V FOR VICTORY AS VERVE CAN SHINE

DROOPYS VERVE (9.22) can keep alive Newcastle’s hopes in the the Star Sports English Greyhound Derby by winning heat eight of the third round at Towcester tonight.

Trained in the North East by Angela Harrison, below, for the Conlon family, Droopys Verve finished second to another Derby entry Rising Brandy in the recent Monmore Puppy Derby.

But he was soon vying for favouritism in the £175,000-to-the-winner event after a series of top-class performances at Towcester.

His only defeat at the track came last week at the paws of the brilliant Dorotas Wildcat, which was no disgrace for a greyhound who only loses his puppy status next month.

He possesses enough early pace to lead his rivals tonight – and book his place in Tuesday’s quarter-finals at free-to-enter Towcester.

That night will see the original 150-plus entries whittled down to just 24 – for 12 places in the semi-finals a week today – and the aforementioned pair of RISING BRANDY (8.13) and hotpot DOROTAS WILDCAT (8.47) can book their places in the quarters with victories in heats four and six respectively.

Rising Brandy faces another fantastic clash with Bruisers Bullet, but the trap draw sees Matt Dartnall’s star pitched inside his chief rival and that could help him get the all-important first run – although note Bruisers Bullet’s fastest-ofthe-second-round 29.05sec last week. His kennelmate BOMBERS BULLET

(7.16) could kick off trainer Mark Wallis’s challenge in the best possible way in heat one. His defeat of Bubbly Bluebird last week was top notch.

Heat two could see Wallis’s great rival Charlie Lister OBE strike with DOROTAS VIC (7.36), who is perfectly drawn outside. Race of the night could be

SPORTING DAVE (7.56) versus Whoops Jack in heat three, with last year’s Derby-winning trainer Seamus Cahill hoping the home-based runner can get first run – although expect Ireland to strike back with Pat Buckley’s DROOPYS BIKER

(9.03) in heat seven.

Another highly-anticipated clash is

KING ELVIS (8.29) against Black Farren in heat five. Preference is just for Liz McNair’s Greyhound of the Year.