The 'significant improver' Droopys Wells could win this...
... contest at Coventry.

Tomorrow(Sunday) is the final of the Coventry Emerald cup over 480m and I have prepared a graph of the last few runs at Coventry stadium.

The dog I discarded at the start of this competition, the ex-Irish Droopys Wells, in trap 6 fits the bill as a dog that has improved after each run. Winess its improvement on the graph over its last 4 runs. It has a good split time of 5.42 and the connections of this dog are confident it will put up a good show.

Tomll Fix It, trap 2, has marginally the quickest split time at 5.41 but if it gets out first can it stay in the lead? Its performance, shown on the graph, suggests not; although I haven't forgot about the run of Womble in the Sheffield Steel Cup, who at 25/1, led all the way even - though it did not have anything like the best form!

Well Tutored, trap 3, seems capable of winning this. Look at the first run of it on the graph, the highest peak which was several months ago at Coventry. If it could produce that sort of run it could be a factor in this contest. Personally I think it won't.

Eye Onthe Veto,trap 5, is always good for a strong run but I think the distance is too short for it.

Iceman Ross, trap 4, has 6 consistent runs and is perhaps strong enough to get there. But I have the feeling not this time.

Which leaves us with Cleenas Lady, trap 1, a dog that I thought at the beginning could take this trophy; and its running, as displayed on the graph, bears it out. I have the feeling that perhaps it has had some hard races recently and for that reason I will bet against it.

This is a fascinating contest that could go any way but I intend to bet 5 points win on Droopys Wells to do the business. Here's hoping ...

I have been disappointed with this competition, though, as apart from a few snippets in the Racing Post the Emerald Cup has had very little publicity and it has been largely ignored by the bookies. Half the fun of looking at a contest in the opening heats is the challenge of sorting out a couple of ante-post bets, at good prices, to run with right to the final. But I have not been able to get ant ante-post prices for the heats, or the semis. Indeed I don't know any prices for the final, and it is run tomorrow; shame on the bookies.

I lost my last bet on this contest when Minnies Premier ran into 4th place and failed to qualify for the final so I am in deficit to 6+ points. I hope Droopys Wells can get it back...


Come racing!!

Just shows how wrong you can be...

...with dog racing!

In heat 1 of the Emerald Cup at Coventry I advocated that Bossmans Bridge, Hee Haws Barney and Droopys Wells should be left out of calculations and these are the three that got through to the semi- finals tonight! what do I know? Still that's greyhound racing for you.

I bet : Barnfield On Air 1 point win in the first heat- lost 1 point.
: Centaur Trooper 1 point win 2nd heat- lost.
: Minnies Premier 1 point win in the 3rd heat- won at 11/8.
: Cleenas Lady 1 point win in 4th heat - 2nd; so lost 1 point.
: A 1 point each way accumulator on all 4- so lost 2 points.

My total loss was: 4.63 points.

As for the semi-finals tonight I am afraid I haven't had time to look at the 2 races in any depth (well, it is Valentines Day!) so I have just put a 2 point win on Minnies Premier - the only winner I had in the heats - and I am hoping for the best; to get me out of trouble.

It will be interesting to see who gets through to the final then we can have a closer look at trying to find the cup winner.

For now...no graphs tonight...

Come racing!!

The Emerald Cup at Coventry looks a good 480m race...

...to start looking for value.

I've done 4 graphs of the greyhound performances over their last 6 or 7 runs on the Coventry track. Unfortunately a couple of dogs have made only one run which doesn't give us a lot to go on.

Anyway, I've assumed that three dogs from each heat will go through to make up the semi-finals.

You will have to enlarge the graphs to see the runs in greater detail but that should be easy enough to do.

I have chosen 3 from each heat that I have ranked as (A (B and (C in preference. See what you think ought to be 1st , 2nd and 3rd.

Heat 1 - I think that Bossmans Bridge and trap 6 Droopys Wells don't look to be in the ball park so I have discarded them. I have gone for (A Barnfield On Air in trap 1, (B Zig zag Dutchman trap 4 and (C Fear Armani trap 2.

Heat 2 -It's between ( A Centaur Trooper trap 3 and (B Bailiff Diesel trap 1.
(C Eye Onthe Veto is my 3rd choice - I think the distance is too short for it to win.

Heat 3 - This is a much too competitive a heat to call (look at the graph). If you are thinking of leaving out a heat this is it. My choice all the same is :-
(A Minnies Premier trap 6, (B Discreet Cat trap3 and (C Ronnies Champion trap 1. If I were to predict 4th it would be trap 5 Reagrove Roe. That's how close I rate it.

Heat 4 - If Well Tutored in trap 5 were to come back to good form it would be a force to be reckoned with but my selections are :- (A Cleenas Lady trap1, Iceman Ross in trap 6 and Well Tutored trap 5.

Overall reading the graphs points to Cleenas Lady to win the Emerald Cup outright.

I haven't any prices yet; the 4 heats are run at Coventry on Sunday. Let's see how far out I am. I'll let you know!

Come racing!!