Four of the top five in the betting made it through to the Besmed Northern Sprint Final – but the ante post favourite Ardnasool Jet did not writes Mark Pierrepont.

In a decider littered with major race winners from all corners of the country, it was the locally trained Coolavanny Dylan who clocked the fastest time in the three semi final. . .

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Phil Simmonds along with his assistant Nathan Hunt and the team are never afraid to travel with their greyhounds. They are a team to be feared wherever and whenever they turn up. Last night was no different as they landed semi final one of the BresMed Northern Sprint with their Grays Cup Winner. Running from trap three their charge was narrowly led out the boxes by Wokeen, trained by Nottingham’s Lynn Cook.

Wokeen had done his job, he’d trapped perfectly and had the draw with Grays Cup Winner been reversed, then one suspects that so to may have been the result. Draws can and often do win races though and Grays powered to the turn, ran a superb bend and set sail for victory and a place in richest sprint event in the United Kingdom. Stopping the clock in 15.88 he comfortably held off the running on Roxholme Nidge by 1 3/4 lengths.

Nidge had been sent off the 8/11 favourite for the race, however as noted in the preview for the semi finals, the red isn’t a great box to break from at Sheffield in sprints and its likely that Hayley Keightley and the team will be delighted to see their runner in yet another category one final at Sheffield and a potentially better draw in trap 3 for the final.

Bresmed Northern Sprint, 1st semi final: GRAYS CUP WINNER (t3) leads round the first bend on his way to a 15.88 victory. Also prominent: Wokeen (t4, left of shot, third), Goldies Hoddle (t2) and Roxholme Nidge (t1) who managed to get second despite the lack of room on the inside. Photo: © Steve Nash

 

Semi final two saw what was the biggest shock of the competition so far as Ardnassol Jet for Cathal McGhee, the short odds 2/5 favourite for the race and antepost favourite for the competition was eliminated. The inside dogs all seemed to miss the break here, in fact the wider drawn you were in this race the better you seemed to trap. It was Tony McKenna’s local Coney Cassius who trapped best from stripes and set the pace out wide.

Ardnasool Jet had missed the break badly and appeared slow into stride. He then ran into the back of Magical Houdini (T1) at the turn and that was race and competition over. Gislebertus for trainer Belinda Green had run a fair race from an improbable qualifying position in last weeks heat and after showing good early to the bend, he swooped around the inside from his trap 3 berth to take command of the inside and ran on strongly to take the race in 15.99 by 1/4 lengths from Magical Houdini.

Trainer Patrick Janssens had spoken very highly of Houdini when guesting on RPGTV on Monday evening and on this evidence it was clear to see why. He was very slowly away from trap 1, but soon showed pace to the turn whilst also looking to move off to the middle.

He was baulked by Ardnasool Jet rounding the first bend but kept his composure and showed good pace to set after Gislebertus on the run in. He’s potentially much better housed in trap 2 for next weeks final. Cathal McGhee deserves huge credit for coming over with his superstar Irish dog Ardnasool Jet.

Nic Brereton via his company BresMed has put up excellent prize money for this event and it shows that if you do so, the Irish will travel with their best dogs.

Bresmed Northern Sprint 2nd semi final: GISLEBERTUS (t3 right) leads on his way to a 15.99 win from Magical Houdini (t1 rails) and Coney Cassius (t6 on left). 2-5 favourite Ardnasool Jet, Cathal McGhee’s Irish raider, is virtually hidden behind Houdini on the inside rail. Photo: © Steve Nash

 

The betting for semi final three revolved around Ted Soppit’s Calzaghe Flash, even money favourite in trap 1 and Kirsty Grayson’s local star Coolavanny Dylan running from trap 3. Dylan simply smashed from the lids and the race was over as a contest within the blink of an eye. Setting a scorching pace up the middle of the track Dylan stopped the clock in a fastest of the competition so far 15.80.

Calzaghe Flash lost nothing in defeat, beaten just a length, this was what he’d been left at the start and he will be a live player in next weeks final if he can come away in better style from that dreaded Sheffield trap one draw.

FINAL BETTING: 7-4 Droopys Nidge, 11-4 Coolavanny Dylan, 10-3 Grays Cup Winner, 9-2 Calzaghe Flash, 20-1 Giselbertus/Magical Houdini