Drive On Lad has the gears to bag Hove final

The Richard Reestrained DRIVE ON LAD is somehow still a maiden after 14 starts in Britain, but he can shed that tag on Saturday night at Hove in the Coral New Year Gala 500 Maiden Final.

Last year the talented son of Pat C Sabbath was narrowly denied by Antigua Sugar in the Juvenile Classic decider at Towcester and has some impressive clocks on his card.

Local charge Typhoid Mary races from trap two in the 500m contest and will leave plenty of room up the inside for the selection to operate in. He can start much better than he did in his heat and is expected to boss the inside.

Alfie Herbet’s Loco Sharky impressed when beating Drive On Lad in his heat last week and is a danger if trapping smartly and making the bend in front.

Seamus Cahill’s Four From Two carries a lofty reputation and is open to plenty of improvement with just two British starts to his name.

The maiden final on Saturday night is one of three deciders on the card down at Hove and live on Racing Post Greyhound TV.

First up is the Coral New Year Gala Sprint Final over 285m, which is an open contest after a number of surprising results in the heats last week.

Quickest on the clock was Cahill’s MOLLY MAID who can serve it up to rivals again from a brilliant draw on the inside.

She can trap smartly once again to defend the rail from main danger in trap two, Outback Laura.

Eclipse finalist CLAIRKEITH REMY gets the vote in the other decider on the south coast, the Coral New Year Gala 515 Final.

Carl Gardiner’s powerful tracker struck gold in his heat last week, which was his first start of the year.

Expected to come forward, he can prove too strong for rivals in the latter stages.

Semi-finals of the Friday Night Bonanza Standard headline the card at Romford this week, also live on RPGTV from 6pm.

Nathan Hunt’s BILLIS BLAZER was impressive in his heat last week and can blitz rivals again in the weaker of the two qualifiers.

Scorching the sand in 23.77sec, the nippy son of Australian superstar sire Brett Lee packs a potent early punch and can slip clear.

Yarmouth raider Supa Nova is a powerful sort with huge back-straight speed. He rates the main danger and is the forecast link.

The second semi is a cracker with classy sorts Droopys Good and Antigua Socks boxed well on the inside, but preference is for Patrick Janssens’ exciting

HAWKFIELD MIA.

Explosive from the boxes and blessed with sensational early speed, she can follow up exceptional splits of 3.55sec and 3.56sec with another rapid start.

Janssens’ star performer is a big player in the upcoming Golden Sprint and can go marching on into next week’s final.