Nottingham double for Denby as Kodi comes out on top once more

Denby at the double

Another week at Nottingham, another win for Barry Denby's The Other Kodi who took the 480m Standard final in clear cut fashion last night. He clocked an identical 28.27 to his heat win, now holding two of the top five times over this trip here in 2026. It was win number 12 from 16 starts at Nottingham but he maintained his perfect record over the shorter four-bend trip which now reads 7/7.

Denby added a sprint winner with Ayup Sausage, who like her kennelmate popped out in front and never saw another rival. Another similarity is the excellent winning run that she has been on for the last four months, winning seven of her 11 starts in that time, with two of her four defeats seeing her finish a short head second. They have all come since dropping back from 500m, picking up her first open win here.

The quickest of the three sprint winners on the night was Esther Driver's Ballymac Gian. He had shown plenty of ability in runs at Doncaster and Sheffield without getting his head in front, as well as in trials at his home track. He put it all together for the first time to get himself off the mark in a flying 17.53, albeit on a fast track.   

Swift Kipper won the only 500m open on the night, not for catching off a very smart 4.93 split. With the track as quick as it was, there was little concern that Terry Munslow's bitch would be reeled back in after that sort of start, another who has been a Nottingham win machine this year, picking up her 16th success in 2026.

A third sprint on the night went to Craig Marston and Dubliners Flyer. He was a semi-finalist in the Star Sports Welsh Derby, heading back to his home track of Monmore to pick up a pair of A3 wins. The split times that he has produced always suggested that sprinting could be a good thing for him, getting off the mark at the first time of asking.