Ace with Epic run to equal the Towcester track record

Kennedy's Ace is exceptional in Derby second round

The Epic Ace support will be growing ever stronger after he equalled the track record on Friday night at Towcester. He managed that without trapping particularly well, but his straight line speed into the opening bend saw him around in front and from there it was simply a case of name your distance.

Eight and a half lengths was the answer, and while the track was quicker than the +10 that was given as the going, it was still a mightily impressive performance from the John Kennendy-trained performer. It will be another clock watching exercise if he does hit the lids.

The opening heat of the night ended up as just a four-runner affair but we still got a decent battle between Proper Heiress and Ballymac Deniro. What had looked a potentially tricky draw for the Mark Wallis star turned out to be no issue with a pair withdrawn inside of him, needing no second invitation to take advantage of the space provided. 28.42 was the winning time. 

Although Liam Dowling was out of luck with Deniro, he picked up a pair of second round winners, led by Ballymac Ralf's 28.47. Things worked out nicely for him with Carrigoon Milo uncharacteristically missing his break inside and Coloursaregreen smashing out to his right. That gave Ralf a perfect seam to exploit and improve on his head defeat in round one. 

Ballymac Stud was the shortest priced winner on the night, scoring at 1/2 in a time of 28.68. He was a deeply impressive winner in the opening round and backed that impression up with another excellent display. Pacing to the bend with Lennies Dynamic, he took a line that forced his rival a touch wider to gain a lead that he never looked like giving up.

Peter Harnden looks to have a proper tool on his hands in Salacres Lock Up who landed his heat in 28.62. He was a hair slow to stride but soon paced to the front, and the way that he ran the opening couple of bends took lengths out of his rivals. There are still limited miles on the clock after 18 career starts, so there could be better still to come. 

There was not enough early pace inside of Droopys Aladdin to give him any trouble from the four box, clearing them comfortably for Mike Burton, and with a clear run early, he scored in 28.74. Droopys Graph was bearing down on him late in the piece, but he gave the impression that there was always a little more in the tank if it was required. 

Kevin Hutton was on the scoresheet with the impressive Rebel Alaska. He had to be brave to drive into a gap to take his opening round heat but a decent exit on the outside made his task an easier one in the second round. The BetGoodwin Maiden Series winner over 450m at Oxford last December really has his eye in at Towcester now, clocking 28.77.

The final heat went to Underground Gold for Paul Young. He paced up just well enough to nose up the inside into the opening bend and grab the lead. As he showed at Monmore when winning the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby, once he is on the bunny, he is a tough one to knock off it, maintaining the gallop well to score in 28.96.

Bubbly continues his crusade for Young

There was a treble for Paul Young at Romford, led by Bubbly Crusader. So often this game is about patience and the Champagne Club are getting their just reward for having it as he made it five wins on the bounce. A £10,000 purchase from the Perry Barr sales in January 2025, May 16 saw his debut with just one more run last year on September 12. Young has got him flying at present, his 23.61 the join fifth fastest 400m of the year so far.

Bubbly Amber followed up for connections in the very next race, holding off Bacon Frazzles by a head. The winner has scored in three of her five starts since being stepped back up to 575m. 

The treble was started by Yahoo Mareike who was winning for the 18th time. She produced a 3.66 split, the quickest that she has done in her career to take the lead at the opening bend to score by six lengths. 

Paul Burr just missed out with Bacon Frazzles but he had a pair of winners himself with Ballymac Suntan and Swift Fly. The former is in great heart with herself at present, scoring for the third time in her last four starts. 

Swift Fly has not been with the Burr team for long but she has settled in well, winning a third race in just eight runs. She picked up a 575m contest last week and quickly doubled up on that in the nightcap.

Another trainer to pick up a double was Martyn Wiley. Daring Hoffa landed the sprint that opened the card, a fifth open race win over the 225m distance for him. 

Miami Yates popped out in front and never saw another rival to complete the Wiley double, He had walked out last week to a 14.33 split but timed things to perfection with a 13.61 run to the line first time last night. 

The biggest surprise on the night for punters was the 14/1 victory of Nathan Hunt's Bretons Boy. The veteran arrived on a run of no wins in 15 starts since a D1 success at Monmore last December. Romford was a happy hunting ground for him in the past, however, with 11 prior open race successes there.

Zenith Scorpion landed a win for David Mullins, forcing his way into a closing gap on the rails at the opening bend to take the lead. He has worked his way up the ladder at the track, picking up A4, A3 and A2 ahead of this first open race win.

The two other opens on the night went to Tilena Welch's Hollywood Leo and Debbie Hurlock's Noirs Pocket. The first was landing his first career win while the second was back to winning ways after being a casualty in the opening round of the Derby.

Heilbron double at Sunderland

Two of the four opens at Sunderland went the way of Tom Heilbron. The stayers didn't go to the Heilbron runner that the market expected as Droopys Cardi turned over the 1/2 favourite Ballymac Sargie. It was a long time between drinks for her, last getting her head in front in October. 

A 450m contest went to Heilbron's Havana Bret. The puppy showed the best early gears, taking advantage of his draw on the inside to add to a recent A3 win at his home track of Newcastle. 

George Stark took the other four-bend open on the card with Milestone Mo. Her last three wins have all come in sprints at this track but she needed most of the 450m to get herself to the front after a slightly wayward path that saw her move off on the run-up and dive inside at the opening bend.

There was a sprint contest to round out the open race action which saw Play On Words take the prize for Paul Miller. The former Towcester D2 scorer was on debut for the kennel and happened to be well-berthed on the outside to miss the trouble at the opening bend,