Crayford and Towcester action
The feature race today is the £5000 to the winner Genco Group Juvenile Classic final at Towcester at 7.04 pm.
This Category Two event has thrown up a fantastic, wide-open final where Syd Zafiro in trap five is the 15/8 market leader. Derby semi-finalist Droopys Pivotel runs from trap two but will need to trap cleverly to clear unbeaten rival Droopys Extragud on his inside. Trap three is vacant with John Lambe’s Flying Desire taken out in season. Tiffield Tarquin in trap four is the outsider of the field for Roy Peckham. The ever-consistent Slick Sentinel in trap six has a good draw to work from for team Janssens.
Syd Zafiro takes the beating. There is plenty of early pace in the race but Syd Zafiro has shown he is able to do it both ways. He bolted up in the first round when making all, and closed in on Droopys Extragud in the semi-final after finding trouble spots in the race.
If Syd Zafiro breaks on terms he should find himself in a very handy position coming out of the second bend. From there, Paul Matthews charge can go and put the race to bed.
On the undercard, the Genco Group Stakes Division C at 8.17 can see Fabulous Terra overcome a tricky draw in trap four to get the better of Rapido Lady.
There is plenty of Open Race action at Crayford this evening. Kranky Jamie can follow up last week’s heat success to clinch the Ladbrokes July Maiden Trophy Final at 7.33.
The following race at 7.49 sees the return of the Queen of Crayford Laughill Jess. She runs from trap two in the heats of the Ladbrokes Summer 540 Trophy.
Baywatch’s bullet exit wins the Regency
On a night when two Category One finals took centre stage with the Sussex Cup staged alongside the Premier Greyhound Racing Regency, locally-trained runners won both!
Baywatch Bullet landed Belinda Green her first success in the famous event with her first finalist. A fast start laid the foundation for a trap-to-line success in the £20,000-to-the-winner Premier Greyhound Racing Regency Final at Hove on Saturday.
On a superb night for trainer Green having sent out the Coral Sussex Cup runner-up Wasted Monday as well as success for Ballymac Kinga, Turkish Lira (in the Coral Regency Consolation) and Bombout Bullet in supporting contests, the Billy Boyle, Danny Jones and Gary Whittington-owner daughter of Droopys Sydney was soon on her way to an unbeaten run through the 695m annual.
Racing to a 14.12sec sectional, Baywatch Bullet – a 7/1 chance – was clear off the second bend and never looked in danger thereafter, keeping up the gallop to score a two and a quarter lengths success over Paul Young’s Bubbly Scorcher in 41.51sec, with Jason Heath’s Haka Carlo crossing the line in third.
Third to Coonough Crow in the Ladbrokes Kent St Leger at Crayford earlier this year, Baywatch Bullet could now be aimed at the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic over 630m at Monmore having landed the Jim Woods Memorial Trophy Final earlier this year over the six-bend trip at the Wolverhampton venue.
Belinda Green, her husband Gary Whittington, with Sharon and Billy Boyle (right, holding trophy and cheque) after Baywatch Bullet’s Regency victory
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Benni foot perfect in Sussex Cup
NEWIN BENNI (t6) wins the Coral Sussex Cup Final from Wasted Monday (t5 far left), Droopys Clue (t2) and Romeo Command (t1). Hove 27th July 2024 Photo: © Steve Nash
Newinn Benni helped Derek Knight match the legendary George Curtis’s five wins in the event when storming to victory in Saturday’s Coral Sussex Cup Final at Hove on Saturday.
Newinn Benni’s brilliant start and blistering early pace secured an all-important first-bend lead on his way to victory in the £10,000 feature. With market leaders Romeo Command (11/8F) and Droopys Clue (7/4) held up early on and always playing catch up, it was left to Belinda Green’s Wasted Monday to turn in second and keep up the pressure on the eventual winner, with Seamus Cahill’s unlucky-in-running Greyhound of the Year Droopys Clue finishing really strongly.
However, it was Newinn Benni’s Sussex Cup as he crossed the line a length clear of Wasted Monday, with Droopys Clue incredibly finishing just a head behind the runner-up after making up huge ground from halfway. The winning time for the 515m was 29.75sec.
In lifting the title for the Rinn Prem OCL Syndicate, Newinn Benni added to winning trainer Knight’s other victories in the famous competition dating back to Astrosyn Eulogy in 1998 through to Smoking Bullet (2000), Lozzas Dream (2002) and Candolim Monsoon’s success last year, therefore securing back-to-back wins in the event.+
NEWINN BENNI Coral Sussex Cup presentation
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
HERRICK (t1) lands the £3000 Coral Sussex Cup Sprint Trophy Final from Fire And Ice (t2).
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Happy podium scene after Herrick landed the Sprint Trophy Final for Norah McEllistrim
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Distant Cara, Dual Distance Trophy winner with connections: L-R: Derek and Mark Burridge, Mark Sealey, Kurn Rushen, Maggie Terry and Steve Murphy.
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
MIAMI BULLET leads at the first bend to win the Sussex Cup Consolation for Paul Young.
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
25/1 shot TURKISH LIRA (t6) on his way to landing the Regency Consolation on a great night for Belinda Green
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
BALLYMAC KINGA wins puppy open
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
DISTANT CARA wins Coral Dual Distance Final
Hove 27th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
First Category One success for Richie Taberner
Aero Sacundai secures Pall Mall victory at Oxford.
The 5/4 favourite made no mistake claiming the £10,000 BetGoodwin Pall Mall at Oxford last night. In the face of support for Madabout Peck, the winner drifted to odds against. Tom Heilbron’s charge saw his price plummet from a widely available 16/1 earlier in the day into 4/1.
The contest was always going to be all about the break. Madabout Peck led up, just, but only off a 3.96. That was a long way short of his 3.79 in the first round and 3.84 in the semis. That ended up costing him as the favourite roared up his inside at the turn. Even off a 3.79, however, it is hard to imagine he would have held off the winner who was sensational.
A 26.52 winning time matched a trial stakes success. Runner-up Long Fellow was behind him on that occasion as well. Able to ride a bump at the opening turn, he always gave valiant chase with Droopys Hanover in third.
Gold Cup at Monmore is the next target
Taberner was at Hove last night, happy his kennel star was in the safest of hands. “I’ve got one of the most talented assistant trainers I’ve ever seen in Jo Slater. She looks after Sacundai day to day so it was great to allow her to see it through. What she can do with a dog is unreal. She’s 29 years old, the future of the sport, we’re lucky to have her.”
The Pall Mall is an event that Taberner has long had affection for. “Back in the early 90s, I backed a dog called Sullane Castle to win the Pall Mall and again in the Derby when he was second to Ringa Hustle. It’s special to win a Pall Mall, it’s iconic, an event steeped in heritage. I’m just made up for everyone.”
Issues with Aero Sacundai cramping have been well documented. “We’ve been through the mill with the dog but we put some weight on him, gave him a rest and totally changed his diet.”
The Ladbrokes Gold Cup at his home track of Monmore in August will be next up. “He’s back to where we want him, he runs Monmore lovely. He’s got great balance and has that lovely second to third pace.” The Gold Cup starts on August 10 with the final two weeks later.
Elsewhere on the Oxford card, the 847m track record fell to Kim Billingham’s Magical Luna. She finished third in her Regency semi-final last week but her first try over eight bends paid dividends.
Ollie lands the This Runs Deep Unraced
Yorkie Ollie justifies the hype with a flying 27.88
Shelbourne was flying last night. After a 28.00 trial over the 525 yard trip, all the talk ahead of the This Runs Deep Unraced was about Yorkie Ollie. Unbeaten through the rounds, he left the best until last, clocking the fastest time of 2024. Owen McKenna’s son of Magical Bale is a 25/1 chance with the sponsors BoyleSports ahead of the Irish Derby.
On September 26 2015, Laughil Duke set a new track record over Shelbourne’s 600 yards. It had stood for almost nine years before Da Bold Falcon took 19 spots off it yesterday. He is part of a repeat mating of Droopys Sydney and Hail Cleopatra which produced Lee Strand winner Tullig Cyrname and former Tralee equal track record holder Tullig Raven the first time around. 25/1 is also his price with the sponsors for the Irish Derby.
Broadstrand Syd survives Dundalk scare
The new track record holder won his Bar One Sprint heat but it was far from plain sailing. Squeezed at the start, he was briefly last before taking off on the run to the bend to take control before the halfway mark. A 21.13 was a long way short of last week but he showed that he is able to overcome a problematic run.
Quickest on the night was Elite Kursk with a 21.00 in heat five. The 2023 winner Carrick Aldo won heat eight while the exit of Ballinakill Alf was the big shock on the night. Broadstrand Syd will take on Carrick Aldo in the second quarter-final next week in what is the clear pick of the action.
Panther sets the standard again
In both the first and second rounds of the Willwego.com Irish St Leger, the fastest of the night has been Unanimmouspanther. It was mentioned in our Friday round up that although he was quickest last week, he still had a few ahead of him in the ante post market. After clocking a 29.24, 10 spots better than last week and just three clicks off Jaytee Taylor’s track record, that will not be the case when the market reforms.
Both Clonbrien Treaty and Knockeen Dazzler were turned over at odds on in their heats but both are safely through. Carmac King and Jaytee Craze both got the job done with the pair among the most supported in the overall market. The quarter-finals next week will be well worth watching.
Opens
Sunday: Crayford ♦ Sheffield ♦ Towcester
Monday: Nottingham ♦ Suffolk Downs
