BRESMED REVIEW BY MARK PIERREPONT (with semi draw)

Wokeen and Grays Cup Winner shared the fastest time of the night in the first round of the Bresmed Northern Sprint at Sheffield on Tuesday night.

On a good night for favourite backers, only Queen Adele was turned over, the Nottingham and Romford runners each clocked 15.84 for the 280 metres.

Click on result to watch replays

The Phil Simmonds trained Grays Cup Winner got the BresMed Northern Sprint at Sheffield off to a flying start in heat one last night.  Pinging from the lids the result never looked in doubt as he paced up well on the outside of the track at set sail for a joint fastest of the round victory in 15.84 (normal).  Prize Fighter for Kevin Hutton ran on strongly in second place whilst Skyfall Venom held his pitch up the middle to take that third and final qualifying slot for next weeks semi final.  Bunching on the inside put an end to the chances of the inside trio, Peter Harnden’s Nottingham raider Salacres Punch can be deemed particularly unlucky after initially looking likely to follow round in a comfortable second.

Roxholme Nidge , stepping back in trip after his recent victory in the final of the GMG Steel City Cup Final here at Sheffield , showed his class in heat two.  It was David Puddy’s Sleepy Genie who led out the traps , pinging from trap 6 Genie paced up well and held the lead until the crown of the bend.  Nidge simply run the bend superbly , he came out of turn two a length up on Genie , eventually running out the winner by 2 3/4 lengths.  Patrick Janssens Magical Houdini took the third qualifying slot.  Crowding at the turn put an end to the chances of Lost One Dare, Geelo Carlos and Take Them Out.

Kirsty Grayson’s local hope Coolavanny Dylan was sent off a strong odds on 4/7 favourite for heat three.  He wasn’t badly away but Fridays Geldof had taken a flyer from trap 2 for Jonathan Blencowe.  Dylan paced up well however, got himself onto the shoulder of Geldof rounding the turn and proved too strong on the run in to eventually beat Geldof by 3/4 length in 16.03.  Coney Cassius was slowly into stride for Sheffield’s Tony McKenna , he kept to his line out wide though and that proved crucial as he ran on to claim the third and final qualifying slot.

What a race heat four looked to be on paper and the reality didn’t disappoint.  Cathal McGee’s Irish raider Ardnasool Jet crossed the Irish sea with a fearsome reputation.  A dual winner of the Bar One Irish Sprint Cup at Dundalk over the past two years he’d trialled incredibly well here at Sheffield in 15.70 (normal), just a neck outside the 15.67 track record of Brogan Tee Bone set on the 15th December 2015.

This race was to be no walk in the park for Jet though, Ted Soppit’s Calzaghe Flash was a finalist in last years Coral Romford Puppy Cup before going on to win heat , semi and final of the Local Parking Solutions National Sprint at Nottingham.

This looked a match up of the highest calibre.  It was Jet who smashed from the traps , pacing up well he looked set for victory , Flash had other ideas though , just a half length behind him in against the rail he was determined to try and make the bend his own but Jet was determined , the door was closed at the turn and it was race over.  It was now Jet against the clock , eventually beating Flash by 2 3/4 lengths in 15.85.  Coney Sabella must have had advice from his litter brother and kennel mate from the previous heat, taking a similar wide course , he avoiding the trouble on the inside and ran on to qualify for next weeks semi finals.

Coney McKenna took a narrow early lead from trap 6, but it was Patrick Janssen’s Goldies Hoddle who took the honours.  Pacing up well from his trap 2 berth , he ran a terrific bend and once taking command on the rail he set sail for victory in a time of 15.94.  Belinda Green’s Gislebertus found himself in a pocket at the turn , he kept his calm though and once space opened up on the run in he stayed on strongly to claim second place.  Coney McKenna held off the strong late challenge of Sharpys Turbo to make it three runners in the semi final draw for Tony McKenna.