Warrior sets new Nottingham clock in Puppy Classic victory

Picture from Nottingham Facebook page

Nottingham track record falls in Puppy Classic final

Annadown Warrior was sublime at Nottingham last night, producing a spectacular 4.85 split on his way to breaking Proper Heiress's track record, breaking the beam in 28.93 for Maxine Locke and the JR Racing Syndicate. 

The Juvenile Classic runner-up was expected to appreciate the return to a slightly wider starting position but even his most optimistic fans would have been amazed by a performance of such measured maturity for a pup. Entain were quick to cut him from 66/1 into 40s for next year's Derby, a level he looks capable of.

Patrick Guilfoyle sent a strong team over for the competition and was rewarded with the other two podium places, with Daleroad Magic leading home Magical Marty. The runner-up has run a monster of a race to stop the clock at 29.07 and somehow ended up on the wrong side of a length and three-quarters beating.

The other Annadown litter brother in the race finished fourth as Shadow couldn't wriggle clear of the inside runners with all three going up together. Sean Parker's runner was already contesting his third Category One final. Carol Weatherall's Scooby Mustang and Craig Morris's Lady Gambet completed the field. 

Another spectacular winner on the night was new Select Stakes champion Underground Gold. It was his first race action since Derby final night at Towcester, but he was primed to perfection by Paul Young to come away running, and as he showed when winning the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby at Monmore, once he is on the bunny, he is a very hard dog to claw back.

Romeo Tomcat did best of the rest for Patrick Janssens after some first bend crowding cost anything any chance to getting close to the winner. Irish raider Ballymac Ralf was sent off favourite off the back of a sparkling trial for Garry Dempsey but he could only finish third with Wicky Ned, Strike It Skye and Fortanach Col rounding out the field for Jimmy Fenwick, Mark Wallis and Kelly Wilton respectively.

By contrast, the Select Stayers was a disappointment in one way with red-hot favourite Droopys Rated never looking comfortable and coming off with an injury. That said, it was still a thrilling conclusion with Morris's Radical Story just getting to the front in the final few strides to grab the victory having been last early. He had missed out by a pair of short heads on a spot in the Coral Regency final, so this will have been great compensation for connections. 

The pace had been set by Fenwick's Clonbrien Piper on debut for the kennel and on his final race as a puppy. Barry Denby's Bullintubberstar took over proceedings as the field swung for home to the delight of a huge part of the crowd but she was just run down late on by the winner and also by Frankton Ivy who took the runner-up slot for Weatherall. Angie Kibble's Malcolm Bosh made up the field.

There was a double on the undercard of opens for Jason Gray, led by No Dreamers in the sprint final. She has been hugely consistent in her trapping since running over two bends and that helped her once more, gaining enough of a lead early to hold off the late charge of Locke's Turnthemagicon.

Kellies Emerald made it a double for Gray, comfortably leading up the inside runners to turn on the shoulder of wide runner Grovenor Ozzy before kicking away down the back. It has been a good year for the son of Jaytee Taylor with five open race wins and four A1 successes to this point. 

The market suggested that Peter Holland was the man to beat in a 500m Cat Three, but perhaps not with Jet Stream Jane who outstayed her shorter priced kennelmate Tetra Eco from the last bend to take home the prize. She only ran three times over four bends when with Kevin Hutton before being stepped up in trip but Holland is getting a sweet tune out of her over 500m.