Oxford and Towcester were kind to favourite backers on Sunday

Vhagar extends wins streak but Eagles Respect goes quicker

The two semi-finals of the bet365 Challenge Cup were separated by just six spots yesterday. Run on -60 going, the demands on stamina was always going to suit Angie Kibble's Eagles Respect who picked up the second semi in 39.53. The Produce Stakes winner is relishing the 650m at present, leading home Ballymac Madgie for Shaun Gresham and Newinn Cloud for Mark Wallis.

Wallis had Vhagar extend her winning streak to five yesterday in the opening semi but she had to work hard to run down Romeo Empire who had pushed up her inside at the opening bend to throw down the gauntlet. The Patrick Janssens-trained railer had looked like holding on for much of the final 100m but he was just picked up on the line. Kevin Hutton's Resonate took the final qualifying spot. 

There was a double for Chris Hamblin in the supporting BetGoodwin Maiden Series over 450m. Ernie Webb Mate and Swift Quarter backed up their heat wins in the semis with the former the quickest of the three winners in 27.12. Rebel Alaska and Jimmy One Shot chased the pair home for Hutton and Claire Conley respectively. Swift Quarter broke the beam in 27.25. 

The other semi-final went to Shaun Gresham's Ballymac Drasher who reversed heat form from last week with Henrys Rex. Nathan Hunt's representative made the final behind the 27.24 winner, beaten just a head.

Hutton picked up a pair of wins on the afternoon. Start The Engine is a Sunday staple at the track and once more justified short odds to extend his winning streak to 11. Dreamin Francis won the final race on just her third start since finishing third in the final of the British Bred Oaks at the track back in August. 

A pair of Puppy Oaks trial stakes went to Maxine Locke's The Other Winx and Belinda Green's Bikini Bullet. The former was getting off the mark at the 10th time of asking on her first try in the striped jacket. The second named is just a June 24 whelp and was winning for the second time in four starts. A marathon contest on the card went to Remember Betty for Matt Dartnall.

Goose sets the BGBF British Bred Derby standard 

There was a double for Phil Milner in the opening round of the BGBF British Bred Derby at Towcester. Keefill Goose clocked 28.94 to go quickest of the six heat winners while the defending champion Keefill Rocky got off to the perfect start in his bid to go back-to-back. 

It was a first start at the track since January for Rocky but Goose had made the final of the BGBF TruFrame Champion Stakes at the track back in June. He'd had to give best to Patrick Janssens's Romeo Steel on that occasion and that old rival produced a winning run in the second heat to comfortably book his place in the semis. Yahoo Megan closed out the card to give Janssens a double.

Towcester has seen very limited visits from the Liz McNair kennel this year, but her 2024 Derby finalist King Memphis roared back to winning ways in a smart 28.98 to take out heat four, the second quickest winner in the competition.

David Mullins collected a heat courtesy of Izzys Tenpin. From a litter that are now an excellent 51/202 combined, he is already a British Bred Category One finalist this year having made the decider of the Produce Stakes.

The opening heat went to Kevin Hutton's Venetian Will. His 29.47 was the slowest of the six heats but he was making just the 11th start of his career, so he retains potential for better to come. He was the second half of a Hutton double which had been kicked off by Jet Stream Jane.

Tiffield Tarquin was the quickest 500m winner on the afternoon, producing a 28.85 run for Roy Peckham. Romeo Aragon and Keeperhill Duke won staying contests for Seamus Gaughan and Mattie Richards with Frank Gray producing the longest priced winner of the day in the opening contest as Makeitpaddington crossed the line in front at 9/1.

Sheffield doubles for Draper and Fradgely 

Daring Moaner has proven very hard to beat since the end of July for David Fradgely, winning her fifth straight contest and a sixth straight over six bends. She has come a long way since an A3 win at Kinsley on July 24! It's been a while since Tiermana Rocky got his head in front but he hit the lids for the first time in a long time to take out a 480m contest.

Rose Draper also picked up an invitational double on the afternoon, with Crokers Harry and Ballyboss Hack doing the business. The first of those picked up another sprint, his sixth win in 11 starts since joining the kennel. The latter was breaking her duck outside of graded company.

Emmybell Boy continues to show plenty of consistency for Lisa Stephenson, the winner of half of his last six starts. Easy Maximus closed out the card with a win for Gwyneth Rees, while the biggest shock came from Michael Hurst's Blackshore who was a 10/1 victor.