Rachel Holland's Derby blog - 15 May 2024

Fantastic Weekend for the Team at Towcester

It was a brilliant weekend all round - we were absolutely delighted to get so many of the team through to the next round and a few wins along the way made it even better. It’s weekends like this that make all the hard work from everyone, both at home and in the UK, feel worthwhile. Here’s a closer look at how each of the runners got on and what’s ahead in Round 2: 

Bockos Diamond 

We were very happy with Wildcat’s run last week, especially after a slow start and a bit of bumping with the four dog. He ran on strongly and showed great determination. Moving forward, he’ll need to start breaking better - and we’re hopeful that will come. Most importantly, he’s come out of the race in great form and is bouncing. He’s drawn in a nice enough heat this week, although Romeo Command is a fantastic dog and is very well housed in trap 1. There’s not much early pace in the race except for Kevin’s Rocket in trap 2 and the rest of the field are strong stayers, but we’d be hopeful of progressing. 

Crokers Planet  

We were very pleased with Pluto last Saturday - he’s still settling in and learning, so for him to qualify in a tough heat was a big step. His draw for the next round is tricky with classy types such as Barefoot On Fire and Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Finalist, Bubbly Charger. Also, Clona Curly stays very strong, so it is no easy task. We’d happily take third again this week! 

Bombay Pat  

Mars didn’t get the best of starts last weekend and had to dig deep to win the race. We know he’ll need to sharpen up at the traps if he’s to go deeper in the competition, but he’s coming along well and showing all the right signs. If he can get everything right at the boxes this week, it’s a heat you’d like to think he could qualify from. 

Faypoint Harvey

Harvey really showed his heart and determination on Friday night. After breaking well, he got slightly outpaced early by Romeo Steel but rallied back to win, which is no easy feat at Towcester, where passing dogs takes some doing. He’s in a cracking heat this week. Romeo Steel is drawn against him again but in trap 2 this time, you’d like to hope that Harvey can hold him off in Trap 1. Also, Jaytee Craze brings a lot of stamina and Boylesports Bob is also hard to keep out of the frame. We’ve also got Cheap Sandwiches in this heat too - but based on the draw, we’d be hopeful Harvey can go well again. 

Cheap Sandwiches  

Sambo is just so consistent, professional and seems to really enjoy Towcester. He’s in trap 5 this week, which we don’t mind and with Boylesports Bob outside in 6 (who isn’t known for his early speed), we’re hoping Sambo can get a clear run. It’ll be a tough heat but we’re hopeful he can qualify.  

Val Tashadelek  

Val really impressed us last Thursday, he posted our fastest heat win of the round in 28.61 on a bitter night at Towcester, and he’s clearly loving the trip. He’s been stepped up each run and seems to be thriving. Unfortunately, he’s drawn out in trap 4 this week, so he’ll need a bit of luck around the opening bends. If he can slot into a handy position early, he should stay on well. Trap 1 would’ve been ideal, but we’re still hopeful he can qualify with a bit of a break. 

Faypoint Susie

Susie was the highlight of the weekend for us. She’s been off for quite a while after having her puppy Midnight, and to come back and run like that - we were just over the moon. Maybe third time’s the charm for her in the Derby! She’s fierce when she leads and very hard to pass. She’s drawn in trap 1 this week and with Dark Madam in trap 3 now a non-runner, she’s got a good opportunity. If she traps well, she’ll take a lot of catching. 

All in all, we couldn’t be happier with how the team performed. Getting through these early rounds is never easy, and every qualifier is a credit to the hard work behind the scenes. Good luck to all connections still involved.