If Saturday’s ECC Timer Laurels and Oaks qualifiers had been held on different nights, the Belle Vue track staff would probably be criticised for their preparations.
Four of the six Laurels heats went to trap four, followed by all four Oaks heats going to the ladies in red.
Racing manager Dave Brayshaw said: “It is just the way it worked out. The six Laurels heat winners were all very dominant. Five of the six heats were won emphatically and were covered by 10 spots, with no winners from trap one.
“The four Oaks winners went to trap one, but were much tighter. For example, Chaotic Lynda (T1) had Swift Champagne (T2) on her outside for most the race, and the result might have gone the other way if you had reversed the traps.
“But the draw has become more complicated with 12 railers through to the semi finals with Tyrur Caroline, who impressed me greatly, now in trap five, and Chaotic Linda in six.
“The situation is hardly any better in the Laurels with one wide seed among the 18 runners.
“I don’t know why there is such an imbalance. It happens in graded racing too, but mainly in the higher grades. There are more wides and middle seeds among the slower dogs.
“I was very impressed with Tyrur Supermac, Millwards Whitey and the two Roxholmes in the Laurels heats, but the competition looks wide open to me. As for the Oaks, it is entirely complicated by the draw. The one thing I have noticed is that railers drawn in the middle traps tend to break quicker here. What effect that will have remains to be seen.”
