Dave Clark's Blog 05/04/15
Mark Wallis' AERO BABOOSHKA is absolutely flying right now and rightly trades as short as 8-13 to land the £2,500 Henlow Mini Derby.
Anyone looking to get involved should do so as early as possible with her certain to open up much shorter with on-course bookmakers.
She broke the 428m track record in the heats, was simply awesome in her semi-final when blowing away talented kennelmate Evanta Fantasy, and providing she treads carefully early on, she'll go on to land yet another prize for the Champion Trainer.
Odds-on pokes are not for every punter, and for those looking to play one at a bigger price or play the forecast, the value undoubtedly lies in Kim Taylor's versatile local bitch Savana Miesque. She has won races over two, four and six bends, and has a terrific draw to work from out wide in trap six. Despite seeded middle, she'll look after herself out wide and miss the likely trouble around the first two bends that the short run to the bend can cause.
Jason Bloomfield's 37 kilo brute Diego Force is certain to move in from trap four and could well be the root cause of any crowding down the centre and inside, while the bitch out wide in trap six looks overpriced at 14-1 with Bet365 and offers a genuine each-way alternative to the jolly.
The first runner to catch the eye on Sunday's card is Romford raider LODGE BOY, who trialled exceptionally well a fortnight ago before fluffing his lines a week later - but given the speed he possesses he has to be given another chance. Shrewd trainer Jim Reynolds rarely puts one of the van away from Romford to merely make up the numbers, and if he produces anything near his 16.89sec introductory trial he'll be far too good for his rivals in the Henlow Dash.
WESTMEAD JOHN was a semi-final casualty from the Mini Derby, but can bounce back to winning ways at 7.45pm.Crucially drawn inside dangers Killmagner Mike and Bodell Hurricane, Nick Savva's son of Droopys Scolari can get the jump on local Try Plan Bee and make all on the inside.
The 460m Maiden sees an interesting newcomer to the track in Tony Gifkins' COOLAVANNY ESTER, and she is taken to strike at the first time of asking in the UK.
An unbeaten winner of an Unraced Bitches Stake in Tralee, she trialled well enough at Romford on Tuesday to suggest she is up to winning in this sphere and is well-drawn out wide in trap six.
One of the stars to feature in Kevin Hutton's Trainers' Championship winning team takes to the track at 8.15pm, in the form of brilliant bitch FOREST SARA - who drops in class drastically to take on the boys in the Henlow Standard. She can turn on the shoulder of likely leader Coolavanny Gooch, before proving too strong on the run for home and rates the best bet on the card.
Prior to crashing out in the semi-finals of the Three Steps To Victory at Sheffield, Mark Wallis' JIMMY NAILED ON reeled off four wins on the spin and can return to the winner's podium with a win in the Henlow Midi over 550m at 8.45pm.
Kevin Hutton's Bunny Bookmakers Gold Cup winner Old Fort Cracker rates the main danger drawn inside the selection in trap five, but a level break should see our pick in stripes confirm Romford form from Friday 13th March and come home a comfortable winner.
The final open on the card is a tricky stayers event over 692m, Slaneyside Cody is a likely leader racing from trap four, but is likely to move off out wide causing crowding.
REARGUARD BOND has great form in the book and a decent draw to work from on the inside with Evanta De Leon likely to move off from trap two. John Ball's charge need only get a clear run early doors to be a player here, if he turns out the second bend in a pitch he'll prove tough to hold.
7.30 Lodge Boy
7.45 Westmead John
8.00 Coolavanny Ester
8.15 Forest Sara (nap)
8.45 Jimmy Nailed On (nb)
9.00 Aero Babooshka
9.15 Rearguard Bond
