On the night that one product of Liam Dowling’s famous Kerry kennel was dominating at Towcester, another ‘Ballymac’ was creating the headlines in the Betfred Steel City Cup at Sheffield writes John Forbes.
Barrie Draper’s Sussex Cup winner Ballymac Mossjoe broke smartly from the two box in heat five and was in total control from trap to line as he charged home three and threequarter lengths clear of Conna Trigger in 28.49 for the 500 metres, the fastest of the year.
The only other winning favourite in the round was Minglers Thunder, who justified an odds-on SP in heat three by holding Kakantu by a length in 28.70.
The competition got off to a shock start when the fancied Glenpadden Rock failed to claim a place in the semi-finals as he finished third behind Golden Billy, who defeated Windy Express by half a length in 28.97, while heat two saw Some Turbo finish well to score by a length from Demesne Rambo in 28.86, with the odds-on Viking Jack back in fourth.
Satin Mark ran on strongly in heat four to account for Swift America by a length and a half in 28.66 and the round finished with another shock as Princess Sofia and Crewe Bay Ace dead-heated in 28.85 with Derby finalist Making Paper back in fourth.
