Da Don takes Nottingham success once more for Russell
Nottingham on Monday night saw Mark Russell's Da Don pick up his fifth win in six runs at the track as he continues to build his winning resume.
Da Don now five from six at Nottingham
Nottingham is a very happy hunting ground for Da Don, comfortably the quickest of the three open sprint winners on the Monday night card at the track for Mark Russell.
17.62 is not as quick as he has gone but he now boasts five of the top 15 times of 2026 over the 305m distance. Both the winner and his main danger Mr Flashy were slow to rise but the gulf in class that the pair had over the field meant that they came out on top after 33/1 Castell Maggie had taken the field along early.
Away Timmy was the second quickest in the sprints on the night for Richard Baker. The wide-running puppy won one of his two starts in Ireland, going in at the second time of asking in England as well having looked unlucky in an A3 at Oxford on his only other racing start.
The sprint winners were rounded out by First Additon for Phil Milner. He picked up two wins in his three graded starts at Towcester before heading out for his first open, finishing a length ahead of a solid enough local yardstick in Skyfall Ginger. He is the first winner from his litter out of a half-sister to Keefill Maverick, Goose et al.
Barry Denby had the winner of the 480m contest as The Other Kodi was heavily backed to notch up a hat-trick of wins over track and trip. A 3.86 split is his best so far, with the racing office appearing to use him as their going guide, with those three wins split by a single spot on calculated times.
One other open on the night went to Esther Driver's Ballyboss Hack, the only one of the evening over 500m. She was with Rose Draper last year, running for just the second time for this kennel, winning both of those starts, picking up an A2 win at the start of the month.
