Litter brother forecast in Betway Juvenile Classic led home by Arthur Bitter

Godfrey lands the Betway Juvenile Classic

The final of the Betway Juvenile Classic was the feature on the Towcester card on Sunday afternoon and it didn't disappoint with Arthur Bitter claiming the victory for Patrick Godfrey. Early pace won him the day, out-trapping his rivals and getting himself around in front.

He was one of three representing the Grangeview Ten X Annadown Beauty litter, chased home by Maxine Locke's Annadown Warrior who had taken another slight misstep from the lids in second with Sean Parker's Anandown Shadow missing out by a short head on a one-two-three for the litter. 

They are a hugely exciting bunch, and it has to be hoped that they can all make it through until next summer as the stories at the 2027 Derby could be huge with those in the litter in the UK all more than capable of making it to the latter stages, with plenty of competition experience between them.

Venetian Mario showed up well early on the outside at a track that doesn't suit those in the striped jacket, running a huge race for John Campbell to take third. Paul Young was responsible for the other two finalists in Bowmers Buddy and Underground Matt. There will be other days for that pair. 

There was an excellent trio of open race winners on the undercard for Kevin Hutton, kicking off with Start The Engine. He had dead-heated with Coppice Ferry a week ago but the market had no doubt who was going to come out on top on this occasion with the winner sent off at 1/3. The win machine has now won 24/32 races, blasting his rivals away on the run to the opening bend.

Tooreen Rose backed up a win from last week as well, with another for Hutton, taking the staying contest. She had been run close last week by Fabulous Heka but Patrick Janssens's bitch was well seen off this time after being slow to stride. Hutton's winner took control early but she needed her big lead to hold off Frankton Ivy who was cutting her back late on. 

The middle leg of the treble was Jazzy Duke who was another to score by a wide margin. The only puppy in his contest, he held his line on the inside into the opening bend and that was enough to see him away and gone from his rivals, eventually running out a six and a half length victor.

Young got on the scoresheet with Copney Queen who needed the lead that she carved out to halfway to hold off Poly Styrene who had walked out of the traps before eating into the lead from halfway, eventually only going under by a short head. 

The other open on the afternoon saw a win for Parkview Jack and Michelle Brown. He was swiftly into stride through the middle and over the 460m trip, which saw him take the contest comfortably. He has won three of his last four for the kennel, picking up B2 and B1 contests over this trip before making the breakthrough at open level. 

Ballycowen Frank lights up Dundalk

A new track record was set in the Time International at Dundalk last night as Michael O'Donovan's Ballycowen Frank scorched to a five-length victory in the one-off feature over 550y.

It was his first race in five weeks since setting a new clock for Tralee's 550y distance in early June, landing the Race of Champions final on that occasion. 

A Kirby finalist, it is only the winner of that competition Bouncing Monarch who heads him in the ante-post betting for the BOYLEsports Irish Derby with the sponsors, with less than four weeks to go until the start of that competition. He has not finished out of the first three in his 16 starts over four bends, which suggests he is going to be very hard to knock out.

A starting slot in the orange jacket looked tough on paper but such was his early pace that he had the field beaten by the time they got to the opening bend. He had a length on Ballymac Ralf at that point, more than enough to run the line he wanted with Liam Dowling's Derby finalist maintaining his spot the entire way around.  

Singalong Polly kept digging in to finish third, with Lennies Eddie running a remarkable race to finish fourth given how much ground he forfeited at the start with an incredibly slow exit. Toolmaker King and Epic Ace finished fifth and sixth with the latter getting up and completing after an opening bend tumble. 

Davy with three at Sheffield

It was an excellent end to the weekend for Sean Davy, following up a double at Doncaster on Saturday night with a trio of winners at Sheffield on Sunday. 

He kicked it off in the opening contest with Good Levi backing up the smart impression that he had made on his debut last week with another sprinting win. It was a decent scalp he took in second in Star Pelaw track record holder Foulkscourt Bono, with the market only interested in backing one dog. There should still be plenty to come from this unexposed son of Good Cody. 

Another to be very well backed and go on to win for Davy was Epic Command. In a field full of young and unexposed sorts, he proved to be the best trapper and that put him instantly in control. From there, he just went further clear, eventually running out a six-length winner.

The treble was completed by Trewmunt Slippy in another sprint contest, making a successful UK debut. He had just a Derry sprint to his name in Ireland but showed that he is a smarter type than that with this success. A litter brother to Towcester winner Copney Queen, he is another for Davy who has better days ahead of him.

Rose Draper took the staying contest on the card with Inca Brook who was quick to stride in the orange jacket. The short run to the bend saw him in control around the outside almost instantly, never looking to have a moment of worry as he stretched out to a five and a half length winning margin. 

There was a win for Franco Jon Jo in the other open on the card for Frank Macklin. He had shown some decent form at the likes of Towcester and Nottingham prior to this and with just three rivals to beat, he got off the mark at the fourth time of asking for the kennel having joined from Laurence Tuffin.