Sometimes it is defeats rather than victories that make the headlines and the defeat of 1-2f Making Paper was probably the major talking point at Nottingham on Monday.
Diane Henry’s black, who had recorded the two fastest 500s of the year in his previous two races over course and distance, had gone to the bend in 5.11 and 5.05 sectionals in his previous two outings and followers would have feared the worst when the orange jacketed runner ‘walked away’ in 5.18.
The front runner was La Cuchilla (T1 4-1) who was having his first race since December with Danzey Express (T2 14-1). The latter, who would surely have won if drawn on the rail had one challenge thwarted at the third bend but rallied on the run-in. In the meantime the favourite was showing his class and all three went over the line together. The judge gave the nod to Steve Race’s 39kg giant Cuchilla (Tyrur Big Mike-Lady Lucielle, Nov 12) in 30.15. Result 1-5-2 sh, sh
The other big shock was the defeat of local favourite Alma Prince who appeared to go lame in the heats of a 680m competition. The 1-3f checked on the run-in in a four runner field and was beaten a distance by Kevin Boon’s 4-1 winner Farley Rio (Head Bound-Yellow Submarine, Apr 12). The veteran clocked 42.37 (+20).
The other qualifier went to Diane Henry’s 1-6f Borna Mindy (Westmead Hawk-Borna Client, Jul 13). Third in the early stages, the black swept clear at the fifth to win by four and a bit in 41.56(+20).
The night’s £500 final brought a first win in nine for Rock Me Kewell (Droopys Kewell-Droopys Kvitova, Apr 13). The second fastest qualifier for the 480m decider went to traps at 9-2 and was never headed eventually beating Leos Eclipse by just under three lengths in 28.69 (+10).
