Gary The Arb looks to complete a family double in the Essex Vase
The final of the Coral Essex Vase on Friday night is going to be a fascinating one for a number of reasons, with Gary The Arb looking to make it a family double in the race.
Coral Essex Vase history in the making?
History could be made at Romford on Friday with Gary The Arb looking to complete a notable family double in the final of the Coral Essex Vase - after his sister won the famous competition 12 months ago.
A year on from Droopys Eunice’s brilliant win for Maxine Locke against a field including four Mark Wallis-trained finalists - New Destiny was one of them, and she is back again on Friday - Gary The Arb aims to follow his littermate’s emotional victory in the £10,000-to-the-winner Category One decider after making a host of finals.
Both from a July 22 batch by Dorotas Wildcat and Droopys Charm, Droopys Eunice is now in pup to Headford Asher, while Gary The Arb looks to match his sister’s feat in the Romford six-bend annual and lines up as the track record holder for the 575m trip after his pre-event 34.40sec in a trial stakes for the Essex Vase at the turn of the month.
Like Droopys Eunice last year, Gary The Arb is looking to land a first major title after reaching a host of finals and finishing behind some top-notch sorts.
Ultra consistent, his trainer Belinda Green is more than hopeful of a major say in the 575m contest.
Beaten in both heat and semi-final, Gary The Arb as nothing to find on the clock given his track record figures but know he has to do everything right on the night.
The Hove handler said: “Gary’s in great form and looking for his first title win. He will need to come away and hopefully without Roy’s (Peckham, Tiffield Tarquin) not three lengths in front - or New Destiny looming close!
“It’s a three-way re-match from the Champion Stakes final in October where Gary, New Destiny and Tarquin went head-to-head. I actually thought Gary ran a mighty race in defeat that day having been pulled back at the first bend. Without that he goes very close - and that clearer run is what we are hoping for on Friday night. And a start, too!”
First run in 1939, back-to-back wins for littermates in the Coral Essex Vase Final would be some achievement. Incidentally, last year’s Arc Northern Puppy Derby winner and subsequent Irish Derby finalist Droopys Deploy was among those in a subsequent Droopys Charm litter born in April 2023.
