The Best Bet in Hove’s Historic Regency Final Is …
A raft of track closures during the past four decades has seen many of greyhound racing’s most famous races become nomadic. Resultantly, many of the sport’s best-known contests have lost much of their prestige.
A case in point is the Scurry Cup. The race left Clapton after 45 years when the London track closed in 1973. Slough then took and kept the contest until a supermarket was built on the venue in 1986. Catford – closed overnight without warning in 2003 – staged the race for 15 years. Since then, Perry Barr, Belle Vue, and Harlow have hosted the Scurry Cup competition.
Brighton and Hove Stadium first staged greyhound racing in 1928. Its Regency competition has been contested every year since 1948. ©GettyImages
Can Space Jet Do a Scurlogue?
There is no such issue with the Regency at Hove. The Sussex track opened its doors in 1928 and introduced this Category-1 race 20 years later. This weekend, the 76th edition of the stayers contest will be run at the Coral-owned stadium. Although local hero Ballyregan Bob never contested the Regency, there have been countless outstanding winners of the six-bend contest. The Roll of Honour includes the incomparable and legendary Scurlogue Champ. This Saturday’s final has the ingredients of an all-time classic. The six finalists have collectively won 52 races from 118 starts. Heading the cast is Space Jet, a greyhound who has literally flown to success 22 times from her 30 career starts.
This is greyhound racing’s superstar!
🔵 Space Jet (Trap 2)
She stays strongly 💪 Weaves through smartly 🧠
She’ll be back in action next week for the Regency semi-finals @HoveGreyhounds and live on RPGTV!
— Dave Clark (@DaveClarkRP) July 15, 2023
Officially a veteran, Space Jet’s trademark last-to-first whirlwind finishes have garnered her a huge fan club. Unbeaten in the Regency, and on a winning sequence of four, she would be a popular winner of the £20,000 competition.
A Lively Magical Jet-Powered Final
Trainer Matt Dartnall has a strong hand in the contest. In addition to Space Jet, he has steered Lively Lauren to the Regency final. Greyhound betting sites have introduced the pair into their ante-post betting lists as 2/1 joint favourites.
Swiper is a third Regency finalist for the second-generation trainer. An all-the-way semi-final winner, Dartnall’s dog has fared well in the draw. He goes from trap-1 in the decider. 14/1 is an attractive price, and Swiper should not be dismissed as a forecast or tricast link.
Romford’s Bubbly Scorcher and two improving types – Diane Henry’s Savana Heross and the Mark Wallis-trained Jacktaven Magic – complete the Regency line-up. The latter duo started as favourites in their semi-finals, but both came second.
The 2023 Regency is a truly mouth-watering race where no runner can be discounted. Connections of the bigger-priced runners will be encouraged by the list of recent winners that shows Boltatwelldigger scored at 25/1 in 2014, and Troy Suzieeq defied his 28/1 SP a year ago.
When Hove had an inside sumner hare … pic.twitter.com/KVOEUn5v2R
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@CDCHistory) July 17, 2023
Chaser Can Outbattle the Reluctant Fox
The Regency is one of four finals on a Gala Hove card that gets underway at 6.09 pm. The first, the Coral Sussex Cup Sprint trophy, looks at the mercy of Quarteira. Lightly raced and representing the now small but elite Mark Wallis kennel, the trap-3 runner surged clear of his field to win his heat in a rapid 16.22 seconds.
Six potential hurdle stars of the future will go to the traps for the Coral Springbok at 7.36 pm. In this £5,000 contest – restricted to novice hurdlers that have not raced over jumps before April – Coppice Fox has the ability to score, but he looks a reluctant winner.
Greyhound betting sites favour the sound-jumping Patterdale Zorro. But, with superior form on the level and recording a better time in the heats, our selection is the Paul Young-trained Droopys Chaser.
Pillar to Poor House for Sussex Favourite?
Fromposttopillar has started favourite in every one of his 19 career starts. William Hill offers the betting industry’s top price on this greyhound in the £10,000 Sussex Cup final. However, at 6/4, he is still certain to start as the big-race favourite.
If the gaps open, Liz McNair’s charge will probably find a route to victory. But, with five odds-on defeats on his card, Fromposttopillar does not appeal. At the prices, Wasted Monday is the logical choice. The 5/1 shot hails from the Belinda Green kennels that enjoyed a breakthrough Category-1 success when landing this race in 2022.
Unbeaten in three Irish outings, Wasted Monday has taken half of his six British starts, and he recorded a career-best effort when landing his Sussex Cup semi-final in 29.94 seconds. His 4.41 seconds sectional suggests he should be front-rank from trap rise on Saturday and, as the youngest finalist, he could be the one to upset the frustrating favourite.
