Holland's Slippery Brian is quickest in Derby trial stakes

Holland off the mark at Towcester

There were three runners for Graham Holland on the Towcester card yesterday, the two that were sent off odds-on were both beaten before Slippery Brian brought a winner back for the Irish challengers with a 4/1 success. He appeared to have the 'weakest' form of the Irish runners but he ran out a comfortable winner over Droopys Berries who has been in smart form of late. 

Zappa showed off the best early gears to take out the opening trial stake for Carol Weatherall. A BGBF British Breeders Stakes semi-finalist earlier on in the month, he got far enough clear in the early stages to see off Holland's Gaytime Joachim.

Kevin Hutton's Rebel Alaska took advantage of Swords Style's lack of a look around, with the Irish runner moving off at the quarter mark to open the door for the winner. Rebel Alaska had been successful in the BetGoodwin Maiden Series final over 450m at Oxford in December, with this his first win on his third start back from three months off. Holland's runner showed serious trapping and gears though and is one to follow now he has had that look.

There was a winner for Glenn Hockings as Heres Ringo made every yard in his trial stake. It was just his second run back since a break stretching back to last August, so he is probably going to improve a touch more still next time out. He made the second round of the Derby last year, knocked out despite clocking 29.07 when behind qualifiers Churchfield Syd, Vhagar and Droopys Plunge!

Away and gone was very much the order of the day in the opens, with Heather Dimmock's Chasing Larry using those tactics to great effect on his UK debut. He is from the same litter as a couple of very smart types in Chasing Rachel and Goldcash Warrior, looking a well above average recruit himself. 

It was Frank Gray who took the other open on the card courtesy of Sporting Boogie. She took a bitches contest from the front at 11/1 producing the biggest surprise of the afternoon for punters. She had not run over 500m since Boxing Day and the return to the longer trip looked to help. 

Maura best of the Sheffield winners

Honours were shared around at Sheffield with five different trainers each picking up one of the invitationals on the card. Catunda Maura was the most impressive winner on the clock, picking up a 480m contest for Stephen Naylor. She had rattled off a hat-trick over this trip late last year but had picked up a solitary D1 in her 2026 action until yesterday.

Ballymac Buddy was untroubled to win a puppy contest by five lengths for Ted Soppitt. The Gymcrack gets underway on April 12, and the Arc Northern Puppy Derby finalist looks sure to be a contender. It was at this track just before Christmas that he made his debut, going into plenty of notebooks that day after stopping the clock at 28.66.

Esther Driver had a winner in the shape of Skyfall Mini. She had kicked off her year with a win over track and trip but had been no match for Kelly Hodson's Romeo Force the following week, that runner sent off favourite on Sunday but the Nottingham raider controlled the inside early on. 

There had been a winner for Hodson earlier on the card with Romeo On Point taking a 500m contest. The wide runner missed the early trouble on the inside and that proved to be the difference maker for him as he picked up the running exiting the back straight.

A sprint on the card went to Finnery Kobe for Suzie Oxley. He was the only puppy in the contest, adding an open race success to his D2 and D1 victories for a third win in his latest five starts. 

Foot doubles up at Star Pelaw

Beachgrove Lad and Mags Star provided Glenn Foot with a double at Star Pelaw. The first of those came in a sprint contest, clocking a solid 14.57 having out trapped his rivals. He scored at the main expense of Inclement Queen who had won three of her first five career starts, having picked up a win last week himself.

Mags Star just pulled out enough of a lead to the opening bend to see off Tom Heilbron's Safe Vision by a short head. The winner has scored in both of her starts since a fall in a sprint contest, both over 435m having not run over that trip since September prior to her A3 win last week.

The inside draw was a big help to Popper Joe in a race where the four runners were separated by two spots at the line the first time around. Henry Young's runner was brave to hold his line on the inside going into the turn, with two of his rivals coming off worse in a bumping match. 

Colin Watson had a winner with Pothole Bob, picking up his third victory in his last four starts. The June 24 pup has only had six runs in total for Watson after winning three of four at Youghal. 

A maiden sprint went the way of Footfield Angel for Colin Dibb. She is approaching veteran stage in June but was picking up her third win in her last eight starts. It was a surprise for punters given the majority of her form is at a lower level, her 8/1 starting price comfortably the biggest of the open race winners.