With The ECC Oaks and Laurels looming on the Belle Vue horizon the opens at the Manchester track will come under close scrutiny in the next couple of weeks and there were a couple of promising runs on Saturday’s card.
Charlie Lister’s Stay Loose posted a calculated 27.60 (-20) in the A division of the 470 open as he stormed home four lengths clear of Calzaghe George, while Pat Rosney’s Vatican Baloteli, back from a five-week break, showed good early pace in the B division and won by a length and a half from Allowdale Blue in a calculated 27.78.
Lister, who has a long association with The Laurels, won it last year, while the 2013 running went to Rosney and it looks like they will be in opposition again next month.
