Wilton and Col do it again with Category One win number three

Picture from Romford Stadium X feed

Three for Wilton and Col

It has been an incredible first year for Kelly Wilton since taking over the license from her late father Colin, with things getting even better at Romford last night as Fortanach Col became a triple Category One winner, adding the Coral 100 Champion Stakes to his Time 3 Steps To Victory and Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic crowns.

Even more remarkable is that the dog has only made 11 starts for Wilton, nine in the three Cat Ones, the Select Stakes and a one off at Sheffield on his debut for the kennel. It is an incredible haul for a dog who will go head-to-head with Droopys Flare and Mongys Wild for Stayer of the Year with just the George Curtis and Ballyregan Bob to go for the six-bend division. 

It was his kennelmate Grouchos Gregor who was sent off as the hot favourite after such an impressive start to his six-bend career but a missed break lost him his chance, he was never going to back run stronger stayers and eventually finished last. 

A huge amount of credit has to go to the David Mullins team who had outsider Don Cici primed to perfection. He put in a rare break to lead the field until the run-in, giving connections plenty to cheer about. Bubbly Holly ran on for third for Paul Young with Aayamza Legend taking fourth for John Mullins. 

It was the Paul Young team who dominated the undercard with four winners. Underground Matt got things started over six bends. He had won his first three starts over this track and trip before just losing his form a touch, including when knocked out of the Champion Stakes in the opening round. He was back to winning ways here with a smart front-running performance. 

There were only three rivals for Puntos Opinion to beat but he did it with plenty of style, picking up the lead into the opening bend and gradually pulling clear of his rivals to cross the line some six and a half lengths to the good. He has not found wins easy to come by so far in his limited action but he showed again that he is a quality type when he get things right.

Bubbly Crusader only managed four races in his first 11 months of action but he picked up his eighth open race success of the year last night, pinging out and getting an early jump on his rivals. It was his third win in his last five starts, proving again that he is a very tough dog to hold when he gets on the bunny. 

Young's other winner was the progressive Scooby Amethyst who made it seven straight wins at short odds of 1/5. The young and unexposed improver in a field full of much more seasoned rivals, she showed the best pace to the first bend and that was more than enough to secure her another success. 

Gemma Evans had a pair of winners on the night with Alien Tiger just the slicker of her two. Like Scooby Amethyst, he produced the best turn of foot from the traps to the opening turn, able to pace up inside of his main rival who needed to clear the winner to the turn if he was to have his chance. 

Droopys Putt was the other winner for Evans, taking the opening race of the night, kicking off the red jacket wining spree as one of five on the evening. The betting made it a two runner contest and while they did finish first and second, she pulled some five and a half lengths clear of her market rival.

Another to sport the red was Lavan Jet who made all of the running for David Mullins. It is only two months since she scored in an A7, working her way up the grades well as she has matured, winning for the second time in open race company this month, seeing off more experienced rivals in the process.  

The sole winner on the night from the striped jacket was Front Polo for Kevin Proctor. He was another who got himself on the bunny very early on, and with his winning form over longer trips than this, he was always going to be a very tough one to hold from that point. His other three open race wins this year all coming over the 664m trip at Central Park.

The final race on the night went to Katie O'Flaherty's Yahoo Cleo, continuing a good run for the kennel after a pair of open winners on Wednesday night.  She had her compatriots burned off from an early stage, already three lengths clear of her nearest pursuer as they crossed the line for the first time, pulling that out to five and a quarter the second time around. 

Jane Crakse was responsible for the other open race winner on the card with My Name Siddy. He had burned off a lesser field than this from the front last week, doubling up against better company, with Brindle Bully the rival who got closest to him. 

May tops the Sunderland winners

There was a hugely impressive win at Sunderland from Millhill May for Savva Roberts. She had not got her head in front since a win at this track back in June but a 4.90 split quickly put her in complete control of the field, with her final winning margin being eight and a half lengths. All 19 of her career wins have come at this venue, seven of them now in open class. 

Jimmy Fenwick picked up a success from Rolo Genie, picking up the strongest of the 450m contests on the card. Dual Category One finalist Romeo Astron had set off in front but he was never able to get far enough clear of the winner who had turned in second behind him. Fenwick's runner proved to be the stronger of the pair coming home.  

There was a wide-margin win from the front for Yvonne Bell's Swift Mandy who was another to have her opponents well and truly burned off before they even got the first bend. She has really clicked into action since the middle of August, with this her fourth win on the bounce and her seventh in her last 10 starts. 

There were two sprints on the evening with Carl Jackson's Vernon Mist the quicker of the pair. He had been in flying form in sprints around Shelbourne with a pair of times in the top eight of the year over 320m there. It was no surprise to see him sent off the 3/10 favourite on his debut for Jackson, running out a very fluent winner. 

The other sprint went to Kilshenane Diva for John Watson. She has been a very smart performer both around here and more so at Star Pelaw where she holds the two-bend track record. It was her ninth win in 15 starts for the kennel, getting the better of some smart rivals