Genie grants Aladdin's wish to win Laurels while Skye flies in Brighton Belle

Aladdin wins his first Cat One in the Laurels

The Arena Racing Company Laurels final ended up being a messy affair but that won't matter one bit to Mike Burton and the Severn Racing Club who saw their Droopys Aladdin pick up a well-deserved first win in a Category One. 

He has been a model of consistency throughout his career and did well to dig in to pick up Romeo Steel by the third bend given that rival had smashed out from the inside draw and had looked to have the race in control at the opening turn for Patrick Janssens. 

There was a string of semi-final appearances from him in 2025, making his first final at Monmore in the Ladbrokes Winter Derby. Things didn't go his way there in the re-run but there are very few who would begrudge him a win at the top level. 

There was strong runs from Maxine Locke's Ballymac Blanco, who along with Esther Driver's No Better Feelin did best of the closers, both staying on powerfully to fill out the frame.

Droopys Trade took plenty of bumps on his way to fourth for Craig Morris with Romeo Steel finishing fifth and Toddys Wolf missing the kick which cost him any chance for Tom Heilbron.

In the final of the Dash, it was Stuart Tighe's Good Acclaim who came away best to claim victory and take his career tally to 10 wins from 12 starts. This was his first big test in a competition and he came through with flying colours. There will be tougher rivals to take on in time but he looks well up to the task.

Droopys Will finished the contest off well for Maxine Locke to grab second after Kim Billingham-Hine's Newinn Souly moved off on the run-in, taking Rose Draper's Swift Hostile out wider. Tighe also had Brickhill Tamika in the contest. 

The majority of those with beaten runners in the Laurels picked up winners on the undercard. Tom Heilbron had Bower Sheeran pick up an impressive sprint win in a time just two spots slower than Good Acclaim. The National Sprint runner-up is a very smart type who has only had 15 races himself and might just have a little more to come.

Flashing Fender picked up a win for Craig Morris. He just got the better of a decent battle to the opening bend with Locke's Droopys Dettori, keeping that rival at bay by a neck at the line, with the runner-up making good strides late in the day.

Esther Driver had a double on the card, Ballymac Dave getting the first of those over four bends. It was only his third start for the kennel, producing his best sectional and getting himself to the front at the halfway stage. 

Driver's second came in a six-bend contest from Quill Quids. He had kicked off his 2026 campaign with an A1 win at Nottingham just five days prior, sent off at 16/1. A finalist in the Coral Sussex Cup last summer, he saw off Romeo Empire by three and a quarter lengths. 

He was not the biggest priced winner on the card, however, that was Haverhill Lass for Angie Kibble who landed a 33/1 shock, holding off a strong field that included Fabulous Aria, Droopys Doris and Sams Magic. 

King Pharlap was the first open race winner on the card, landing a puppy contest for Julie Bateson. He had made a flying start to his career for Dan Brabon, winning A4, A3 and A2 at Central Park before losing his form. This was a second win in three starts for Bateson. 

Simon Deakin grabbed the other open race winner on the card with Mister Baileys. He has made an excellent start to 2026, winning six of his 13 races, including a 575m open at Romford and a string of top grade affairs at Dunstall.  

Skye strikes first blow in the Brighton Belle

A short-priced favourite for the Coral Brighton Belle outright before the competition even got started, Strike It Skye landed her heat at 1/10 in a time almost five lengths faster than any of her rivals in the competition. Only Tiffield Tarquin has gone quicker over the 515m trip so far in 2026.

Mark Wallis had a double in the heats with Bower Aoibhin also coming home in front. She has been showing a consistent level of form since joining the kennel, adding to wins at Romford over 575m and at Towcester. Her early pace won her the day, getting far enough clear of Shaun Gresham's Ballymac Madgie who came home well.

The other trainer to pick up a pair of heat winners was Belinda Green. Teddie was the winner to get closest to Strike It Skye in terms of time, clocking 30.18 compared to Skye's 29.79. It was the first time that she got her head in front since last May, showing smart form in the spring of 2025.

Raebella Bullet took the opening heat for Green, not away from the lids quite as well as some but pacing up well to the turn to get her head in front. It was her fourth win in five starts. The Oaks finalist made a good impression once more. 

A trial stake winner last week who doubled up in the heats was Carol Weatherall's Poly Styrene. She was another who got to the front on the inside at the opening bend, always holding her main market rival who had paced up with her.

The final heat went to Ricky Holloway and Droopys Softy. She managed to avoid a bit of trouble outside of her on the run-up and around the opening two bends, her early pace getting her clear of it from the innermost draw. 

On the undercard there was another winner for Wallis as Mongys Wild returned to the track with a five-length win over 695m. The trip is on the short side for him and it took him until they turned for home to get his head in front before quickly putting five lengths into his rivals on the run-in.

A highly impressive performance came from Droopys Alldeway who beat Tiffield Tarquin with a 29.00 win over 500m. The time was impressive, handing the runner-up his first defeat of 2026 in the process. 

Paul Young picked up a double, opening the card with a win from Bowmers Buddy. It was only the second win of his career but he has shown plenty of promise in his defeats and is only an August 24 whelp.

There was also a double for Maxine Locke from Annadown Warrior and Annadown Chip. The pair are September 24 litter brothers, the former winning from the front on his race debut and the latter getting off the mark at the second time of asking, also in front from an early stage. 

The night finished with a win for Richard Rees's Zenith Rocket. He boasts an exceptional strike rate over this track and trip, winning from traps one, two, three and four already in open races here this year. 

Central Park treble for Locke

A Central Park treble for Maxine Locke lifted her back to the top of the tree with 57 winners on the year. Bluejig Outlaw was the feature part of the three, although at 1/12 he was fully expected to do what he did, dipping under 40 seconds for his 664m victory by 10 and three-quarter lengths.

Abigails Cian kicked the card off the right way for Locke, landing the first race on the evening. She had suffered some rough rides of late but responded to that in the best way possible by leading up. It was a tight-knit finish with a pair of short heads separating the first three home.

The treble was brought up by Patriot Game who was another to make the best of his way home from trap rise. It took him until the sixth time of asking to get off the mark in Ireland, that coming when he was stepped up to six bends. He scored for Locke in his third start for the kennel.

Julie Luckhurst grabbed a double from Half Jarred and Swift Bree. The former picked up open race win number five of his career and his 12th success overall, taking up the lead as the field exited the back straight. 

The latter kept things simple from the front, landing a sixth win from her last 11 starts. She has picked up a string of top grade wins over both two and four bends, making the breakthrough at open race level at the second time of asking.

Another trainer to pick up a pair of winners on the card was Luke Morrison. Olives Patchwork was the first of those in a sprint contest, taking full advantage of a slick break and a draw in stripes to avoid the trouble inside him at the opening bend. 

Coppice Dakota landed the second half of the double, producing a similarly smart break, only this time in a race over four bends which saw her away and gone. It was her second win in her last three starts. 

It was Dave Lee who had the top performer over 491m on the evening with Brunch Pal. He has proven to be an exceptional pick up for the kennel, winning for the ninth time in 14 starts, including six of eight at Central Park.

There was a decent sprint win from Tracton Starbar who won for the third time in five starts for Mick Mavrias. He is only a September 24 whelp, so there should be plenty more to come from him as he matures. 

At the other end of the distance scale, Barry O'Sullivan had a six-bend winner with Harlequin Flewin. She gave herself a bit of work to do early on but she picked them off gradually from the back to get herself to the front by a head.

Dean Childs had a win from Distant Layla, Dave Puddy landed a success with Hasty Lottie and Dan Brabon picked up a sprint win from Simon John in the other three opens on the night.

Parker lands a Doncaster four-timer

It was a full slate of 16 opens at Doncaster which saw honours go to Sean Parker courtesy of four winners. He kicked that off with the opening race of the night and Romeo Tallisker who surprised the odds-on Sole Focus who had led them on the run to the opening bend. 

Charming Delight did plenty wrong in her win, slow away before finding trouble around the opening couple of bends. She showed the best middle gears to get to the front down the back before having to dig deep to hold off the late charge of Susan Watson's Miller Spirit.

The treble came up via Fourpenny Gift in a puppy contest. She had an A6 and A5 win on her card at Sheffield, making it a hat-trick last night. She has only had six starts in her life, showing the best early dash to get herself to the front at the opening bend.

Tromora Cross picked up the final winner for Parker in the fastest 450m time of the night. He was the third of Parker's winners for sport the red jacket, producing a smart 2.08 split which just got him far enough clear to hold off the closers.

There was a double for Darren Fretwell courtesy of Superb Morning and Carrowkeal Express in races two and 15. The former had notched up a treble in A2 grade at Sheffield earlier on in the year, getting himself to the front at the three-quarters mark around the outside. The latter left it later still, getting up on the run-in.

Another trainer to pick up a pair of winners was Ian Reynolds. It had taken a while for Farneys Wexford to win for him after joining last summer from Kevin Boon but the wait will have been worth it after an impressive 27.71 success over 450m.

Mind Your Mind was one of the best backed dogs on the card, usurping Querty as favourite for a maiden sprint and that money was well placed despite a big stumble from the boxes. He showed huge pace to put the race to bed turning for home and is capable of much quicker. 

The latter also got himself to the front late in the piece in a 450m contest. He came home too strongly for his rivals having made a bit of a mess of the start. He is another who had some recent A2 winning form at Owlerton.

Rockmount Lucy proved to be the one to beat over six bends once more at the track, picking up her fifth straight win over track and trip. It was a messy opening bend as the red-hot favourite Bogger Cash suffered plenty of trouble, doing well to grab second, so it would be interesting to see the pair clash again next week. 

A very smart sprint win came from Samantha Lapidge's Ballarue Rolo. He was moderately away but was still in control of his field within a couple of strides, clocking 16.74, topping his own fastest of the year from last month. Between those two wins he was a heat winner in the Dunstall Dash before getting no luck early in his semi, stumbling with the meat in a sandwich on the run-up.

He was four spots ahead of Jimmy Gaskin's Clonoon Ansar who won the following sprint. He also wasn't the quickest to stride but powered to the front before the opening bend and cleared away to win impressively. 

Moaning Hearns has been in flying form at Suffolk Downs in sprints for Darren Whitton and brought that winning form to Doncaster to take a 275m contest in a decent 16.87.

Phil Milner closed out the evening with a win for Droopys Glam. His Keefill Goose was sent off as the favourite but he got trodden on at the quarter mark which allowed the winner to kick on around the outside. 

Susan Watson's Sandwood Gabby, Paul Meek's How's That and Ricky Overton's Leahs Pat were the other three winners on the card.

Morris doubles up at Yarmouth

Four opens on the Yarmouth card saw Craig Morris take two of them. Gundy was not the kennel's strongest chance in the sprint according to the market but he has form over further and once he had worked himself to the front at the first bend, he was never going to be caught.

Rockmount Nellie was the other winner for Morris, quickly getting herself to the front on the run to the bend. She has won seven of her 15 starts and finished second in five more of them which is a remarkable level of consistency from her.

Jane Craske got a winner from New Ground. For a long way it had looked like a treble for Morris as his Honey Dazzler set the early fractions. The winner was struggling for a run, still last off the fourth bend but he forced his way into second by the fifth bend and timed his run to perfection to get up late on. 

The first open on the card went to David Prentice's Somersham Wolf. He made all of the running to produce a solid 27.87 which was the quickest of the 462m contests on the card.