Betfair Trainers' Championship defending champ Mark Wallis might have a welcome selection dilemma when the big one comes around at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, fancy a greyhounds fillip at Swindon on your way to Cheltenham?
Blonde Snapper was the star of the show at Wimbledon's trials session on Wednesday as the field for the Betfair Trainers' Championship flexed their muscles in preparation for the big night at Plough Lane, live on Sky Sports, on March 22.
Mark Wallis' dog, who will be vying for a position in the champion trainer's four-bend squad along with the likes of Destroy The Camp and Kinda Ready, had even clock-watchers contemplating Derby bets on the Puppy Derby finalist.
Wallis was joined in sending out a number of his possible eight-strong team for later this month by runners from the kennels of Charlie Lister, Pat Rosney, Chris Allsopp and Paul Young. Seamus Cahill, the champion trainer, is expected to trial some of his team next week.
The six make up the field for the eight-leg extravaganza, won last year by Mark Wallis in a thrilling last-race clash with Charlie Lister, while the last time the event was staged at Wimbledon, in 2008, Cahill was triumphant.
Barnfield Rocky might just be the most interesting runner on the card at Romford on Friday. When the draws were released by the Essex track earlier this week, the dog seemingly had a new trainer in Dean Childs.
One insider said: "Carly Philpott has trained the dog to a huge number of wins, most recently a competition at Crayford, so there's no question of a falling out with the owner. It's more Carly's own situation, which will become clearer in a few days time. But it's all positive."
Romford's card on Friday includes two finals over 400m and 750m, and also features the reappearance of star sprinter Rotar Wing.
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Horse racing fans heading to Prestbury Park for next week's Festival are being encouraged to start their punting week at Swindon's BAGS card on Monday which features the heats of the Arc.
The Category One event follows the Betfair Trainers' Championship live on Sky Sports a week later and the first round will be broadcast live into the betting shops, with Sky and SIS's Errol Blyth providing on-the-spot interviews.
Defending Arc champion Farloe Titan heads the list of entries for the 480m competition, which concludes on Wednesday, March 30, and the track is getting excited that the race formerly held at Walthamstow could be one of the best.
One insider said: "It's a bit of a turnaround really. Swindon had no sponsor and there was a suggestion that the Arc might be cancelled or the race and the accompanying TV slot being switched to another track. But all's well now and to kick off the event on the afternoon BAGS card on Monday of the biggest betting week of the year is a masterstroke."
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Rumours are doing the rounds that the GRA faces interesting times in November when the money loaned from an Irish bank by the group's owners may have to be paid back, or certainly renegotiated.
The GRA owns Wimbledon, Hall Green, Belle Vue, Perry Barr and Oxford and it is possible all could be put up for sale.
"The irony is the five tracks, individually, are doing very well just," said one source. "They are profitable, good going concerns, making enough money to service the owners' debt on the sites but discussions leading up to November will be interesting. There are rival promoters out there eyeing up the tracks very seriously."
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Finally, Droopys Greg puts his possible superstar status on the line in the semi-finals of the Midland Puppy Derby at Monmore tonight (Thursday).
Nick Savva's dog is a strapping, strong-running sort very much in the mould of his grandsire Westmead Hawk. Time will tell if he really is able to give his classiest four-bend rivals a start and a beating, especially in the Derby, but he is worth watching.
