Friday Night Open Report – Mullins Hat-Trick at Romford, Soppitt Lands Finals at Sunderland

Friday Night saw open racing at three tracks, Romford, Sunderland and at Nottingham, which saw Dave Mullins landing a hat-trick at Romford while Ted Soppitt enjoyed success at Sunderland, taking home both of the £500 finals on offer 

It proved to be a good night for front runners at Romford Greyhound Stadium as nine of the ten opens were won by greyhounds who had hit the front coming out of the second bend.

Dave Mullins got off the mark in the first open race contest of the evening, taking heat one of the Romford Friday Night 500 Standard as Brindle Bully (5/2) turned the opening bend in a handy position before taking up the lead down the back, going on to record a 3½ length victory in a fast time of 23.64, the sixth-fastest time recorded at the Essex track this year, with Yahoo Mareike and Bombay Buck also qualifying for next week’s final.

Mullins bookended the card by taking the finale as Calypso Moon (5/1) trapped well and made all the running for a 1½ length victory from favourite Le Pur Sang in 23.91 (+10) to secure the hat-trick for the evening.

In between both victories, Ten Fold (7/1) was able to trap well and make all the running in one of the two £500 finals on the card, running out a comfortable 3¾ length victory in the Romford Friday Night 500 Maiden Final, having overcome some crowding round the opening bend to do so.

The other £500 final on the card, the Romford Friday Night 500 Maiden Stayers, went the way of the Paul Young-trained Airtech Amigo (5/4F) who blasted clear of the field when recording a quick 13.34 sectional and was able to build up a winning lead, stopping the clock in 35.40 (+20) for a 1½ length victory over the 575m distance.

That victory was part of a double for the Young kennel, who had earlier been on target with another favourite as Funky Ryan (5/6F) took up the lead from Crokers Bluebell rounding the opening bends before going on to record a comfortable 3½ length victory in 24.03 (+10).

The second heat of the Romford Friday Night 500 Standard went the way of Dave Lee’s New Era Baby (7/2), who hit the front rounding the opening bend and went on to score in good fashion, running out a two-length winner from Piemans Goalie and Racenight Mikey in 23.94.

The trap draw for the final can be found below:

There were also two heats of the Doug Tyler Summer Cup over 575m, with the first heat going the way of the Mark Wallis-trained Fabulous Sonique (1/5F). 
The recent Coral Coronation Cup winner made it eight wins from her last ten starts over course and distance, pinging the lids to make all the running from the staying-on Jades Rocket for a 1½ length victory in 35.16, with Snoozing Jimmy taking the final qualifying spot back in third.

The second heat saw another all-the-way victory, this time for Nathan Hunt’s Untold Paanga (15/8) who produced a similar performance, leading from the traps within strides before going on to record a two-length success in 35.20, just half a length slower than the previous heat winner, setting up an interesting final next week.
They will be joined by Pin All In and Bacon Frazzles, finishing second and third respectively.

The trap draw can be found below:

Hunt also landed a double on the card in the following race, the sole sprint contest over 225m of the evening, when his Teaboy Brownie (2/1) hit the front round the opening bends for a two-length victory over Katsumoto in 13.56, with the hat-trick-seeking favourite Daring Hoffa finishing down the field after a moderate break.

Wiley landed some compensation later on when his Oioi Savaloy (7/4F) led round the first bend to land a first open race success in 24.13 (+10) for a ¾ length win.

Soppitt lands Sunnyside double in both £500 finals at Sunderland

 Six open races formed part of Sunderland Greyhound Stadium’s 12-race card, including two £500 finals, both of which went the way of Ted Soppitt’s kennel.

• 🏆 Sunnyside Gurkha (6/4F) was a wide-margin winner of the Arena Racing Company Maiden Final over 450m. Despite early contact with Amber Dollar, he powered clear to score by seven lengths in 26.85 (+10).

• 🏆 Sunnyside Jayden (5/6F) followed up in the Sprint Trophy Final over 261m, leading from the off for a four-length victory in 15.51 (+5) over Getup Me Lad.
  
  

There were three heats of the Arena Racing Company Dual Distance Maiden over 261m, with the top two qualifying for next week’s final over 450m.

• Carrick Rooney (11/8) won Heat 1 in 15.67, leading early for trainer Chantelle McNicholas.

• Jaydee Baby (5/2) won Heat 2 from the front in 15.69 for David Wilkinson.

• Capel Bubbles (5/2) held on in Heat 3 for Mark Bulmer in 16.00.
  
  The trap draw for next week's final over 450m can be found below:

The final open on the card, another two bend sprint contest, went the way of Yvonne Bell’s Tullymurry Day (7/4), who made all the running for a half length victory in 15.74 (+5) with Bulmer’s Hazelhill Percy back in second.

Nottingham sprint opens over 305m

Nottingham Greyhound Stadium staged two sprint opens on Friday night.

• Leelad (5/2J) delivered the fastest time of the night in 17.83 (+10), defeating kennelmate Time Counts by 3¾ lengths. The win made it four in a row for trainer Jill Llewellin.

• In the second sprint, Jaymir Monica (15/8F) edged out Platinumheatwave in a short head photo finish, clocking 18.20 (+20) for Jim Daly.