Bear roars into Steel City Cup Final with track record performance

Bear roars into Steel City Cup Final with track record performance

Chelms Bear produced a stunning track record breaking performance in the third and finals Semi Final of the BresBet Steel City Cup at Sheffield on Sunday

Eyebrows may have been raised when Barntick Bear, as he was then named when trained by Patrick Janssens, was sold into the Craig Morris kennel shortly after the Derby, but it has been a move that seems to have worked out well, with the newly named Chelms Bear finally landing a first Category One title at Nottingham just a few weeks ago when winning the Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup 

There has never been any doubt about the pace that Chelms Bear possesses, as shown in the past when breaking the track record over Towcester’s 500m trip back in July  and October last year, but the one thing that has stopped him from going on to land multiple competitions has been his trapping ability. 

 On numerous occasions he has been slow into stride, finding trouble in running when running into a challenging position, but yesterday, he produced one of best ever breaks to make all the running of the third Semi Final of the BresBet Steel City Cup, stopping the clock in a sensational 28.01(+20), smashing the previous record set by Domino Storm of 28.27, extending his winning run to six in doing so.

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Sent off as 7/4F, a 4.24 sectional saw Chelms Bear (above) hitting the front on the run to the first bend, and from that point, the result of the contest was never in doubt as he drew further clear of his rivals, with the Patrick Janssens trained Romeo Ability taking the second qualifying position nine and a half lengths behind the winner. 

The other two Semi Finals also went the way of front running favourites, as Bouncing Monarch (8/13F) had made all the running of the first for David Fradgley (above) who was a three and a quarter length winner in 28.68 (+20), with Kelly Hodson’s Romeo Missile back in second, while the second saw recent East Anglian Derby winner Romeo Steel (1/4F) producing another display of front running, blasting clear from the boxes to record a three and three quarter length victory over Pat Curtin’s Timmys Hunter in 28.46 (+20) (below)

Fradgley had been on target twenty minutes earlier as Tiermana Lucky (EvsF) trapped well and made all the running in heat one of the Owlerton Stadium 480m for a two and three quarter length victory in 27.76 (+20), a time that was bettered slightly in the second heat by Stephen Naylor’s Catunda Maura (5/1), as she also made all the running in 27.66 (+20) for a short head verdict over Paul Prior’s Keady Touch

Prior’s Colliers Bucholz (5/1) had caused a bit of an upset in the opening race on the card, a 280m invitational race, as he got the better of the well fancied Janssens runner Yahoo Megan. Megan, who was sent off at 1/2F, had hit the front early and success looked to be on the cards but she was forced to check at the first bend with Colliers Bucholz on her inside, and having taken up the lead, held on for a three quarter length victory in 16.01 (+10) from the re-rallying Yahoo Megan

BresBet Steel City Cup Final Draw

Photo Credits: @Owlerton_Racing X Account

Star Pelaw 

Foot boots home four-timer at Star Pelaw 

It was a good night for local trainer Glenn Foot, who landed a four-timer on Star Pelaw’s all open race thirteen race card

Dreamin Porcha (7/4) was the winner of the second Semi Final of the Category Two SR Transport Rose Bowl over the four bend trip of 435m, as she broke well from the red box to make all the running to score by a length and a quarter in 25.54 from Unanimous Kai, with Moolah taking the final qualifying spot. 

Going fractionally quicker was Martin Stout’s Hillside Lily (10/11F), as she also led in the early stages to stop the clock in 25.53 for a comfortable two and a half length victory from Toonrlee with Trooper Mcevoy also qualifying for Saturday night’s final.

Inbetween that victory, Foot had bookended the card as he had the first two winners and also of the finale

Ballinabola Eve was a well fancied 4/11F and rewarded those who had taken the short prices with an all the way success in the first heat of the Category Three Star Pelaw Ladies Competition, when defeating Dean Blackbird’s pair of Dairyhill Suzi by a length in 25.81 with Hoffa Epic back in third, while Ballymac Mist (6/1) caused a bit of an upset in the second heat as she held off the challenge of the Savva Roberts trained Steadyon Marlene 11/10F by a short head in 25.78, with another Roberts runner Brynoffa Pippy back in third.

Burrow Bell (3/1) landed the four-timer in the finale, losing her maiden tag in impressive fashion for a four and a quarter length victory over the 10/11F Ballymac Deboss in 25.58.

There were also the Semi Finals of another Category Two competition, the Untold Racing Stewards Cup over the six bend distance of 590m, both of which went the way of visiting trainers.

Agile Ange was a well backed 11/8F for the first of those contests, and Debbie Calvert’s runner duly obliged, showing good early pace to hit the front off the second bend before going on to record a two and three quarter length success from Ryan Buckton’s Troy Robbo, with Diane Henry’s Clona Curly the same distance back in third, stopping the clock in 35.82

The second Semi Final saw Tom Heilbron’s Ballymac Sargie (15/8) leading out of the second bend to build up a winning lead, but had to hold off the strong late burst of the Ronnie Knights trained Fabulous Spell for a half length victory in 35.96, with Glenn Foot’s Emilys Superstar back in third. 

The sprinters also had their chance to line up in a final next Saturday with three heats of the Category Three Kitt’s Pool Room & Bar Sprint Competition over the 245m, the fastest of which saw Chloe Hardy’s Bramble Nickeen (11/4)  recording a length victory from Maglass Bucks in 14.42. Robert Galloway’s Tickets King (12/1) caused an upset when pinging the lids and making all the running from 25/1 shot Popper Duke by two and three quarter lengths in 14.58, while Jo Atkins also had a 12/1 winner courtesy of another front running display as Nurney Sniper beat kennelmate King Morrison by a length and three quarters in 14.61 

The remaining three contests on the card were one off affairs, two over the four bends and one over six.

Central Park’s Paul Philpott made the long journey north a worthwhile one as his Toomevara Sheera (7/4) made all the running for a three and three quarter length victory in 25.52, while Dean Blackbird’s Amber Dollar (7/4JF) was a three and a half length winner of the following race over 435m in 25.84

Sheilas Sky (4/1) got the better of Bombay Fantasy in the six bend contest over the 590m trip when hitting the front on the run for home to draw clear for a length and three quarter length success in 36.14 for trainer Colin Campbell

Trap draws for the SR Transport Rose Bowl & the Untold Racing Stewards Cup finals on Saturday

A reminder of the supporting opens being held at Star Pelaw on Saturday