One of the biggest events of the year in the sport of greyhound racing kicked off last Saturday morning at Crayford, the £20,000 Golden Jacket.
All races from the competition are shown live at bet365 (Live Streaming Rules apply) over three Saturday mornings, and last week 36 hopefuls lined up in six first-round heats over the 714m trip, while this week there are three semi-finals, with the first two home progressing through.
Take the hint from defending champion
Last year's Golden Jacket heroine BELLMORE SALLY performed a minor miracle just to qualify through her first-round heat last weekend, but the manner of her performance suggested she will again be tough to beat this year.
Jimmy Fenwick's star made a mess of the start and was quickly on the back foot in the 714m contest and, although this event is two laps of the track, the tightness of Crayford makes recovery a tough ask at this top-class level.
She took off on the second circuit to bag third place and really caught the eye, dropping a huge hint for punters, her trial over 380m prior to the first round was slick and all points to the wellbeing of this talented Newcastle raider.
The 2022 champion is appealing at 5/1 for outright honours, but is also a great bet to get back to winning ways in her heat on Saturday morning.
She races from trap five and can avoid the likely crowding on the inside, once in command it will be a question of how far.
More to come from Minnie Bullet
Champion trainer Mark Wallis has landed the Golden Jacket twice and his bet365 Puppy Oaks heroine MINNIE BULLET is a big player this year, having posted the fastest winning time in the first round.
Only recently stepped up in trip, this exciting lady is open to plenty of improvement and cannot be opposed in the second of the three semi-finals on Saturday.
Lining up at 11.54am, she races from the inside box and can hold her pitch on the run to the turn before booting clear.
In a race lacking in speed, the early lead is up for grabs and she certainly has the speed to assert, with strong runners Bubbly Cristal and Droopys Jungle fancied to stay on into forecast and tricast places.
Wallis' star has joined 4/1 Hove raider Low Pressure at the head of the antepost market at, with this favourable semi-final draw certainly a factor in his 4/1 price.
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Senorita to swoop late in Jacket semi
Powerful tracker DROOPYS SENORITA is certain to be nearer to last than first as the field head into the first turn in the third Golden Jacket semi-final, but, with likely crowding in the early stages, a messy and slowly run contest will suit.
Carl Gardiner's stayer finished runner-up to Bellmore Sally last year and can go marching on into next week's £20,000 decider with her power-packed finish enabling her to swoop late.
There is no doubt that she will be racing the second circuit harder than anything else lining up and will be hard to keep out of the frame.
Antepost punters may be tempted by each-way angle at 12/1, but the smart play here is to get involved for her to win the 12.24pm contest on Saturday.
