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Tuesday Night Open Report

Swindon was the scene of the only Open Race action in the UK on Tuesday, hosting seven Open’s on their twelve-race card, with three trainers all landing a double.

Graham Banks

07 May 2025

Tuesday Night Open Report

Seven Open Races featured on Swindon’s twelve race card on Tuesday Evening which saw three trainers landing a double.

John Campbell was the first to do so when Sallowglen Hope (6/5F) ran out a 4-length winner in a time of 28.18 (+10). Having turned the opening bends in a decent looking position, it was only a matter of time before he went past the leader Southfield Queen and did so at the third bend, drawing clear for victory.

But it was his winner in the race after, Hard Done Boy (Evs F) who produced another impressive performance when making it four wins from four starts at the track. The June 23 youngster made it a hat-trick of Open Race victories in recent weeks when taking up the lead from Paul Foster’s Southfield Duke at the third bend, staying on well to cross the line 3 ¾ lengths clear in 27.88 (+10), the third fastest time of the year, which now gives him the first and third fastest times over the 476m distance.

Foster had enjoyed better luck previously when his Rockmount Frank (9/2) provided the biggest priced winner of the Opens when battling well for a neck victory from Mustang Darwin. Having led into the first bend, the runner up then took the lead up and looked like victory was on the cards, but the winner stays on well in the later stages and battled back to get up in the shadow of the post in a time of 28.41 (+10).

The double was landed when Ballymac Zari (15/8) lowered the colours of the in-form Angie Kibble trained Newinn Bliss, who was looking to make it eight wins in a row. However, Newinn Bliss didn’t produce one of her better breaks and got involved in trouble at the first bend. That enabled Foster’s runner Ballymac Zari to hit the front off the second bend and wasn’t for catching at that point, recording a 2 ¼ length victory in 28.21 (+10)

June 23 youngster Ballymac Pallas (8/15F) completed the journey from A6 winner on debut in February to Open Race winner last night, not finishing out of the first two during that time, when trapping well and making all the running over 476m by 1 ¾ from Crystal Turtle in a time of 28.64 (+10), while Ballymac Mags (2/1) landed the double for Angie Kibble in the finale over 682m when leading round the first bend to record a comfortable 1 ¼ length victory over Ballycowen Lil in 41.48 (+15), a time which puts her fourth in the standings for this year over the 682m distance.

Monmore trainer Chris Fereday also left with a winner when his Makeadifference (8/11F) ran out an impressive 5 ¼ length winner in the first of the Open Races over 262m. Having ran well in defeat behind track record holder Dashing Dude on his previous visit, he faced nothing of that calibre here, blasting clear at the traps to make all the running, stopping the clock in 15.43 (+5)