Candle Mountain Can Light Up Nottingham (18th Dec)
It’s time for our Dog Of The Day! For today’s spotlight, we are heading to Nottingham Greyhounds for the 11:26.
After analyzing the card, one greyhound stands out as a prime contender to take the win in this 500m Handicap contest.
The Selection: Candle Mountain
Time: 11:26
Track: Nottingham
Race: Race 2 (Handicap)
Candle Mountain (Trap 5 / R1) arrives at this race with a profile that suggests she is ready to strike. A January ’21 whelp by Ballymac Bolger out of Clear Mountain, she brings a blend of experience and recent flashes of brilliance to the Perry Barr-based P. Holland kennel.
Form Analysis
What makes Candle Mountain our top pick today? It comes down to proven speed in the grade.
While her last outing on December 13th saw a respectable 3rd place finish (beaten just over a length in a 30.95 run), it is her performance on November 22nd that really catches the eye. On that day, she destroyed an A6 field, clocking a calculated 30.63 and winning by 2½ lengths.
In a Handicap scenario like today’s, that kind of “breaking” speed is dangerous. If she can replicate that 30.63 run—or even her solid 30.95 from last week—she has a significant advantage over the rest of the field on the clock. The handicap “R1” starting position gives her a slight advantage over the scratch runners, and her split times suggest she has the early pace to capitalize on it.
She faces threats from the scratch runner Annadown Jet, who is dropping in class, but Candle Mountain’s recent consistency gives her the edge. We expect her to lead by the third bend and hold on for the win.
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Good luck to Candle Mountain today!
The Top Choice: Candle Mountain (R1)
Candle Mountain is the clear form choice for this race.
Best Recent Time: Her win on Nov 22nd in an A6 grade clocked a 30.63. This is significantly faster than the recent times of her competitors. Even with the handicap adjustment, she has the raw speed to catch the slower dogs ahead.
Winning Form: Unlike most of the field, she has a recent win (1st place) on her card, showing she knows how to get her nose in front.
The “Post Pick” Favorite: The “POST PICK: 5-6-4” listed in the header likely corresponds to the trap numbers. In a handicap like this, the R1 runner (Candle Mountain) usually starts from Trap 5. This indicates the track tipsters also view her as the favorite.
The Main Threat: Annadown Jet (Scratch)
Annadown Jet is the “class dropper” in this race.
Class: She has been running in A3 and A4 grades (much higher quality than the rest of this field). Dropping into a Handicap (HP) is often used to give a dog an easier race to regain confidence.
Risk: Her current form is poor (finishing 6th in her last 4 races). While she has the class, she hasn’t shown the spark recently. If she returns to her best, she wins easily, but that is a gamble.
The Safe Place Bet: Kellsways Girl (R5)
If you are looking for a dog to finish in the top 2 (Forecast), Kellsways Girl is the most consistent.
Consistency: She has finished 2nd in 4 of her last 5 races.
Racing Style: She tends to stay competitive but struggles to pass the final dog. She is a very safe option to include in exotic bets (like Trifectas) but is risky to back for the win.
Summary Prediction
Winner: Candle Mountain (R1)
Runner-up: Annadown Jet (Scr)
Third: Kellsways Girl (R5)
Recommendation: The data points to Candle Mountain having the best overlap of current speed and form.
Blog Post Update: RESULT
Title: RESULT: Dog Of The Day Candle Mountain Lands the Nap at Nottingham!
We are delighted to report that our Dog Of The Day, Candle Mountain, has justified the confidence to land the win in the 11:26 at Nottingham Greyhounds!
Sent off as the 5/6 Favorite, she ran a textbook race to secure the victory for trainer P. Holland and our followers.
The Race Breakdown
Winner: Candle Mountain (R1)
Time: 30.68 (+20)
Distance: 3½ Lengths
SP: 5/6F
As predicted in our morning preview, Candle Mountain used her class to dominate the handicap field. Breaking from the R1 mark, she tracked the early pace before making her decisive move. The race comments confirm she “led third”, sweeping past the early leader Honour Glenlivet and extending away to win comfortably by 3½ lengths.
She crossed the line in 30.68, a solid run given the +20 going, beating out Kellsways Girl (2nd) and Honour Glenlivet (3rd), with the scratch runner Annadown Jet never threatening after a slow start.
Why She Won
This result validates the form analysis from earlier today:
Superior Speed: As noted in our profile, her previous 30.63 run was the standout figure in the book.
Grading Advantage: She was simply too sharp for this grade of handicap.
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