NOTTINGHAM director Nathan Corden has described Saturday’s quarter-final night of the Star Sports, Arc and LPS Greyhound Derby as a “real taste of what’s to come” after the Colwick Park track received a high-class entry for the supporting opens.

“We have four fantastic open-races backing the Derby quarter-finals – a puppy 500m, a 680m and a duplicated 480m – and that top division of the 480 is red-hot with our Select Stakes winner Brinkleys Poet amongst the entry, as is the six-bend race.

“Of course, most of the attention will be on the Derby quarter-finals, but owners and trainers are getting behind the supporting competitions such as the RPGTV Derby Plate, RPGTV Puppy Cup, RPGTV Stayers and the JPW Cup – starting next week.

“These are all two-run competitions with the finals on the big night – with a host of other £750-to-the-winner one-offs. We’re covering all bases with the race programme and urge those wishing to attend to snap up the tickets which remain available.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s quarter-finals of the Star Sports, Arc and LPS Greyhound Derby, Corden believes they are evenly poised.

“They are four fantastic races with the main hopes from England and Ireland very much in contention – remember, we still have the first and second from both last year’s English and  Irish Derbys in there, which underlines the class on show this year.”

Shelbourne hero Ballyanne Sim lines-up in the third quarter-final where Mark Robinson’s dog takes on the only two unbeaten runners left in the Classic – Liz McNair’s Queen Beyonce and Graham Holland’s Irish raider Clonbrien Prince.

Droopys Verve, last year’s runner-up at Towcester, clocked the fastest time in last week’s third round for Angela Harrison and now faces two Hayley Keightley-trained rivals in Roxholme Jim and Roxholme Glory, as well as Irish star Priceless Blake, in the first quarter-final.

The second quarter-final sees Irish Derby runner-up Magical Bale top the betting after another impressive front-running effort in the third round. Kevin Hutton’s dog is up against Droopys Expert and three Irish runners in Lemon Shane, Ballymac Tas and Worseforwear.

Defending champion Dorotas Wildcat faces a mouthwatering clash with track record-holder Skywalker Logan (Patrick Guilfoyle) in the fourth quarter-final, with an Irish Derby finalist Jaytee Taylor (Paul Hennessy) also in this qualifier.

Kevin Hutton, Dorotas Wildcat’s trainer, said: “It’s great to be in the quarter-finals with Wildcat. He’s coming forward with each run, as is Magical Bale to be fair. Both are enjoying Nottingham and we just hope it can continue on Saturday.

“They are tough races – you’d expect that in the quarter-finals of a Derby, but we’re happy where we’re at. They’ve had a good week.”

 

Saturday’s open-race form: www.bagsracing.com/assets/15-june—nottinham-adv.pdf

Star Sports, ARC and LPS Greyhound Derby dates:-

Quarter-finals: Saturday, June 15

Semi-finals: Saturday, June 22

Final: Saturday, June 29

Further info: www.nottinghamdogs.com