Pixie can smoke out rivals

Tonight’s programme features the second round of the Kudos Supersprint but the best bet of the night comes in the first semi-final of the Crossfield Kennels Puppy Oaks, where Francie Murray’s Smoke Pixie looks banker material.

The bitch produced a fine display of all-round speed when winning at Shelbourne Park at the start of the month. This is her first run here and that’s certainly something of a concern but she seems a versatile sort, having won at three different tracks in her eight-race career to date. The time she posted on her most recent outing (28.63) would be good enough to ensure victory here and, as improvement is likely, she’s certainly the one to beat.

The first of the four second-round heats of the sprint is an absolute cracker. With four first-round heat winners and one of the fastest greyhounds in the competition to complete the field, something has got to give. It’s really hard to split the principals but Knockglass Billy found trouble at the worst possible time when beaten last week and he can make amends.