Vhagar sets early bet365 Challenge Cup standard as Venetian Mick lands maiden competition

Flying V's at Oxford

Kevin Hutton's Venetian Mick picked up the final of the BetGoodwin Series Maiden Stayers in fine style from the front at Oxford on Sunday afternoon. Unbeaten through the three rounds, he has only had seven starts since arriving in England, after the same number when trained in Ireland. 

He was quickly out in front and from there it was race over. He clocked 39.36, though once more it was all hand timed action, as he saw off Is This Wise for Matt Dartnall, who was the outsider of the entire field. Ballyhimikin Ben rounded out the podium positions for Jamie Kingsley.

Category One action got underway over the same 650m trip in the bet365 Challenge Cup where Vhagar ran out a 1/20 winner in the quickest time of the afternoon, 38.90. She made it four wins on the bounce, the last three of those over this course and distance for the Mark Wallis team, and in this form, she will prove hard to beat as the competition continues. 

Second quickest was Eagles Respect for Angie Kibble. He has taken well to the step back up in distance, able to turn right on the speed against his rivals before clearing away by 10 and a quarter lengths. Although he was 25 spots behind Vhagar's time, he has fewer miles on the clock as a stayer.

Romeo Empire opened the heats with a 39.32 win for Patrick Janssens. It extended his winning streak to six, for all that he gave the impression that this track is as tight as he wants to go, extending his lead on the straights and finding it narrowed around the bends. 

The fourth and final heat went to Ron Peckover's Salthill Sydney. He had to work harder to get on top in 39.73, picking up the lead from the fifth bend. He was winning his eighth open of 2025 in the process, seven of those over Oxford's 650m. 

The bulk of the 450m action came from the six heats of the BetGoodwin Series Maiden. It was Hutton's Rebel Alaska who clocked the leading time of the opening round, producing 26.88 despite not getting on the lead until crowding inside him saw him clear away.

Chris Hamblin's Ernie Webb Mate was the only other winner to dip under 27 seconds in the heats, making all of the running in 26.93. He has won four of his five starts over 450m. Hamblin doubled up with Swift Quarter in the final race on the afternoon. He has won four and been second four times in his last eight starts, consistency that could be invaluable here.

Both Swift Quarter and Maxine Locke's Mystical Batman produced identical 27.13 times. The latter is out of Mystical Luna which makes him a half-brother to Pall Mall winner Gingers Prince amongst others. It was only the second start of his career for a kennel who have gone past 150 open race winners for the first time this year.

Nathan Hunt won the first of the heats with Henrys Rex with the other one going to Get In Line for Kim Billingham-Hine.

Elsewhere on the card there was another win for Start The Engine who continues to mop up the Oxford opens on a weekly basis, winning for the 19th time in 21 career starts. Roanna Sharp won for Cornelius Condon, her 26.83 was the quickest winning time over 450m. Ricky Holloway took the other open with Droopys Playgirl, a 10/1 winner in the first race of the day.

Not So Slow gets Hamilton off the mark

William Hamilton had the first open race winner of his training career at Sheffield as Not So Slow paced up best in the sprint to run out an impressive 15.82 winner. He had landed a Sunderland open for Garry Hamilton back in August on his first run since leaving Patrick Janssens and had only been seen three times since, prior to yesterday.

Catunda Maura put her name into the top 10 times over 480m this year for the second time, making herself the quickest bitch with a 27.64 success for Stephen Naylor. A flying break saw her the better part of three lengths clear into the opening turn, despite the shorter run to the bend.

It was a fourth win in six starts for Kelly Hodson's Romeo Cobra, a pair each over 480m and 500m. Another who has been racking up the wins is Daring Moaner for David Fradgely. She has won four straight and 10 of her last 16 on a run that took her to the St Leger final.

Epic Command is part of a speedy April 24 Good Cody litter which has already produced some quick winners. He made a winning race debut for Sean Davy, picking up a sprint in 16.03. 

Two other invitationals on the afternoon were won by Sean Parker's Droopys Artilery and Swift Mel for Rose Draper. 

Foot four-timer at Star Pelaw

Opens at Star Pelaw have seen a slew of winners from Glenn Foot this year as the kennel nears the 70 mark for 2025. Burrow Bell and Marleypark Ken both produced 25.67 runs over four bends, Untold Ariary extended her unbeaten run since stepped up in trip to 590m to four while Beachgrove Lad dead-heated with Matthew Watson's Bitzer Maloney in a sprint contest.

Hillside Lily just keeps on producing wins for Martin Stout, making it six in a row over 435m. At 4/9 she was the second shortest open winner on the card behind Dean Blackbird's Loxleys Rex who got on top late on to land odds of 1/3.

Joanne Atkins and Paul Philpot picked up the other two sprints on the evening with King Morrison and Miss Monaco respectively. The former was long due an open race win at the track while the latter was picking up the first win of her career.

Further four bend contests went to Jaydee Baby, Tromora Grace and Tot Trippett for David Wilkinson, Henry Young and Ian Hopper, while a six-bend race went to Ma Darlin for Carol Murray.