Swords is stylish in Juvenile win while Queen leads Gymcrack times

Swords wins Juvenile in style

Swords Style has lit up Towcester with his early pace the last couple of weeks, taking the step up in class to take on the Time Greyhound Nutrition Juvenile field and beat them as well for trainer, Graham Holland. 

His trapping ability could take him a long way through the upcoming Star Sports and Orchestrate Ltd English Greyhound Derby, if he continues to be able to get to the opening bend in front, and avoiding any trouble behind him as a result.

That was very much the tale of the tape yesterday afternoon as Scooby The Lady was unfortunate to find trouble at the opening turn and then again when trying to find her way up the inside of the winner heading into the third bend. 

Richard Rees's star bitch finished third having found trouble on the apex of the third and fourth bends with David Mullins's Santas Amigo who kept on well to take the runner-up spot. She had the worst draw of the railers and showed once more that she is an exceptional talent. 

Romeo Ability was keeping on when he was stopped in his tracks by Scooby The Lady falling back into his lap at the three-quarters mark, while Coloursaregreen missed the up before roaring to the bend with too much speed for him to turn left from right on the inside. Elusivenomore was never able to get involved but from a terrible draw for him out in four, it's easy to put a line through the run.

It was a superb afternoon for Team Holland with Swords Style rounding out a hat-trick of wins in three consecutive races. Low Profile has kicked things off with a flying 28.50 success, doing anything but living up to his name ahead of the Derby. It was his first race action since December which made it even more impressive. 

Slippery Brian already had a Towcester win to his credit, adding another in a very smart 28.62. Goldcash Warrior had led up for Nathan Hunt but he was just trodden on by The Other Chief at the turn and the winner needed no second invitation having run a superb opening bend.

There was a fourth Irish winner on the card as Paul Hennessy kicked off the open races with a victory from Lennies Eddie. A 28.16 scorer at Limerick last month on just his fourth career start in a trial stake for the Kirby, he was an early exit in that competition but showed what he's all about with an identical 28.62 to Slippery Brian. 

Maxine Locke had a winner from Ballymac Kobe who scored for the first time since July, though in his defence, it was only his fourth run since then. He was well fancied for the Derby last year but made it no further than the first round. The 2024 English Puppy Derby runner-up, he is more than capable around here of showing top class form. 

Salacres Lincoln broke his open duck in the final trial stake on the card, showing the best pace to the opening bend from his inside draw for Peter Harnden. It was a clear career best effort from the April 24 whelp.

There was a surprise for punters in the other heat as Laura Pruhs's Ballymac Odin provided the biggest priced winner of the afternoon at 12/1. He produced a slick exit to get himself to the front on the run to the bend and having put himself in pole position, he proved impossible to claw back.

Copney proves Queen of the Gymcrack heats

There were six heats of the Bet St George Gymcrack at Sheffield where John Flaherty's Copney Queen proved to be the pick of the winners with a 28.51. She showed her class when quickest in the Northern Puppy Derby heats earlier on in the year, pacing up well on the inside of her main rival yesterday afternoon before kicking clear down the back. 

Plenty of support came for Annadown Shadow on his UK debut and that money proved to be well placed as he scored in 28.62 for Sean Parker. On paper, with Northern Puppy Derby winner Woltemade as well as Ballymac Buddy in opposition, it looked the strongest heat of the six, so to win it so impressively suggests that he is a serious tool for the team to go to work with.

Maxine Locke had a Hove double on Saturday with a pair of litter brothers to Annadown Shadow and she made the journey to Yorkshire to pick up a Gymcrack double as well. Both Droopys Vicar and Droopys Script made it to the final of the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby at Monmore, the pair comfortably winning their heats.

Script was marginally the quicker by three spots, though neither of them managed to break the 29-second barrier. They will need to step up in terms of time but the pair already have that strong Category One form in the book and are more than capable of doing so.

Forgottotellya landed his heat for Mark Wallis in a decent 28.98. He had to ride a bit of a bump at the opening bend, but once he was in the clear, he was able to stretch out the field. Droopys Typical closed him down late, adding to her strong recent form at Doncaster. 

Richie Taberner picked up the other heat with Holding Aero. He did well to find his way around the opening bend having been a little slow into stride. Having caused a surprise last week when beating Ballymac Buddy, he found himself more favoured in the betting this time around. 

On the undercard there was a double for Michelle Brown. Roanna Mamba has been a smart sprinter all around the country, making Sheffield the seventh track that he has landed an open at. He paced up well from his inside draw to show his class.

Maggie Bombastic picked up the second half of the double in the final race on the card at 16/1. She was winning races at Suffolk Downs despite it probably not really being her track. A dual open race winner at Towcester and runner-up at Hove last week, she looks to have enjoyed being back on a more galloping track.

There was also a double for Kelly Hodson. Romeo Force picked up the first open race of the day, battling his way to the front at the three-quarters mark where the second and third found a bit of trouble. 

Romeo Cobra scored later on in the afternoon, just getting the better of Ballymac Deboss around the opening bend which allowed him to stretch clear of his rivals down the back. 

Patrick Janssens had the winner of a sprint contest with Rodriguez who missed the break slightly but showed superb straight line speed to get his head in front at the bend. 15.71 was an impressive time for one who gave the impression that he is capable of going a bit quicker. He is only an August 24 whelp so looks to have a big future.

The biggest surprise for punters on the card was the 20/1 success for Esther Driver's Mossrich Sally who turned over Janssens' Fabulous Heka in the staying race. There was little between them early on but the winner forced her head to the front and way always doing enough to hold off her rivals. 

Heilbron with a Star Pelaw treble

There were six open races on the Star Pelaw card last night with half of them being won by Tom Heilbron. It was a distance treble as well with the four-bend winner kicking off the three via Links Jester. It was his third open race win at the track and he is still a puppy until the end of the month.

Six bends was next up where Romeo Alonso took advantage of a slight drop in class after a spin around Sunderland in the Grand Prix the week before. He needs all of this 590m, not getting his head in front until the run-in but quickly powering two and a half lengths clear.

The shock winner for Heilbron came from the 25/1 victory of Little Pretender in a sprint contest. He was in a strong field with plenty of plenty of recent winning form over track and trip in opposition but he out-trapped them, producing a very slick 14.37.

Glenn Foot picked up a double, starting with a quick sprint winner of his own in Foulkscourt Bono. He made it a hat-trick of wins and three of four since joining the kennel with his 14.42 success, taking a step in the right direction with each start.

Caister Kay was too quick on the run to the bend for her 435m rivals later on in the evening, adding to her sprint win on her debut for the kennel from back in February. 

The other open on the card went to Ross Miller and Fruit Cake. She has been through plenty of hands in the past seven months but has performed with credit for whoever has had her in their care. This was her second start at Star Pelaw, showing the best dash in the early stages to quickly put a sprint contest to bed.