The BGBF Puppy Cup semi finals took place at Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield last night.
The first semi final looked like it could be a crowded affair with a few runners looking to be unfavourable housed. Unfortunately that proved to be the case as a host of chances came and went before and at the first turn.
Pat Rosney’s Moyar Meg immediately tried to move off from her trap two berth, whilst in turn the John Mullins trained Saving Sonic, the 6/4 second favourite for the race, attempted to move in. Amazingly it was Meg, a bitch weighing in at 29 kilos who proved the stronger, determined not to let Saving Sonic take her ground, she fended off her 31 kilo rival with huge determination and shuffled that rival to the back of the pack.
Unfortunately for Meg, she was to then get involved in further crowding at the first turn with 5/4 race favourite Queen Cher. This did neither bitch any favours, ending Megs chances of qualification immediately and eventually proved enough to see that Cher could only finish in fourth. Goldies Allen, meanwhile, trained by Patrick Janssens, was in the process of overcoming what prerace appeared a perilous draw.
Drawn wider than ideal in trap 6, Allen actually took advantage of the crowding up the middle, showed good pace to the turn and once he took the lead many would have thought that was that. Queen Swift, drawn against the rail in trap one appeared well drawn but her starting price of 10/1 suggested she was merely there as a supporting act to her more fancied sister.
Swift was to have non of it though. Dropping second behind Allen, this May 2017 daughter of Eden The Kid x Shaws Dilemma stayed every yard of this testing 500m trip and got up in the shadows of the winning post to win by 1/2 length from Allen in 2923 (normal).
Saving Sonic was desperately unlucky in running but importantly filled the third qualifying slot for next weeks final beaten in the end by just 3/4 of a length after laying in last place after the aforementioned early buffeting. Sonic running on to qualify made it two in the final for the July 2017 Kinloch Brae x Newinn This Way litter as he joined his brother Goldies Allen in the draw for the showpiece event.
Semi final two, if the early betting odds of 1/4 (sp 1/2) were to be believed was there for the taking for the Liz and Rab McNair trained, KSS Syndicate bred and owned King Idol.
There is no doubting that Idol is a class act, he has a talent that will see him competing in the major category one events around the UK. As noted in yesterdays preview however he didn’t have an ideal draw and he had to show that he has guts and determination as well as talent when eventually running out a 3/4 length winner from John Mullins Romeo Ruben.
As the traps opened it was Fearsome Aria, bred and reared by BGBF Chairman John Marriott who took an immediate lead. Pinging from the lids from her preferred trap 3 draw, she set off at a scorching pace to attempt to pull off an upset.
Supporters of Aria however would not have been pleased to see that Idol had managed to just about clear the Phil Simmonds trained Rackitup Bruce by the turn. Initially going for a gap that didn’t materialise up the inside of Aria rounding the first two turns, Idol didn’t waste any time, immediately switching to the outside of his rival it was a case of if not when he would go gliding past her.
He did so by half way, taking the lead he then cut across Aria at the third turn before setting sail for victory. Romeo Ruben was very well drawn on the outside, he took a while to warm up but from the third bend home he simply took off, reducing the deficit at the finish to just 3/4 length and a good six lengths clear of his nearest rival by the time they reached the pick up. Even at this early stage of his career, it’s plain to see that John Mullins has another good class staying open dog on his hands. Phil Simmonds saw his three Leamaneigh Turbo x Bang On Pippa litter mates, Rackitup Turbo, Bruce and Charlie eliminated from the competition.
At just September 2017 these 3 greyhounds and indeed their sister Bang On Annie who was eliminated from the competition in semi final one, have their whole careers ahead of them.
Phil, Nathan and the rest of the team deserve the thanks of everybody for entering enough runners to ensure that this competition didn’t go by the wayside. It’s a shame that they don’t have a representative in the final, but the experience of this competition and running away from their home track of Romford will serve them well.
They’re sure to be winning many races in the coming months.
Next weeks final looks sure to be a very interesting race, a full preview will appear in the Greyhound Star ahead of the £4000 to the winner showpiece event.
