast.

3pts win Trap 1 Rockview Sail @ 8/11 with bet365

0.5pt Reverse Forecast Traps 1 and 6

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At 8.00pm we have the The S.Walsh Recycling & Construction Solutions Sprint over a very short trip of 238m, again with a purse of £500. Wide runner Romeo Dasher in the 6 box has plenty over solid numbers over these minimum distances and looks to hold strong claims.

The Isaacson Electrical & Rexel Senate Maxi Marathon is off at 8.15pm and we go from one extreme to another, with this race being staged over the marathon trip of 946m. Most of these greyhounds are stepping up in trip but Droopys Djokovic coming out of Trap 3 has won two of his last five starts at distances just short of this. He can likely make it three wins from six here.

Another competitive looking open race at 8.35pm sees home favourite Buglys Star take on a number of visiting greyhounds in the Collins Coaches & Allied Deanridge Stayers. Robert Boosey’s charge has been contesting races just below this standard recently but with home advantage and experience over the 592m trip, the wide runner holds every chance.

The Ocean Trailers Bitches Stakes at 8.50pm takes place over 415m and once again offers £500 to the winning bitch. Sundance Saffy coming out of Trap 5 is coming off the back of two good runs including a win over course and distance last time out. Paul Simmonds’ bitch is likely to be a warm order to make it back to back victories.

Abc 300900 & William Hill & Greene King Ipa Marathon Stakes is the ridiculously title 769m event at 9.10pm. Liosgarbh West coming out of Trap 4 doesn’t appear to have the best of draws but does appear to be the most solid animal over this distance having clocked 50.03 when winning here earlier this month.

With prize money increased to £1000 for the 9.25pm The Greene King Old Speckled Hen Stakes, things get a bit more competitive over this 415m event. The six dog Seanis Bet looks to be going the right way and although has a bit to find on the book, this bitch may be able to avoid any potential trouble and take advantage of being the only wide runner in the race.

The highlight of the evening is the £5000 The Bigwin.com Property Stakes at 9.45pm. This 592m event would appear to rest between the two wide runners, Tain Maeve in Trap 5 and Swabys Onenut in Trap 6. Should these two dogs collide at the first bend, Benro Blackie in Trap 2 could well be the greyhound to take advantage.

Click here to get a Free £25 Bet on this Live Sky Dogs event from Victor Chandler

Favourite for the for this year’s title at the start of proceedings was Dolores Ruth’s charge Razldazl George. Having won his first three rounds convincingly, Razldazl George has since suffered two defeats at the hands of Rockchase Bullet. Having finished fifth in this year’s English Derby, and having clocked the fastest time in this competition thus far, it’s not out of the question that Razldazl Geroge can turn the form around.

Dolores Ruth’s other runner in the final is Razldazl Bugatti. This runner’s only defeat so far en route to the final was at the hands of Dream Walker at the quarter final stage. If he can make the good early start that he is capable of, Razldazl Bugatti wouldn’t be without a chance of landing the big prize and upsetting kennel mate and namesake Razldazl George.

The Fraser Black trained Krug Ninety Five finished third in both last year’s English and Irish Greyhound Derby and arguably deserves to win this race. Unfortunately, the veteran will probably find one or two of these opponents just too good but the way he finished fast in the semi final behind Razldazl Bugatti suggests Krug Ninety Five has a slight chance of going two places better than last year.

If 10/1 chance Dream Walker can reproduce the form of his win in the quarter finals when accounting for Razldazl Bugatti, he’d come right into calculations, while Peter Cronin’s runner Rockview Head has a victory over Rockchase Bullet in the second round. That piece of form would also give him a chance.

Looks like we are in for a very exciting 2011 Irish Greyhound Derby Final, we just fancy the third favourite Razldazl Bugatti to get away quickly and prove too tough to peg back.

2011 Irish Greyhound Derby Betting

(Prices from Victor Chandler)
Rockchase Bullet 2/1
Razldazl George 9/4
Razldazl Bugatti 3/1
Krug Ninety Five 8/1
Rockview Head 8/1
Dream Walker 10/1

Click here to get a £25 free bet on the 2011 Irish Greyhound Derby from Victor Chandler

2pts win Micky Robbie

1pt win Fabulous Magic

Running here Saturday night is her brother Juster Puppet also runs from trap 3 he’s doing well in A2 but has a few tough opponents tonight ruining along side him is Honcho Assassin who’s stats looks and should win easily even if he runs a average time, very good also dogs 5 & 6 have come down a grade from A1  bet trap 2 win and trio 2-5-6

Saturday 12th Wimbledon

Race 1 at 19:30 running from trap 5 is Beauty’s sister Juster Poppet, she has the potential to run well but has not show it as late, she’s a bit slow out of the traps but dose eat up the track and finishes well, looking at the race trap 6 looks to be the fastest from the off but trap 4 looks to have dropped down from A7 with a good time last time out, but like i said Poppet has it in her to run a good race so this time could be the start, prediction trio 4-5-6 always, also Running in Race 7 at 21:00 is  Allenbuild Flyer from trap 3, lovely looking Brindle bitch not a bad time last time out and looks like she could go close this time around, fastest away is trap 6 Gabriells Ash who looks to be the one to beat will go for Allenbuild to be with her at the line, prediction reversed forecast 6-3