Saturday Night Open Report- Rocky lands knockout blow to Felix as part of Milner Doncaster treble

Saturday Night Open Report- Rocky lands knockout blow to Felix as part of Milner Doncaster treble

Plenty of open racing on Saturday night in the UK at Doncaster, Monmore, Central Park and Oxford, we take a look at all the action from those four tracks

Doncaster

Doncaster staged an all open race twelve race card on Saturday which saw the winning run for Acomb Felix ended by Phil Milner’s Keefill Rocky in the finale

It was Keefill Rocky who broke best of all and held a narrow advantage heading into the opening bend but was under pressure from Kevin Ferguson’s Acomb Felix, who despite not producing his best break, paced up to the bend well in the heats of the 450m standard competition. 

Keefill Rocky held his ground at the bend as the two runners had a slight coming together, which enabled Rocky to build up a lead of a couple of lengths out of the second bend.

 Paul Prior’s Colliers Bucholz was in second at this point with Acomb Felix close behind and making ground into the third bend but was forced to check behind Colliers Bucholz at that point. That played into the paws of Keefill Rocky, who made his way home, and crossed the line in front of Acomb Felix by six lengths in 27.57  (-20) at odds of 10/3, with Milner’s other runner Droopys Glam finishing third. All three will line up again in next week’s final. 

Milner had also been on target in the previous heat, when Keefill Vale led off the second bend and held off the late challenge of Trevor Coote’s Dapper Ted to score by three quarters of a length in 28.09 (-20) at 4/1. Odds on 4/6F Toomevara Sheera overcame a slow start to fill the other qualifying position for Paul Philpott.

Snowfall (11/4) had earlier been in target for Milner in the second heat of the 483m maiden competition, overcoming trouble in running on a few occasions to get the better of Bev Heaton’s Grovenor Tails by a head in 29.92 (-10), with the Debbie Calvert trained Ferryforth Cody a further head back in third.

Heat one of that competition went the way of local trainer Kirsty Grayson’s Kilgarran Dolly (5/6F), who came from off the pace to reel in another Bev Heaton runner Grovenor Chief, landing a four-timer in doing so when crossing the line in 29.99 (-10) by half a length, with another Grayson runner, Westway Sailor, a further short head behind back in third.

A 275m competition kicked off the evening action, and both heats went the way of the favourites and visiting trainers David Fradgley and Jason Smith.

Fradgley’s Rental Crisis has been in good form of late and made it eleven victories in his last fourteen starts at Nottingham, Kinsley, Sheffield and Doncaster with another all the way success, with the 4/11F coming home three and a half lengths clear of Trevor Coote’s Crystal Joey in 16.74, with Susan Watson’s Mustang Mile back in third. 

Fradgley was also on target in the six bend contest later on in the card, when his Daring Moaner made all the running,  causing a surprise when scoring at 9/1 in 41.65 (-20), with Jimmy Gaskin’s Trewmount Fury two and quarter lengths behind back in second.

4/7F Westfield Bullet paced up well to take the lead at the opening bend from Trevor Coote’s The Other Coco, and having done so, was in no danger of surrendering the advantage, with Jason Smith’s greyhound drawing clear to score by three and a quarter lengths in 16.94 from The Other Coco, with Bev Heaton’s Grovenor Bigsox narrowly securing the final qualifying position back in third. 

Smith was also on the mark in the first heat of the 450m maiden competition as Kilbride Tractor pulled off an upset at 5/1 when hitting the front at the last bend to draw clear in the later stages for a two and quarter length success in 28.14 (-10), with Bev Heaton’s Highview Amy back in second, and Smith’s other runner, Westfield Alba back in third. Well fancied 2/9F Longacres Lad finished last of four having cramped up when challenging at the third bend.

Local trainer Ricky Overton caused another surprise in the second heat as his Millhouse Craig made all the running at 7/1 in 28.09 (-10), with Trevor Coote’s Me Birthday three quarters of a length behind. Jimmy Gaskin’s On The Wall finished a further half a length behind back in third but looked an unlucky loser, having stayed on well after early trouble, with the 10/11F looking for compensation in next week’s final

The final of the 483m Standard competition next week looks to be a competitive affair on the basis of tonight’s heats. Sheffield’s Stephen Naylor landed the first heat with 6/4F Catunda Ciaran making all the running in 29.36 for a comfortable four and three quarter length victory from Rose Draper’s Ballymac Lawless, with Bev Heaton’s Ballymac Alyssa back in third.

Heat two looked to be a cracker on paper, and it proved to be on the track as local trainer Debbie Calvert’s Agile Ange (4/1) got the better of Phil Milner’s Keefill Goose. It was Keefill Goose who hit the front early and looked to make all the running, but the strong running Agile Ange was always in a handy position and proved too strong close home, getting up to score by a head in 29.40, with recent Northern Flat winner, Naochra, trained by John Flaherty, a length a three quarters back in third

Calvert then landed a double on the card in the following puppy contest as Blueys Elle (7/2) picked up another Milner runner, Thequietman, on the run for home in a time of 28.29 (-10), with the distance being three quarters of a length

 Monmore

Monmore opens dominated by Hunt & Billingham-Hine

Monmore staged six opens as part of their National Greyhound Week celebrations but those six races were dominated by just two trainers, with Nathan Hunt claiming a four-timer, while Kim Billingham-Hine landed a double

All four of Hunt’s victories came in four bend action, the first being Whisky Elsa in the 480m maiden. Breaking well from the traps, backers of the Puppy Classic runner up behind Romeo Alliance at Nottingham on Monday, never had a moments worry as the 13/8JF made all the running in 28.32 (+30), three and a quarter lengths clear of Patoka. 

Bang On Edith repeated those tactics again for Hunt in the Bitches contest and won by almost the same distance, this time crossing the line three and a half lengths clear of Arthur Minute, with the 11/8 shot recording a time of 28.42 (+30)

The hat-trick arrived courtesy of another front running performance from the well fancied Cunnigar Yousir. The 4/6F, who had won his last two starts at Nottingham, landed the hat-trick with a dominate display, breaking well from the traps to build up a commanding lead, with the winning distance four and a quarter lengths with the winning time 28.40 (+10)

Newinn Oscar (15/8) landed the four-timer for Hunt by a wide margin in what proved to be a messy contest. Having found trouble out of the traps, Newinn Oscar overcame trouble at the first bend to hit the front and was never in any danger from that point, drawing clear of the field to record a seven and a half length victory in a time of 28.31 (+20)

Billingham-Hine’s victories arrived in six bend and two bend action.

Catchem Flawless was an all the way winner of the six bend maiden contest as the 5/1 shot recorded a three quarter of a length victory in a time of 38.25 (+40), holding off the late challenge of Sugar Candice in order to do so.

On paper, the sprint contest looked to be a match between Richie Taberner’s Aero Pattika and Billingham-Hine’s Newinn Bachelor and it was Aero Pattika who was sent off the 8/11F. However, a missed break proved costly and Newinn Bachelor took full advantage. Breaking well, he took the lead up at the first bend and held off the challenge from Aero Pattika  to score by a length in 15.44 (+10) at 2/1.

Central Park

Lee lands double but Luckhurst lands big race of the night

Central Park staged five opens on their thirteen race card and the big race of the night, the £500 to the winner Jenningsbet Standard Trophy Final went the way of the well fancied Kanturk Mills

Julie Luckhurst’s runner was beaten by Barry O’Sullivan’s Head Count in last week’s heats, but with that runner being withdrawn lame, the path was cleared for Kanturk Mills to take advantage and land the prize

Sent off as 4/6F, he quickly hit the front rounding the first bend, and from that point, the strong runner was never in any danger of being reeled in and went on to land the spoils in a time of 29.44 by three and a quarter lengths from Blastoff Kobbie

Romford trainer Dave Lee took the first and last of the five opens. Banteer Seamus produced a flying 3.00 sectional to build up an early lead in the 491m maiden contest. Barnfield Piper stayed on well in the later stages after early trouble, reducing the winning margin down to two lengths as the 7/2 shot stopped the clock in 29.45.

The double was landed for Lee courtesy of the prolific Bluejig Baron. He had to overcome trouble in running on more than one occasion, but the 4/9F hit the front rounding the third bend and went on to record a length and three quarter victory from Jumpstart Sarah in 29.67

On a good night for favourites, the George Andreas trained Pretty Epic ran out a decisive four length winner of the six bend maiden contest, with the 11/10F drawing clear after hitting the front at the fifth bend to win In a time of 41.47, while the Liz McNair trained King Presley followed up last week’s victory over two bends with another all the way success. The 8/11F produced another of his better breaks again here and once hitting the front, was in no danger, stopping the clock in 16.21 to record a three and a half length victory

Oxford  

Hutton lands both Opens at Oxford

Kevin Hutton held a strong hand in both opens at Oxford, and as expected, took the honours in both contests

Start The Engine suffered a costly defeat at 4/9F last week when beaten by kennel-mate Dreamin Reggie but turned the tables in no uncertain terms this week. A lively 3.90 sectional saw him hitting the front from the traps and was able to make all the running for a length and a half victory from kennel-mate Rioja Maxi in a time of 26.86 at odds of 4/6F.

Baran Tombstone produced an even quicker break, 3.88, as the 7/4F broke his maiden tag with another all the way success for Hutton. He crossed the line three and a quarter lengths clear of Rachel Hill’s Grantstown Cross in 26.88