Check out our preview and tips ahead of a big night of greyhound racing action

Check out our preview and tips ahead of a big night of greyhound racing action

Modified Trunk runs away from Push Me to win Race 6 at Grafton Greyhounds earlier in the year.

GRAFTON Greyhounds race tonight with another bumper 12 event card set down for decision.

Obviously, the highlight is Race 5 The Ladbrokes Red Dog Final over 480m. Worth a cool $3900 to the winner, this race sees the reappearance of the very promising Dave Irwin-trained Nangar Silk drawn in box 2.

Nangar Silk had won her previous four starts in a row including two finals at Grafton and Maitland, before last week, when she was surprisingly beaten, running second as a long odd on favourite.

Having her first start out of the 480m boxes Nangar Silk was slow to begin from the 7 box and was last just after the start. Despite running home strongly, Nangar Silk was beaten by three quarters of a length by the Reggie Gardoll trained Twice As Noise in 27.89.

Tonight, from this perfect box 2 draw and the benefit of a start out of the 480m boxes, I expect Nangar Silk to bounce straight on the bunny and lead all the way.

As I said Twice As Noisy won her heat in 27.89 but the fastest heat winner was the Ben Ellis-trained Robell Roxy, leading all the way before beating the smart Chasin Charlie in 27.65.

Kooringa Thelly, trained by Craig McPhee, won her heat after narrowly running down Orara Charlotte in 27.77. The other heat was won by Seductive Avatar in 27.86 for Casino trainer Tyson Barton.

As you can see on the heat times there is not much between all runners, but Nangar Silk is our pick in the final.

Punters looking for an early winner should look at Race 4 The Clarence Valley Sheds Stakes over 407m.

Here, I am tipping the Andrew Monaghan trained Bazza Brann from the 8 boxes.

A winner here at Grafton in a smart 23.06 back in April, Bazza Brann also won here two starts back over the 305m trip in a good 17.53 before his last start unplaced run behind the brilliant Push Me in 17.39.

Going back to the more suitable 407m trip should see Bazza Brann returning to the winners list.

Ivy Izmir, drawn in box 2 for Kenny Staines, is the logical danger to Bazza Brann after winning three of her last four starts.

Ivy Izmir was very impressive when winning at Casino last Thursday and I am sure she will keep Bazza Brann very honest in tonight’s race.

Race 8 tonight, The Ladbrokes Money Back Odds over 407m FFA, looks to be a dead set match race between the two local stars in Push Me, trained by Ben Ellis, and Modified Trunk, trained by Warren Kempshall. These two top sprinters have won $100,000 in prizemoney between them and they have won 57 races combined.

Modified Trunk resumed from a long spell two runs ago when he flew out of the boxes over 305m and beat the flying Push Me in the smart time of 17.29.

This is the only time Push Me has been beaten in her last 11 starts over 305m so the Trunk certainly showed he was back to his best in beating him. Modified Trunk then won here at Grafton last week over 407m trip in 23.16. Push Me is absolutely flying at Grafton and I have tipped her over Modified Trunk in what should be a tremendous race.

Tonight, I have decided to make my best in the last race, The McLennan Earthmoving Stake over 480m. Dashing Thunder, drawn out in box 8 for Sonia Kempshall, looks a good thing from the outside draw. This smart sprinter has won five out of his 11 starts and two runs ago he was very impressive winning in 27.60.

Dashing Thunder missed the kick last week when unplaced behind Seductive Avatar but tonight I am tipping it will be a different kettle of fish and I expect Dashing Thunder to lead all the way.

Tonight’s first of 12 races begin at 5.57pm and the last is 9.27pm.

TIPS FOR TONIGHT’S RACING

Maxine Gleeson	Albert Gleeson	Manny Antonelli
Race 1	Phantom Bonnie Miss Bridget Badgers Delight	Phantom Bonnie Miss Bridget Badgers Delight	Phantom Bonnie Badgers Delight El Roller
Race 2	Two Points Away Orara Maddison Fernando Marks	Kiarni Jack Fernando Marks Shelly Valley	Emma Said Two Points Away Fernando Marks
Race 3	Jimary Cricket Ivy Izmir Jimary Jedi	Jimary Cricket Ivy Izmir Robel Ronny	Cedar Izmir Jimary Jedi Jimary Cricket
Race 4	Kasatkina Laurie’s Bonus Big Bro Tango	He’s Got Charm Kasatkina Ducati Blu	Kasatkina Big Bro Tango Daniella Walsh
Race 5	Modified Trunk Hari Brann Nimble Valley	Modified Trunk Hari Brann Dixie Louise	Modified Trunk Nimble Valley Hari Brann
Race 6	Nangar Silk Sail Alone Vista Inferno	Nangar Silk Sail Alone Arty Barty	Nangar Silk Sail Alone Kalang Beach
Race 7	Dashing Thunder Matisse Gambler Spookie Magic	Dashing Thunder Spookie Magic Super Tie	Dashing Thunder Spookie Magic Matisse Gambler
Race 8	Luca Bazooka Nash Bonus Sail Bye	Betty Boo Bonus Luca Bazooka Nash Bonus	Betty Boo Bonus Luca Bazooka Nash Bonus
Race 9	Ultimate Display Tania Blue Hidden Sniper	Ultimate Display Robell Roxy Chasin’ Charlie	Kiarni Sal Hidden Sniper Kiarni Sal
Race 10	Kooringa Thelly Rosie Bonus Orara Charlotte	Orara Charlotte Kooringa Thelly Kulu Chance	Kooringa Thelly Rosie Bonus Orara Charlotte
Race 11	Bad Neighbour Thanks Nelly Valley Knockin’	Thanks Nelly Bad Neighbour Valley Knockin’	Bad Neighbour Thanks Nelly Kingsbrae Milly
Race 12	Push Me Country Cottage Kingsbrae Trevor	Push Me Kingsbrae Trevor Country Cottage	Push Me Country Cottage Jimmy Stintso
Best Bet	Nangar Silk	Dashing Thunder	Dashing Thunder
Each Way	Rosie Bonus	Kiarni Jack	Emma Said

Originally published as Check out our preview and tips ahead of a big night of greyhound racing action