Poppy “Slingshots” her way to ARC Puppy Trophy success, while Sonique goes quickest in Coral Coronation Cup Semi’s

Poppy “Slingshots” her way to ARC Puppy Trophy success, while Sonique goes quickest in Coral Coronation Cup Semi’s

We review the Open Race action from a busy Friday night at Sunderland and Romford as Slingshot Poppy lands the £7,500 Arc Puppy Trophy Final, while Fabulous Sonique goes quickest in the Coral Coronation Cup Semi Final’s

Pat Buckley’s Slingshot Poppy made it three wins from three starts at Sunderland when producing a fantastic front running performance, making every single metre to land the £7,500 Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final in fine style.

In what turned out to be a five runner affair with the withdrawal of Greenwell Tyson due to coughing, Slingshot Poppy was sent off as a well supported 8/11F having been 11/8F earlier in the day and didn’t give her followers a moment’s worry. Having been led in her Semi Final by Sunnyside Jayden, Slingshot Poppy produced a much break here and was able to lead on the run to the first bend. However, the strong running Kevin Hutton trained runner Jacktavern Chief had also trapped well and was only half a length behind going into the first bend, and at that stage it looked to be well and truly game on.

However, at that point, Jacktavern Chief was struck into by Sunnyside Jayden moving off from Trap One, and suffered further crowding just before the second bend, relegating him down to fourth. This enabled Buckley’s Irish raider to scoot clear, building up a lead of five lengths down the back and although her rivals in behind gave chase, the writing was on the wall at the third bend as Jacktavern Chief was held up by the Ted Soppitt pair Sunnyside Jayden and Sunnyside Gurkha. 

Taking full advantage, Slingshot Poppy was able to draw further clear, crossing the line six and three quarters clear of the unlucky in running Jacktavern Chief back in second, with 33/1 outsider Witton Versace staying on late to finish third. The winners time of 26.73 (+10) is the third quickest time over course and distance this year, just two spots behind the fastest time of 26.71 set by Lion Heart back in April.

Elsewhere on the card, it proved to be a good night for the local trainers as eight of the ten other Open’s were landed by Sunderland trainers, including a double for Dean Blackbird over 450m, as Emers Bean (9/4) made all the running to score in 27.29 (+10), while just over half an hour later, the double was landed by Rebel Columbus (9/4) as he also made all the running in 27.14 (+10)

There was good prize money on offer throughout the card with two £1,000 to the winner Final’s supporting the main event. 

Romford trainer Dave Mullins made the long journey up from Essex a worthwhile one as Brindle Bully (5/1) overcame early trouble to work his way through the field to take up the lead on the run for home, landing the Arena Racing Company 450 Standard Final in 26.99 (+10).

 Carl Jackson took the honours in the Arena Racing Company Dash Final as his well fancied Lion Heart (8/11F) hit the front rounding the opening bend, drawing clear for a three and three quarter length victory in 15.41 (+5), and, like Slingshot Poppy, also recorded the third fastest time of the year over course and distance.

Although not paying £1,000, the Arena Racing Company Marathon over 828m still had an attractive winners prize of £828, though the withdrawals of Not To Be, Ballintemple Ann and Greenwell Gypsy meant that only three runners went to the traps. The result however was over in a matter of strides as George Stark’s Push Your Luck (4/9F) hit the front and drew further and further clear, crossing the line fourteen lengths clear, recording a time of 52.53 (+30) in the first race to be held over the distance since 2017!

The opening Open Race of the evening was a sprint contest over 261m, with Paul Miller’s In The Net (13/8F) getting favourite backers off to a good start, leading round the first bend to score by a length in a time of 15.97 (N). 

Over the four bends, there were wins for Graham Strike, whose Whyaye Gan On (11/4) pounced late to deny Dominoh Hoo Hoo by half a length in 26.96 (+10), Stephen Caile and Tom Heilbron, whose respective winners Crooks Coco (7/4) and Singalong Rex (9/2) both to the honours in the same time of 27.19. 

The remaining contest on the card, a six bend contest over 640m went the way of Yvonne Bell, whose Aulton Jim (5/4F) justified favouritism when leading round the opening bends, holding off the late attentions of Hardwick Teddy for a half length victory in 39.79 (+20).

Sonique goes quickest in Coronation Cup Semi Finals

Over at Romford, three Semi Final’s of the Coral Coronation Cup were the headline races on the card, with the Mark Wallis trained Fabulous Sonique recording the fastest time but also saw the shock exit of several of the more fancied runners, including the Ante Post favourite and last year’s champion, New Destiny.

Fabulous Sonique (8/11F) turned the opening bend of the first Semi Final in a decent looking position behind Belinda Green’s Teddie and took up the lead after a coming together with that rival at the third bend. Teddie battled back gamely but couldn’t get back on terms with Fabulous Sonique, who crossed the line a length and three quarters ahead, with a winning time of 34.96 (N). 

The second Semi Final saw a huge upset, where the odds on favourite and defending champion New Destiny exited the competition after early crowding having produced a slow start. It was fellow 33/1 outsiders of the field Whitewood Libre and Jades Rocket who set the early pace, with the Gemma Evans Whitewood Libre leading until the third bend when the Dave Mullins Jades Rocket bumped his rival out of the way to take up the lead. 

All eyes would have been on New Destiny and the other strong runner, Maxine Locke’s Radical Scoby at this point to see if either or both could work their way through the field to secure a qualifying spot, but despite both staying on, they were unable to reel in the winner or the runner up with both 33/1 shots going through to next week’s Final, with Jades Rocket recording a time of 35.37, the winning distance a length and three quarters. Mullins had also been on target just over half an hour earlier when his Calypso Moon (6/5F) made all the running in the second heat of the Friday Night maiden in 24.42.

Following the withdrawals of Hogans Hawk and Tivoli Milo, the third Semi Final was a four dog affair, but it saw another huge upset as Cree Bono, trained at Central Park by Jim Reynolds, pinged the lids and made all the running in 35.24, the outsider of the quartet scoring at 12/1, with Michelle Brown’s Golden Palace three and three quarters of a length behind back in second at 6/1. The two fancied runners, the Wallis trained Mad For Sterling and Avongate Venus, who looked to be an unlucky loser for Phil Milner when having the door closed when challenging for the lead at the fifth bend, both exited the competition. 

Brown had better luck earlier on in the card as she was one of three trainers who were able to land a double over four bends.

Roanna Mamba (5/2) pinged the lids and made all the running for an impressive seven and a quarter length victory in 23.81, while two races later, Pro Parker (9/4F) landed a fourth victory in his last six starts at the track when again, making all the running to land the double for Brown in 24.29, this time the margin of victory being half a length.

Other trainers to land doubles were local trainers Dave Lee and Paul Burr

The first of Lee’s victories arrived in the very first race on the card as Kilgowan Balad (3/1) set the tone for front running performances when making all the running over 400m in 24.28, while the double arrived courtesy of Bright Jewel (6/5) in the 750m marathon. This time, she had to work her way through the field after a slow start but was able to pick up Brown’s 25/1 shot Antons Maggie rounding the last bends to draw clear for a four and three quarter length victory in 47.34 (-20). 

Makeit Bigcheeks (15/8F) got Burr off the mark for the evening in the first of the six bend contests over 575m, when picking up the front running Belinda Green runner Ballymac Kinga on the run for home for a length victory in 35.81, while the well fancied Bacon Roll (10/11F) proved too strong for her female rivals, taking up the lead at the third bend for a three quarter of a length victory in 24.23 for the 400m trip. 

Having finished runner up on three previous occasions during the night, Green finally went one place better in the finale over 575m when Gary The Arb (4/7F) took up the lead down the back straight before going on to score by two and a half lengths in a time of 34.94 (-15), a time which proved to faster than all three Semi Finals of the Coronation Cup. 

Chelms Morris (2/7F) was the shortest priced winner on the card, but didn’t give those who took the short price a moments worry when running out a comfortable three and a half length winner in the first heat of the Friday Night maiden over 400m in 23.97 and will likely go off a short price again in next week’s Final.