By year end there will have been around 185 opens staged between the soft marathon distance of Crayford’s eight bends (714m) and the calendar’s toughest marathon trip which is the same track’s 1,048m.
The most prestigious of the true eight-benders is the Roto Roof Windows TV Trophy won John Lynk’s and Andy Griffith’s King Kane. The versatile white and black raced over four six and eight bends during the year, also reaching the Prestige and St.Leger finals but excelled over the longer distances and set track records for Sheffield’s 915m (twice) and Henlow’s 842m. The most lucrative event to fall within the range is the £17,500 Ladbrokes Golden Jacket won by the 4-6f Hometown Honey. She only raced 13 times during the year, for seven wins and three seconds and her career was over by mid April. TV Trophy runner-up Burgess Borna has also had a stop-start campaign. A winner of five marathons in the early weeks of the year, she is currently finding fitness on the Yarmouth graded strength.Others: Art Banksy, Musical Fawn, Old Refrain, Supreme Rossie and Fearsome Liberty.
The three GWA final nominations are:
HOMETOWN HONEY, KING KAIN, OLD REFRAIN
Previous winners
2013 Musical Gaga
2012 Blonde Reagan
2011 Capoley Ash
2010 Midway Skipper
2009 Midway Skipper
2008 Flying Winner
2007 Spiridon Louis
2006 Roxholme Girl
2005 Star Of Dromin
2004 Greenacre Lin
2003 Ericas Equity
