Two quickest in the Arc Puppy Cup at Sunderland both for Locke

Locke makes journey worthwhile with pups

The start of the Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy saw another pair of winners sporting the Annadown prefix for Maxine Locke. Annadown Chip was the quicker of the pair, adding to his fluent win at Towcester on Derby final night. He is quickly making a serious name for himself, getting a fourth career win on just his sixth start.

Annadown Wendy was the other winner for the litter, just nine spots behind her litter brother. She didn't manage to get her head in front in her first five starts but made this back-to-back successes after her most recent win at Hove. Seven of the litter of eight have got their head in front with a litter record of 22/45, including some serious types. 

There was a puppy double for Jimmy Fenwick led by Taylor The Best. It was a race where she got far enough clear to avoid the trouble behind her at the opening bend, stretching almost 13 lengths ahead of her nearest rival by the time the line came. She has six wins in her first nine starts herself to make an excellent start to her career.

Elegant Shadow produced the same type of front-running performance off a sub five-second sectional. It was her first win on her third career start, getting on the bunny the earliest that she has in those outings.

Rounding out the puppy doubles was Tom Heilbron who topped and tailed the heats. Romeo Dutch was the quicker of the pair, once more out and gone being the key to success. He is a perfect 2/2 since he moved north from the range of Laurence Tuffin.

The surprise of the night was the 20/1 victory from Romeo Vega in the opening heat of the night. Another to make the move from Tuffin, he was campaigned purely in sprints for the Towcester handler and that was no bad things on a night where early speed was key.

The other Category Two competition to get underway was the BGBF British Bred Cup. The quickest of the three heat winners was Keefill Rocky for Phil Milner. He was a rarity on the card as he didn't get to the front until the final bend which adds to the quality of the effort to set the fastest of the heat times.

There was a double for Milner as he also landed the opening heat with Keefill Mo. He was only half a length shy of Rocky on the clock, coming away better than some of the shorter priced ones in his contest. 

Heilbron landed the middle heat with Fabulous Delta. It was a messy contest with the winner getting herself to the front as she pushed her rivals wide at the opening bend. She moved off at the turn from two last week and did the same from four last night. 

Three at Romford for Locke on successful night

Maxine Locke was the trainer to beat at Romford as well on Friday night with a treble that included the top 400m performance of the night from Headford Fiona. She was quickly in control of her field to add to a Central Park sprinting win from last month, clocking a smart 23.80 in the process. 

Newinn Aero was a decent winner over 575m given that he was midfield early on having only clocked a 13.85 to the split. His stamina won him the day, picking things up late in the piece before racing almost three lengths clear from the final turn. It was only his second start over six bends and there is enough stamina in the family to think he'd get a little further. 

The return to the black jacket was perhaps the key to the win of Mystical Batman, showing his rivals a clear pair of heels on the run to the opening turn. He has now won five of his seven career starts when he has stared from the four position, including his last three.

Paul Young picked up a double on the evening. Uncle Ed grabbed a success in a race where his kennelmate Bombay Buck was sent off favourite. The winner kept himself to himself out wide which saw him in front as the field exited the back.

The other Young winner came from Full Monty who eventually got himself to the front in the dying strides of a 575m contest. He came off better than his kennelmate Bubbly Holly in early scrimmaging but still had plenty to do off the fourth bend, digging in deep to claw back Table Talk who had shown the best pace up to turn in front for Jane Craske. 

Another trainer to pick up a double was Dave Lee who closed the night out with a win for Brunch Pal. 35.00 was the time to produce the pick of the runs over six bends on the evening, quickly in control of his field to notch up a hat-trick of wins. Outside of Category One competition, he is 13/18.

Lee's other success also came over the 575m distance, with Bushpark Cathal. He boasts an exceptional strike rate for Lee himself, the winner of five of his 11 starts. Like his kennelmate, he was quickly to the fore in his contest although from the widest of the draw rather than the innermost.

There was a win over 575m for John Mullins's Too Wright who added a to a very impressive A1 win at her home track of Yarmouth at the end of May. She was quickly in control off a decent split and with winning form over 659m at Yarmouth in the past, there was never a way back for her opponents. 

Rock Me Rosemary was victorious for Katie O'Flaherty. She picked up a hat-trick of top-grade wins earlier on in the year from middle traps but had no issues with the striped jacket on her back to score last night. 

Nathan Hunt got on the scoresheet courtesy of Bretons Girl. She used her two-bend winning pace to get up the inside of Lil Bo Peep at the opening turn having been a little awkward in the opening strides from the traps. She needed that lead as Dave Lee's bitch dug deep to only go under by a short head. 

The opening contest on the card went to Paul Burr's Roxys Revenge. She broke her duck in A10 back on March 23, scoring in open class company for the first time last night to make it seven wins from her last nine races. Like Bacon Burrger, the reigning Grader of the Year from 2025, she has been a great success story for the kennel.