Sunderland Greyhound Tips | 8 May 2026

Sunderland Greyhound Tips: Friday, 8 May 2026

Sunderland hosts 12 races on Friday evening, with the first race at 18:14 and the card concluding at 21:50. This North East venue is a well-established GBGB sand circuit with a loyal local following, and trap draw analysis on the 450m distance reveals a clear bias towards Trap 4, which has posted a 27% strike rate over the past 21 days.

Race 1: 18:14 – A3 Grade, 450m

Runners:

• Trap 1: Slamannan Villa (D Blackbird)
• Trap 2: Newmoors Amore (M K Bulmer)
• Trap 3: Real Action (J Sutherst)
• Trap 4: Zari Cora (Y Bell)
• Trap 5: Shelikethemother (G Strike)
• Trap 6: Barnfield Chief (P Miller)

Slamannan Villa is the standout form horse here. The 4-year-old won at this level on 24 April, recording a shadow (shd) victory and leading from release. A recent fifth at A2 grade suggests he was tested at a higher mark, but his two placings in this A3 bracket (second, shadow distance, 19 April) show competitive consistency. The form string reads 52142 across his last five runs, with two wins and three places. Run from Trap 1, he will need to avoid the congestion noted at this track’s inside traps, but his release-and-lead style (Rls, LdRnIn) suits early aggression. NAP: Slamannan Villa, Trap 1.

Race 2: 20:34 – A4 Grade, 450m

Runners:

• Trap 1: Thors Hope (M K Bulmer)
• Trap 2: Bricken Sally (P Miller)
• Trap 3: Blue Planet (P Miller)
• Trap 4: Dashing Elvis (G Strike)
• Trap 5: Atealive Sally (D Blackbird)
• Trap 6: Millroad Max (Y Bell)

Bricken Sally provides excellent recent form: a 1-length win on 1 May at A5 grade, with crowding and leading into the first bend (Crd&Ld1), followed by a third-place finish at A5 on 21 April. Her longer form record includes two earlier wins (8 April at A6, 31 March at A6), making her three-time winner across two months. Running from Trap 2, she showed she can overcome early crowding and hold her line. Thors Hope is consistent but shows four fifths in his recent five runs, which limits appeal despite trainer M K Bulmer’s competence. Blue Planet’s recent form is entirely at sprint (261m D2 grade), making the 450m standard trip an unknown quantity. NAP: Bricken Sally, Trap 2.

Race 3: 21:50 – A4 Grade, 450m

Runners:

• Trap 1: Balmoral Lucy (D Blackbird)
• Trap 2: Mid Tipp Jacko (Y Bell)
• Trap 3: Reagrove Remy (P Miller)
• Trap 4: Rein Back (G Strike)
• Trap 5: Millhill Yogi (G Stark)
• Trap 6: Doohoma Rogue (Y Bell)

Balmoral Lucy showed a win at A6 on 3 April (led from trap 1, Ld1) and two further placings in A5 company. However, her most recent run on 3 May saw a sixth-place finish at A4 after bumping at start (Bmp1). Mid Tipp Jacko’s record is patchy: a recent A5 win on 27 April (rails to middle, bumped and led into first, Rls-Mid, Bmp&Ld1) but interspersed with several poor runs, including two sixth-place finishes at A4 and A5. Reagrove Remy presents concern: lame recorded on 15 April, with consecutive fifth-place finishes at A4 on 3 May and poor showings at A2-A3 in prior weeks. This is a weak race with limited high-form options. Balmoral Lucy’s narrower recent record and tape experience favours her despite the recent sixth. NAP: Balmoral Lucy, Trap 1.

Race 4: 18:34 – A5 Grade, 450m

Runners:

• Trap 1: Willows Hope (M K Bulmer)
• Trap 2: Nicoles Noir (G Stark)
• Trap 3: Drish River (P Miller)
• Trap 4: Level Dubai (J Sutherst)
• Trap 5: Cowardly John (P Miller)
• Trap 6: Fruity Cocktail (D Blackbird)

Nicoles Noir is the clear pace-setter here. Her form string reads 11231, with two wins in her last five runs at A6 and A7 grades. Most significantly, she won on 3 May at A6 (rails to middle, bumped start, led bend 4, Rls-Mid, Bmp1, Ld4) and won again on 26 April at A7 (rails to middle, led bench 3-4, Rls-Mid, Ld3/4). She ran second on 19 April by a nose at A7 after bumping and running on. Nicoles Noir’s trajectory shows improvement and winning form at a harder grade, making her a strong match for A5. Willows Hope has one win (22 April at A6) but mixed form across A5 and A6 with four other finishes ranging from third to fourth. From Trap 2, Nicoles Noir can settle in the middle and use her proven front-running engine. NAP: Nicoles Noir, Trap 2.

Meeting Overview

The Friday card spans grades A3 to A5 across the four feature races, all at the standard 450m trip. The sand surface at Sunderland is consistent, and Trap 4’s significant 27% strike rate should be monitored across all races. No sprint or staying races are featured. Dogs showing rails-to-middle (Rls-Mid) tactical profiles with led commentary will benefit from this track’s middle-to-wider trap geometry.

Punters’ Note

Check Starting Price up to 10 minutes before each race. Betfair, Bet365, SkyBet and William Hill all offer competitive greyhound markets at Sunderland. Forecast and reverse forecast betting is popular at this venue with six-runner fields. Focus on dogs that show consistent release and early-bend leadership in their form comments, as trap position can be neutralised by tactical racing in the middle.