Four for Young and three for O'Flaherty at Romford

Amethyst continues her sparkling run

There is just so much to like about the way that Scooby Amethyst goes about her business. Last night at Romford was by far the toughest field that she has taken on but she showed her trademark early pace to blow them away from the front for Paul Young. It was an eighth win in a row for her with Friday night stalwarts Piemans Goalie and Brindle Bully chasing her home. 

Young had a fortunate winner with Bubbly Amber who was booked for second behind the marauding Zenith Jimbombon who lit the track up with a 13.35 split before David Mullins's runner went lame on the fifth bend. Six of her seven prior runs had come in Category One company, so she is a classy performer herself, but this one has to go in the lucky category. 

At 1/5, Jeopardy Bucks had looked the most likely winner for Young on the night and the progressive type duly got off the mark in the fashion that his odds suggested he should. His three prior wins here have been in A5, A3 and A2 grades ahead of breaking his open race duck. Things will get tougher from here but he could still have a little more progression up his sleeve. 

The other winner for Young came from Funky Adz who is a tough one to beat when he times his break well as he did last night. He is not the most regular scorer, picking up his first open race since July here but he has landed a couple of graded contests in the meantime and showed the best early pace to get around the opening bend in front. 

There were also three winners on the card for Katie O'Flaherty kennel who remain in great form, with six open race winners from her last 10 runners. My Storm Libby took a six-bend contest to end the night, getting up in the shadow of the post. It was Don Cici who had set the early fractions and led everywhere bar the line, with Bubbly Holly finishing in third. Beating a pair of Champion Stakes finalists is a clear career best from the winner. 

All eyes were on Puntos Opinion and Slippy Coleman in a 400m clash but it was O'Flaherty's Raha Stevie who took the four-runner contest, getting his head in front halfway around the opening turns to kick on and score. It was a fourth straight win for the January 25 puppy who is showing himself to be a smart individual, climbing up from A9 as recently as August 8! 

Highway Bobby was the shortest price of the O'Flaherty treble, kicking them off with a 1/3 victory early on the card. He has worked his way up the grades from A5 back in June, timing his break well to get himself to the front. That is very much his way of going, showing his winning form on the bunny.

There was a sprint contest to open up the night which was won by Jane Craske's Adamant Erin. It was her third straight win over two bends, holding off the strong finish from Young's Bubbly Fury who continues to show a strong level of form as a veteran. The winner has five victories from her last eight starts overall, including a couple of graded wins at her home track of Yarmouth over 462m. 

John Mullins got on the scoresheet in the 575m stayers final with Charlie Loves Me. It was a messy conclusion to the race as having been out in front since the start, he was joined on the run-in by Young's Rapido Louise who was DQ'd for interference. The winner had been behind Underground Matt in the heats but reversed places with the favourite.

There were some near misses on the card for David Mullins but Zenith Ottoman got a winner for the kennel in the 750m contest. The two ahead of her in the market were both Young's but she managed to get her head in front late on to deny Full Monty who had set out to make all of the running. 

Craig Morris stepped Montana Tiger up to 575m for the first time with a length and a half success. Despite being an East Anglian Derby finalist who looked like he would relish the new trip, it was Young's Hamza Summers who was sent off favourite. She couldn't hold off the winner on her inside into the opening bend and once the red jacket was in front, he wasn't going to be coming back. 

Moody Rudy picked up a win for Gemma Byford in the other open on the card. It's been a slow year for the kennel on the open scene but they have been firing in the graded winners at Hove at a near 22% clip. This was a fourth straight win for the son of Ballymac Cashout, trying six bends for the first time in race action.

Sunderland doubles for Foot and Fenwick

The most interesting runner on Sunderland's Friday night card was Irish Derby finalist Im Here but Glenn Foot's Droopys Punch was not one for standing on ceremony and picked up the win from the inside draw. The winner showed the better middle gears before having to check at the third bend with Im Here out in front The winner ultimately took the victory in impressive fashion.

Foulkscourt Bono has been a solid sprinter for Foot, picking up open race win number 12 from just 23 tries. Sunderland has been a happy hunting ground for him, winning four of his six starts here, with his two defeats both coming against decent rivals. He missed the kick but had plenty in hand of his rivals, in front at the opening bend to go on and score by six lengths. 

Jimmy Fenwick also has a double on the night with Rolo Genie getting up late in the day to deny Kevin Boon's Bockos Waka Waka. Ideally he wants to be drawn a touch further out than the red jacket but he managed to ride the bumps of moving off on the run-up and at the first bend to stay close enough to the leader to mow him down.

The other 450m contest was a dramatic contest with half of the field finding trouble early on. It was left to Fenwick's Taylor The Best getting to the long time leader Glasheen Eagle - who had given a bold sight out in front at 33/1 - as they turned for home, before having to fend off the persistent challenge of East Anglian Derby finalist Hasselbomb.

Carl Jackson may have been out of luck with Im Here but he scored with Brother Patrick earlier on in the night. A recent addition to the kennel from Seamus Cahill with open race wins at both Hove and Romford on his card, he dipped under five seconds on his way to the line the first time around which was more than enough to see him hold off the challengers late in the day.