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Romford double for Locke and a Sunderland brace for Bulmer

There was open class racing at Romford and Sunderland on Friday night, we take a look back at the action.

Matt Newman

07 Jun 2025

Romford double for Locke and a Sunderland brace for Bulmer

Maxine Locke with a Friday night double at Romford

Droopys Rosie led the way over the 575m distance at Romford last night for Maxine Locke. She had endured a difficult passage at Towcester last week but she bounced back in style when coming home the strongest to round out the card. In four her last five runs over the track and trip her calculated times have been 35.41, 35.39, 35.40 and last night, 35.40!

Locke had also been on target earlier on with Razldazl Myway. He was straight over 575m on his UK debut and as a half-brother to the 2024 Golden Jacket winner Dazl Rolex, that shouldn't have been a surprise. The clock stopped in 35.51 with six and a quarter lengths the official margin.

Another to make a successful winning UK debut was Nathan Hunt's Whyaye Bonnylad. The 2023 National Puppy winner at Shelbourne has struggled to hold his form with any consistency since but only ran 14 times in 2024. It will be interesting to see where connections head with him now that he has got his head in front again.

Bombay Buck produced a 23.66 to lead all 400m winners on the evening for Paul Young. It was his fourth standard final in the last three months, well deserving of getting his head in front in one of them.

Seamus Cahill was on the scoresheet courtesy of Tivoli Milo. He had missed out on a spot in the BetGoodwin and JR Racing Maiden Derby final by half a length in April, flashing around Towcester in 29.05 (-10) last time out. He added a 575m success to his tally last night.

It's now four wins in the last six starts for Alan The First. Martyn Wiley's charge really has got the bit between his teeth in recent weeks, picking up a third open race success for the Live Laugh Hound Syndicate. In fact, his only open race defeat came when third to El Tornillo and Droopys Manowar where he was only beaten a length and a half in total.

El Tornillo's trainer Dave Lee picked up a winner with Ontherun Eden. Michelle Brown took the 750m contest with Gothic Kitty, breaking the podium stranglehold of Bright Jewel who had the three quickest eight-bend runs of the year. The other open on the card went to Eric Cantillon's Blackrose Tina who, at 6/1, was the largest odds winner on the night.

A Sunderland double for Mark Bulmer

Six opens at Sunderland last night saw Mark Bulmer the only trainer to pick up more than one. They came in the two heats of the Arena Racing Company Dual Distance Trophy with Hazelhill Percy and Fraser.

The latter is on his third kennel since arriving in the UK but was thought of well enough to go straight into the Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby where he made the semi-finals. He is only just out of puppy status but is now starting to fulfil his potential after a win over 450m at Sunderland last week.

David Mullins unusually didn't have any runners at Romford but the long trip to Sunderland saw the kennel return with a winner courtesy of Santas Amigo. It was his fourth win in just eight starts, all in open race company.

Only a September 2023 whelp, he will be a leading contender for the Arena Racing Company Puppy Cup which starts next Friday night. He should still have plenty of progression left in him after the second quickest 450m time of the night.

It was Carl Jackson's Lion Heart who produced the fastest, but only by a single spot. It was a fourth win in a row for the son of Droopys Sydney and Susie Sapphire and number 10 since arriving from Ireland.

Chloe Hardy produced the final open race winner of the evening with Unanimous Kai. He led early but had to fend off the closers in a race where the front three were separated by a pair of short heads. Ballyspellan was the other winner on the card, taking a messy puppy contest for Colin Handford.