Bluebird wins duel in fastest time of the round
Three heats go to favourites
Thinkingofdarcy the biggest shock elimination
Heat 4: Bubbly Bluebird (Droopys Sydney-Broadstrand Xola, Sep 14) came out on top in the big first round battle of the Nottingham Puppy Classic on Monday night. The Paul Young trained blue went to the red box as the 10-11f and was marginally led by his anticipated closest rival Newinn Shadow (T4 11-10) who crossed the sectional in 5.06 with a short head advantage. Crucially, the big blue also had the inside line as they approached the first bend. He turned in front, looked stronger with every stride, and extended his winning sequence to five races with a 29.99 four and three quarter length win. Broadway Scout (T5 12-1) was five lengths further adrift when taking the last qualifying place.
Heat 3: The third qualifier had always looked a three way battle (14-1 bar) but it was the outsider of the trio, Truly A Legend (Kinloch Brae-Truly A Lady, Jan 15) who came out on top. First to show was Newinn Shadow’s litter sister Ballinakil Biddy (5-4f) but she was shorted headed at the sectional by the locally trained Salacres Matt (T6 16-1) in 5.01 Drawn red, Russ Warren’s Legend (11-4) was in third place but with a narrow gap to exploit on the inside of the favourite. He drove bravely through it and dominated from the front. In the meantime, the other fancied runner, King Kid (T5 2-1) had trapped slowly and stepped sideways at the boxes. Nevertheless he had shown great pace to the third bend and looked a potential winner until forced to checked around the last two bends. The rallied to take third some five and a quarter lengths behind the 30.00 winner with Biddy midway between the pair.
Heat 2: The third fastest time of the night was achieved by Heather Dimmock’s Kildallon Bolt (Barefoot Bolt-Kildallon Lee, Nov 14). Drawn red for the first time in his career, the 5-4 chance was slow away and was in third spot at the sectional (5.16). He was steering a middle course and took Ballymac Benz (T3 10-1) with him. Once clear at the bend, the result was a formality and Bolt got home by four lengths in 30.17. Favourite Vatican Venice (T6 1-1f) was way off the pace early but ran on for third, a head behind second placed Benz.
Heat 1: The opening heat saw the fastest sectional of the night as All About Class (Godsend-Tyrur Latoya, Sep 14) cracked away from trap three in 5.00. Ray Pleasants’ 4-6f was never challenged by Caherina Piper (T4 10-1) who eventually finished second, some four and a bit lengths adrift. Perhaps the most remarkable performance was from Dave Firmager’s Romeo Desperado who veered to the middle and was bumped after starting from red, appeared wiped out at the first bend, showed devastating backstraight pace only to narrowly fail to take second place at the third bend – or he might just have given the leader a run for his money.
Heat 5 The night’s only high profile failure was a dog who would have grown up alongside Desperado, the Firmager bred Thinkingofdarcy (T2 8-11f). He drew two and made some of his own trouble when moving to middle on the run-up where he brushed with another old mate Romeo Talent (T3). In the meantime, King Kid’s understated brother King Diego (Droopys Scolari-Shaws Dilemma, Dec 14) was on his way to dominating throughout. In the night’s most ‘novicey’ contest Liz McNair’s 10-1 chance was never headed (5.09 sect) and came home two and a bit clear of Murrays Act (T5 20-1) with Garryglass Teddy (T1) a well beaten thrid
Heat 6 The final heat of the night had always looked the least competitive and so it proved. It was dominated by the red jacketed Newinn Blitz (Kinloch Brae-Any Time Again, Sep 14) who led up by a head in a 5.04 sectional from Balboa Vader (T6 5-1) and the contest was settled. The runner-up challenged without ever threatening and was two and a half adrift at the winning line. Pat Rosney’s 1-3f clocked 30.37, Fabulous Apple (T5 12-1) ran on for third.
