Three trainers pick up open race double on Thursday night

Fenwick takes two of three at Newcastle

Just the three invitational contests at Newcastle last night with one over each of two, four and six bends. Jimmy Fenwick picked up two of the winners with Brunssum Bubble taking the staying race. He pinged out to make all of the running from the innermost draw with his kennelmate Clonbrien Piper chasing him home from further back in the field for the Fenwick forecast.

Fenwick also had the winner of the sprint race with Blastoff Tiger. It was a decent field in opposition for him but he took after his name and blasted away from them from the traps and that was the race done and dusted. There was some trouble behind him which extended the margins behind but he was gone for all money in any case. 

It was Brian Fairbairn who picked up the other open with Glengar Yates. He too was quickly to the fore, pacing up well from the widest draw. He had taken until the sixth time of asking to get off the mark for the kennel which was last week, quickly following up that initial success with another, beating some solid yardsticks. 

Rawlings and Burton take Valley doubles

The new staying track record holder at Valley got the job done again, although the clash on paper between Adrian Rawlings's Ashway June and Michael Burton's 460m clock holder Face The Storm never really transpired. The winner got the best of the start on the outside but she was followed around by her main market rival who looked like he might make a race of it crossing the line the first time around. He faded out of things from the fifth bend, however, beaten 10 lengths in the end. 

Ashway Blastoff had got the double started in a race where he was given a perfect tow into things by his kennelmate Swift Kimberley who kept battling on well to only go under by a short head come the line. It was a fourth career open race win for the victor, with his last three all coming since he turned four in August. 

There was a double on the evening for Burton as well with Magical Hawk the quicker of his two winners over the 460m trip. Most of his recent assignments have come in better company than this, getting his head in front over 630m at Monmore last time out after making the semis of the Star Sports Welsh Derby and the Coral Champion Stakes. 

It was a first win for Droopys Edit since he joined Burton, though only at the third time of asking. He had been picked up in the first two of those having led up but this looked an easier contest and he managed to get himself far enough clear to maintain the gallop. On his Irish form, there should be better to come from him.

The other sprint open on the card went to Donna Davy and Hawkfield Tiktok. He had been a little flat when last seen in October but given a short break of four and a half weeks to freshen him up and he scored first time up over two bends. February was the last time that he ran over this short of a trip but it worked out well for him, popping out in front.