Memphis is the star once more at Towcester
There was open class racing on Sunday at Towcester, Sheffield and the Valley, with King Memphis the star at the first of those.
Memphis makes it five straight at Towcester
Age is showing no signs of catching up with King Memphis, picking up a flying 28.62 win to headline the Towcester Sunday card. He timed his break to perfection, producing a sub four-second sectional on his way to a six and a half length success. That's a fifth win in a row for him, all over this 500m in a time 72 spots quicker than any of the other opens on the card.
Zappa was the second quickest, breaking his maiden tag at open level for Carol Weatherall. An A2 winner in both December and January, he turned handy enough to the leader Salacres Lock Up to pick him up late on.
Although Peter Harnden was out of luck there, he picked up a winner of his own from Salacres Awyr. She has a strong strike rate, picking up her seventh win in 18 starts, climbing up the grades from A5 back in October.
It was good to see Avongate Venus get her head back in front for the first time since the opening round of the Coronation Cup last June. Phil Milner's bitch has made the final of the Oaks in the meantime and chased home Slick Skylark in her 2026 debut last week. She has shown top form at this track in the past and once more, she came good at Towcester.
Steel lands Janssens one at Sheffield
Three opens at Sheffield saw a trio of odds on chances for Patrick Janssens but it was Romeo Steel who would prove to be the only one of the three to get his head in front. It was a very smart time that he produced, crossing the line in 28.58, a couple of lengths ahead of anything else so far this year.
Colliers Bucholz added to an excellent start to 2026 with another win in the sprint for Paul Prior. 16.06 was another solid clocking to add to his win already this year, a ninth career success outside of graded company.
David Fradgely was responsible for the shock of the day as his Tiermana Blaze got first run on Romeo Ability to turn over the 1/9 market leader. The winner chased home Bruce Bay in a Winter Derby trial stake when last in action, that form boosted on Saturday with the Mark Wallis runner the quickest of the semi-final winners.
Valley double for Rawlings
Adrian Rawlings picked up a couple of the open races at the Valley with Ashway June and Ashway Marshy, both in six-bend contests. The former was the shortest priced winner on the card at 1/5, running riot by five lengths to make it five wins on the bounce. The latter by a 10-length margin to back up his A4 win from his most recent start.
Another who has been in excellent form around here is Epic Evelyn. Donna Davy's bitch has now crossed the line first in seven of her last 10 starts, lacking up a sprint open win last week with one over four bends on Sunday.
There were two sprint opens on the card, the quicker of which went to Klassical Model for Marcus May. It was only the third start of her career, picking up an A5 win last time out. The drop to sprinting looked to suit, quickly in control and running out a four-length winner.
The other saw Tony Morgan's Toems Hour home in front. She did things from behind, picking up the leader in the shadow of the post to pick up her first win since October.
