The top event at the stadium on Saturday evening will be the open race final of the Ladbrokes.Com Sprint over 380m.

After last weekend’s two semi-finals, Crayford have four dogs in the final but they have some serious opposition in visiting greyhounds Lodge Boy and Balladoftheband.

The first semi was won by local dog Twilight Des, trained by Julie Luckhurst, who came home in a fast time of 23.06 seconds. If he can repeat that sort of time, he would have a good chance of winning the final.

Running from trap three, he has now been drawn in trap two for Saturday’s race, which may not be as beneficial as the three box he seems to prefer.

He was followed home in the first semi by Knockmoy Jack and Headford Joe, both trained at Crayford and who also qualified.

Knockmoy Jack did well to finish second at big odds of 8-1. Headford Joe was sent off as the even-money favourite but after a slow start could never get close enough to strike a blow, finishing three lengths behind Twilight Des.

Headford Joe now owes his supporters after failing to win last weekend and I have a feeling that the dog will put in a better showing on Saturday night.

He has done well here since his trainer Katie O’Flaherty joined the track a few months ago and his current race record reads 33 starts with 11 wins and 14 second places, so he has a good strike rate.

He would now seem to be our main hope and although he is not the fastest of starters, he is the type who has the ability to work his way through the field.

Visiting greyhound Lodge Boy, trained by Jim Reynolds at Romford, did everything right in his semi, leading all the way to win by four lengths and we may now be in for a head-to-head challenge between him and Headford Joe.

Lodge Boy avoided our best two dogs in the semis, so his chances of gaining a clear run may have been reduced due to the early pace the Crayford hopefuls have.

Balladoftheband, trained by Carol Wetherall, who is an unattached private trainer, did well to make the final but, as the dog’s semi-final starting price of 16-1 reflected, it would be a shock if the dog were to win on Saturday.

I will side with Headford Joe, who deserves a big race win.