Forgottotellya makes a striking UK debut at Towcester

Towcester times set to get plenty of airtime

A 28.33 trial before racing at Towcester yesterday from Strike It Skye showed the difference that the new traps are making to the track. Lennies Desire set the clock last summer at 28.39 but that looks long odds on to fall with the new traps speeding up times considerably. 

Mark Wallis's bitch got tongues wagging with that trial before Forgottotellya made his UK debut with a blistering 28.61 effort. With just two races at Cork in the book, the half-brother to Winter Derby winner Bruce Bay (for the same connections) is very much a blank page at present. At 2/13, he was fully expected to win with ease so it will be interesting to see what he can do in better company next time out.

There was a second winner for Wallis later on the card as Newinn Tonic produced the goods early to slip away and avoid the trouble behind her at the opening bend. She was producing sub four second sectionals from the old traps, looking a likely candidate for a sub 3.80 from the new lids.

If all out pace is going to be the key to the 2026 Derby then Kevin Boon's Bockos Buster could give connections a good run. A Category One finalist over both 450m and 462m, 500m around here is very much at the top end of his stamina range but he clocked a decent 28.83 on his first look at the track in more than 10 months.

The surprise on the day for punters was the 16/1 victory for Peter Harnden's Salacres Lucia. The October 24 puppy had only been seen in a trio of graded sprints ahead of the step up to 500m, using that pace to lead up and hold off Bombay Nutty who loomed up down the back but never really looked like he was going to go past. Barely 25 kilos, there is not much of the winner but she clearly has plenty of heart, dipping under 29 seconds in the process.

Droopys Berries was the other 500m open race winner on the card. It was a third win in four starts at this track for Kevin Hutton's runner, the sole defeat came last week when behind Newinn Tonic who showed that form to be rock-solid later on in the afternoon. 

A 712m contest on the card saw Droopys Rated supported like defeat was out of the question. Princess Matilda had other ideas, however, with Gemma Evans's recent Central Park track record breaker proving too canny on the front end. The runner-up loomed up at the fifth bend but the winner had kept a little up her sleeve and just kept pulling out what was required to hold off the challenge.

Hoffa sends out reminder of his class

It had been almost six months since Stonepark Hoffa was last seen in race action for Savva Roberts. He returned to the track at Sheffield yesterday, landing a sprint contest by four lengths in 15.77. Just Swift Hostile's track record breaking run has been quicker in 2026, so the winner has clearly not lost a step in his absence. 

Dunbolg Formula picked up a win for Heather Dimmock in a 480m contest, the fourth winner from Dimmock's last six runners at the track. The success brought up a hat-trick of victories for the son of Explosive Boy and the first time that he has got his head in front from the red jacket. 

One other open on the card was a 500m contest which went the way of Rose Draper's Slippy Keith. He was in red-hot form to kick off the year but looked to have gone off the boil a little bit in recent starts. He could be worth keeping in mind again now that he has got his head back in front to run up another sequence of strong efforts. 

Foot doubles up at Star Pelaw

Emilys Superstar returned to six bends in style last night after a trio of races over shorter trips for Glenn Foot. She had to dig deep to hold off her kennelmate Wonderful Dolce by a short head, with the same distance back to Romeo Alonso in third. Her record now stands at 12 wins from 16 starts over 590m here.

A sprint win from Beachgrove Lad kicked off the double for Foot, taking the scalp of Sunnyside Ted in the process. The winner broke well which kept his main danger to his right where he was drawn, and that was enough to pace into the bend in front and open up a lead he would never relinquish.

The quickest time over four bends on the night came from Saleen Ri for David McGlaughlan. It is not often that the words 'slow away' are seen on a 5.44 split at Star Pelaw, the winner pacing up around the outside but not getting his head in front until about halfway. He clocked 25.53 which was a remarkable effort given the above. 

It was a case of third time lucky for Michael Stout's Hillside Secret, getting off the mark with a wide-margin display. A half-sister to 2025 Golden Sprint winner Union Rebel, she is another on the long list of nice pups that Droopys Addition has out there now that he has been given more of a chance at stud.

Ronald Knights got on the winners list courtesy of Inclement Queen who took a sprint contest. She has won three of the first five starts of her career, the only two defeats coming at the paws of Nah Then Keefill and Burrow Bell, no disgrace at all behind those two regular open race scorers at this track.

A dead heat ended the open racing for the day with Tromora Meg for David Curry and Vincent Lund's Sharp Royd proving impossible for the judge to separate. Meg has three wins and three runner-up efforts in her last six starts with the other picking up his first open race win since August and a third win in his last five starts.