Strong-running Hands up in Notts cracker
There was action at Nottingham on Monday night where Magic Hands was a notable winner to watch on the card for Kelly Wilton.
Hands a magic one to follow
Magic Hands remains a runner on the up, coming from off the pace to storm into next week's final of the Arena Racing Company Maiden Standard Trophy at Nottingham on Monday.
Lining up in heat two of the 500m event at the Colwick Park venue, the Kelly Wilton-trained March 24 whelp trailed his rivals early after being forced wide at the first turn. He had a mountain to climb down the back before powering through to catch Bev Heaton's longtime leader Grosvenor Ozzy on the line for a 29.95 success, the winning margin for the local over the Kinsley raider being a short-head. Robert Hall's Deelish Kobe qualified in third here.
Heat one went to Barry Denby's Kylenoe Stan who made all the running for a home victory in 30.01, blazing the trail to cross the line one and three-quarter lengths clear of another Robert Hall-trained runner in Burrows Blaze. Third here and into Monday's final was the latter's kennelmate Dixie Again.
It means Dunstall Park trainer Hall has three runners in next week's final, although Nottingham tracker Magic Hands looks set to start favourite.
Bockos Buster (pictured) was another last-gasp winner on the night as Kevin Boon's multiple Cat One finalist landed on the line in front - just - after Lynn Cook's youngster Shelt Hill Rosie had seemingly escaped in the Arena Racing Company Sprint Trophy over 305m.
Soon clear, Shelt Hill Rosie had rivals under pressure from the get-go and 1-3 favourite Bockos Buster looked unlikely to justify short-odds, especially when held up at the turn. However, Boon's class act rallied gamely and stayed on well up the home-straight to win by a neck in 17.67.
Other opens on the night at Notts were won by Kelli Windebank's impressive Yarmouth raider Hasselbomb, who came home strongly in 28.48, and local hope Swift Kipper who struck in 28.42, the pair successful in their respective divisions of the the Arena Racing Company 480m Trophy.
Trap draw for Monday's Arena Racing Company Maiden Standard Trophy Final: 1 Dixie Again, 2 Deelish Kobe, 3 Burrows Blaze (m), 4 Grosvenor Ozzy (m), 5 Kylenoe Stan (w), 6 Magic Hands (w).
