Hunt takes. two of the three SIS British Bred heats at Valley

Hunt on top at Valley

The heats of the SIS British Bred Standard were dominated by Nathan Hunt, taking two of the three heats. Anglesey Milo was the quicker of his pair, fresh off a run to the semis of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Monmore. He has the natural talent to come on more for this second look around. 

Union Finale picked up the other win for Hunt, getting himself to the front at the third bend. It was by quite some way the slowest of the three heats, so he is going to have to find plenty if he is to make an impression in the final next week but he has limited miles on the clock and a leap forward wouldn't be any huge surprise. 

Steven Howard was responsible for the quickest of the three heat winners with Romeo Victor clocking 28.18. He had things wrapped up from a very early stage after blitzing his rivals on the run to the first bend. He would eventually come home an 11 and a half length winner.

Dalton Smith also had a double on the card, Mohican Bale getting the job done in the quicker of the two sprint opens on the care. He has just hit a ceiling at Dunstall Park for now in A4 grade but the drop back to sprinting and a different track has seen him get his head back in front. 

Mohican Ruby got Smith's double started with a win over four bends. A litter sister to Bale, she was out and gone before her rivals could see what way she went, running out a comfortable winner to pick up her first open race success.

There was a sprint win for Vixons Lionheart and Christian Darch. He showed the best boot to the corner around the outside and maintained the gallop well to keep runner-up Wings Of War at bay.

Anna Jeffrey was out of luck with Wings Of War but she had picked up a victory with Burkos Buster earlier on in the day. He had landed a sprint open at this track back in April, adding to that over the longer trip with what was his best display over 460m.

The other open on the card went to Craig Marston and Kates Goldie. He had landed an open at this track the week before and having won three in four back in March and April and then three in six in December and January before that, the chances are that he has more in him in the coming weeks.   

Kibble with a Towcester pair

Two of the first three opens on the Towcester card went the way of Angie Kibble. Cul Na Braithre was the quicker of the pair in a race where those at the head of the market were slow away (as he was) and had to dig deep. He grabbed the lead on the run-in to take a seventh open race win.

It was Rioja Wanda who got things started for Kibble, keeping things much more straightforward from the front. She was oblivious to the trouble behind her as she sauntered home more than eight lengths to the good. This was only the fifth start of her career, and she looks a very nice type for the future. 

The big surprise of the afternoon was the beating of Signet Nayla, finding Frank Gray's 12/1 outside Makeit River too strong for her. The winner had popped out best on the rails and although Kevin Hutton's classy bitch turned handy enough, she could never reel in the veteran.

Hutton had better luck in the race before with Dreamin Francis, another veteran to make all of the running. She has done plenty of her winning in the past in bunches so now that she has got her head in front, she might be able to pick up another couple of wins in the coming weeks.

On a great afternoon for veterans, a third got his head in front on the card in John Flaherty's Naochra. A strong runner over this 500m test, he needed all of that stamina and his veteran guile to get his head in front, timing his challenge well to get on top as the line loomed. 

The quickest of the day over 460m was Cornelius Condon's Loughmore. He came away handy enough, getting to the front down the back straight before pulling clear to win by nine lengths. An A1 winner at Romford back in March when in the care of Marlene Westwood, he has bundles of pace.

Seamus Gaughan had the winner of the staying contest on the card with Java Joan. A bet365 Hunt Cup finalist at Oxford back in March, she took full advantage of a decent break in a field where the two at the head of the market were slow away, fast finishing types. She stole a march on them early and that proved to be enough.

The first open on the card went the way of Simon Deakin and Glenvale Covey. He showed the best early pace to the bend to make it two wins in three starts for the kennel. His sole defeat had come when getting all sorts of trouble when contesting the opening round of the Arc Puppy Classic at Nottingham. 

Trio of Taberner winners at Sheffield

Half of the invitational races went the way of the Richie Taberner team at Sheffield. Aero Noduff got things started in a puppy contest where Taberner had four of the five runners. Kennelmate Adelinesfirstdog was sent off as the favourite but he had no answer to the early pace that his kennelmate produced. She was away and gone early on.

Holding Aero was the middle part of the treble, running riot by five lengths. He didn't get his head in front until well after halfway but he was very impressive once he had got to the lead. It was the first time that he has scored in a while, but he is a decent type when he finds his best form.

The treble was closed out by Countess Penny who backed up her easy win from a week ago. She showed the best pace to the bend and that was all she wrote. Back in March and April she had won on three straight starts and there's a real possibility that she can do the same here next week.

A short-priced winner of the sprint on the card was Rose Draper's Ballintee Roxy. She got her head in front for the first time in a while last week, comfortably backing that up. She is a very smart type when she is fully tuned up, and hopefully she can maintain her fitness and go on a run for her connections. 

Carol Weatherall took a staying contest with Ari Up. She benefited from a slick break and being able to get straight on the bunny in a small field which she was able to dominate from the front. In her early days she had looked like a nice recruit so hopefully this will give her confidence a boost and she can get back to that level. 

The first invitational on the card was won by Alien Bat for Stephen Naylor. He paced into the lead on the run to the opening corner to add to an A3 win from last month. He had some smart form in Ireland back in the spring, and is capable of stepping up on these early efforts around here judged on those.