A NARROW VOTE TO CLONA DUKE IN SELECT STAKES FINAL

Barry Drake

The €10,000 to the winner TIME Greyhound Nutrition Select Stakes final promises to be a terrific contest in Waterford on Saturday night.

A case can be made for most in the final but a chance might be worth taking with the Graham Holland-trained Clona Duke.

One of Ireland's fastest, he recently clocked a magical 27.95 around Limerick and he posted a flying 28.15 in a recent trial around Waterford. Things didn't go right in his opening round and he still did enough to land the spoils in 28.51. He will need to rocket to the corner from trap five, but he's more than capable and he gets the nod in an open contest. Whatever happens, he will be a leading player in the upcoming English Greyhound Derby.

MAIN DANGER
Callaway Prom Am, trained by Owen McKenna for Denis Murphy, is next best.

He impressed last week as he got the better of Wi Can Dream, in 28.36. A classy performer, if he does it right early, he will take the world of beating.

OTHERS
Graham Holland is also represented with Cryptopunk in trap one.

Jennifer O'Donnell has The Other Kobe in two. Pat Guilfoyle's Wi Can Dream runs from trap four and out in six we have Kilgraney Sydney for Thomas Buggy.

IN OTHER RACES
In other races, the Pat Guilfoyle-trained Magical Mary was turned over at short odds last week, but she can get back to winning ways in race five, the Quilty Family Memorial & W.T.S.C Novice 730 final.

The Explosive Boy @ Stud ON2 Stake final looks like a wide-open affair. That takes place in race two and Fagans Garden is capable of a bold show from the inside of the track. The May youngster showed improved form to win in 29.18 last week and if building on that, he should go well.

Callawaysawgrass, trained by Owen McKenna for Denis Murphy, is the one to beat. The October puppy set the standard in the opening round, clocking 28.76 and if returning to that kind of form, he should take plenty of beating.