Friday Night open report- All the action, including noteable trials, from around the UK
Mullins, Cahill and Lee record Friday night doubles at Romford, while Galloway lands 146/1 double at Sunderland. Plus, Janssens team move well in Central Park trials while Wicky Ned trialled at Sheffield
Friday Night open report- All the action, including noteable trials, from around the UK
Mullins, Cahill and Lee record Friday night doubles at Romford, while Galloway lands 146/1 double at Sunderland. Plus, Janssens team move well in Central Park trials while Wicky Ned trialled at Sheffield
The Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes gets underway at Romford next Friday night and the defending champion, the Mark Wallis trained New Destiny, had a four bend trial before racing, recording 24.19, while Roy Peckham’s Tiffield Tarquin posted a useful 35.04 in his first six bend trial and looks to be an interesting runner for next week’s competition
There were a couple of Champion Stakes trial stakes on the card, the first of which went the way of Belinda Green’s course specialist Gary The Arb (11/10F). He made it nine wins out of thirteen starts over the 575m trip at Romford, but had to battle for his latest victory. Usually seen out in front early, he was led in the early stages by Untold Paanga and it looked as though Nathan Hunt’s runner may have built up a winning lead, but Gary The Arb worked his way through the field to take up the running on the run for home, crossing the line a length and a quarter clear in 35.56
The second went the way of Irene Barnard’s Strathrannoch (11/4) who led round the second bend in his first look round the track, and he never looked to be in any real danger, recording a comfortable two length success in the slightly quicker time of 35.43.
Fastest time of the night over the 575m trip though went the way of Seamus Cahill’s Kevins Rocket (6/4), who pinged the lids and made all the running for an impressive five and a half length victory, stopping the clock in 35.39. That was the first leg of a kennel double for Cahill, who was also on target in the penultimate contest, again over 575m, when Moving Force (EvsF), also ran out a wide margin winner when hitting the front rounding the final bends, drawing clear on the run for home for a seven length victory in 35.47
The remaining six bend contest on the card went the way of Paul Young’s Droopys Alldeway (6/5F), who made a winning debut over the 575m distance when leading in the early stages to record a three quarter of a length victory in 35.54.
Central Park trainer Nick Carter’s Cronody Zuma (100/30) recorded the fastest time of the five four bend contests on the card and landed the hat-trick in doing so, following up a couple of sprint victories at Central Park with another all the way success when recording a four length victory in 23.95.
Two of those contests went the way of Dave Mullins, firstly with Lotties Big Wave (6/5F), who overcame trouble in running to pounce on the line by a short head in 24.25, losing her maiden tag in doing so. The double was landed courtesy of Brindle Bully (2/1), who was last seen in the East Anglian Derby final behind Romeo Steel. He produced a cracking burst of early pace and made all the running in impressive fashion, stopping the clock in 24.00 for a seven length victory.
Alan The First (9/2) had got proceedings underway in the opening contest, with Martyn Wiley’s runner also making all the running for a length and a quarter verdict in a time of 24.17
Dave Lee’s Notorious Regan (6/1) landed the second leg of a 62/1 double on the card when getting the better of a bunched finish, pouncing close home to reel in the front running Al Be Chloe and holding off the late claims of Funky Adz to record a head victory in a slow 24.79. Lee had earlier been on target over the sole 225m contest as his Grove Patrick (8/1) recorded a more comfortable success, running out a length and a half winner in 13.70
There was also a 750m contest which went the way of Michelle Brown’s well fancied runner Crafty Prospero. Sent off as 5/6F, he set off in chase of the leader Whitewood Libre, who looked to have built up a winning lead, but the writing was all on the wall rounding the final bends and took up the lead on the run for home, drawing clear for a two and a quarter length victory in 47.43
Sunderland
Sunderland staged nine opens on their twelve race card, where Star Pelaw trainer Robert Galloway landed a 146/1 double
Tickets King (20/1) was a shock winner in heat two of the Arena Racing Company Dash over 261m. Sunnyside Jayden was sent off the 2/15F, but Ted Soppitt’s runner found all sorts of trouble round the opening bends, which allowed Tickets King to hit the front to narrowly get the better of 33/1 shots Kingdom Kid and Brynoffa Dec in a time of 16.02. Anyone who had bets on the forecast which paid £301.06 or the tricast which paid £1626.03 will presumably be on a plane heading for somewhere exotic right now!
Galloway’s double was landed in heat two of the Arena Racing Company Maiden over 450m, when his Townpark Taylor (6/1) overcame some early trouble to record a three quarter of a length victory, stopping the clock in 27.55, while heat one went the way of Graham Strike’s Fredas Kahlo (3/1), who made all the running for a two and a quarter length victory in the quicker time of 27.40.
The other two heats of the Arena Racing Company Dash went the way of Mark Bulmer’s Fraser (10/11F), who made a winning comeback in his first start since July when leading round the opening bend to score by a length and three quarters in 15.69, while heat three went the way of another Star Pelaw trainer, Colin Watson, as Metta (3/1)held on at the finish to land a half length victory in 15.93
Things did get better for Soppitt later on in the card courtesy of Sunnyside Gurkha (13/8F), who made it seven wins in his last nine starts over the 450m distance at Sunderland as he ran out an emphatic winner of the Arena Racing Company Standard final. Trapping well, the result was never in doubt as he soon built up a winning lead, crossing the line five and three quarter lengths clear of his rivals to take the £500 winners prize
The other £500 final on the card, the Arena Racing Company Dual Distance final over 450m, was also won by a wide margin, as the Jill Sutherst trained Billys Trump (7/2) again made all the running for an impressive six and a quarter length victory, defeating the 1/2F Cunnigar King in 27.37.
Dean Blackbird’s Ballymac Aki (5/1) had got the open race action underway when getting the better of Brunos Boy by three lengths in 27.33, while Makeit Mead (1/5F) made all the running in the six bend contest over 640m for Newcastle trainer Raymond Hale, running out a comfortable winner in 39.87 by two and a half lengths.
Sheffield
Sheffield staged three invitational races on their Friday night card
Bresbet Gymcrack winner Elusivenomore (5/6F) followed up an all the way success at Newcastle a couple of weeks ago with a comfortable four and three quarter length victory in a time of 29.17 (-20), while Esther Driver's Carmac Cash (2/1) overcame a slow start and worked his way through the field to win going away by a length and a half in 29.49 (-20)
Kelly Hodson's Co Down Beauty (3/1) battled well to score over the six bend distance of 660m, when running out a length and a quarter winner, defeating the 4/11F Air Fryer in a time of 39.80 (-30)
In a trial before racing, Jimmy Fenwick's multiple Category One winner Wicky Ned recorded 29.69 (-30) in a solo trial before racing in preparation for next week's Steel City Cup
Central Park
StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby winner Droopys Plunge recorded a useful 28.97 (-10) trial over Central Park's 491m Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby distance on Friday morning, but it was Patrick Janssens's recent East Anglian Derby winner Romeo Steel who went fastest of his five runners put through their paces over the four bends, when recording 28.88 (-10)
