Everyone loves our long-distance races, so they have a real treat in store on Saturday night when we stage the final of the Ladbrokes.Com Maiden Stayers run over 714m which is two complete circuits of the track.

This event started with 12 greyhounds which ran in the two heats of six here last Saturday night, the first three in each progressing to this weekend’s final race.

Heat one was won by Daylight Robber who recorded a fast first circuit time of 23.49sec and, in a trap-to-line leading performance, she came home in 45.96. She was followed home by Blue Bubba and Flagfield Band.

In contrast, heat two winner Bru Brae could only manage a 23.81 sectional time after a being bumped at the first bend but he put in a strong second circuit run to finish in 45.93.

So, with just three one hundreths of a second between the two heat winners, we should now have a cracking final in prospect. Gingers Lallana and Southest Twister also qualified behind Bru Brae.

Daylight Robber seems to do well when in trap one, as she was last Saturday. However, this is not a trap she generally occupies and she now has trap three in the final from which she can be a little more hit and miss when the traps open.

Having said that, she has won from the three box in her short 10-race career and her chances may now well rest on whether she can lead early on as I can’t see her winning the final by way of working her way through the field.

Brue Brae was winning last Saturday for the first time in his last 13 races so he is by no means a prolific winner but take note that this was only his second race over 714m in a 30-race career and his record reads one win and a second, so clearly he likes this distance.

Both heat winners are Crayford-trained dogs and did well against the visiting opposition who are now represented by Flagfield Band and Gingers Lallana trained by Daniel Brabon at Sittingbourne and Tony Taylor at Wimbledon respectively.

On the evidence of the heats’ starting prices, I don’t feel that either are likely to win the final so we are probably looking at a home win.

It could be a close run thing between Daylight Robber and Bru Brae but I will side with the former, subject to her trapping out fast.