Colin Redden has his sights set on the Three Steps To Victory at Sheffield later this month for Elwick Glory after her runaway success in the final of the Conlon Family Buy To Let 640 at Newcastle on Saturday night writes John Forbes. The bitch, owned by James Brown, made a bright start and turned up the heat from the third corner, leaving the opposition trailing in her wake as she cruised to a seven and a quarter-length victory over Mollys Johnny in 39.25.
It has been a fine return to action for the bitch, who was rested after her victory in a supporting open on Oaks final night at Belle Vue in December, winning her heat and final and Redden, whose Anfi Gem finished fourth in the Three Steps To Victory in 2011, says: “I knew that she would find something off that first run as she had been off for so long. She has run well over 480 and 500 metres and now she has shown that she stays six bends well I think she could do better in the Sheffield race than Anfi Gem.”
Ted Soppitt took the spoils in the decider of the Conlon Family Building Company 480 with his Calzaghe George making all to come home a length and a quarter clear of Ascot Woodie in 28.75, but there are no Derby plans for this one at present.
The trainer commented: “He will definitely not be going for the Scottish Derby and I am not at all happy about the possibility of going to Wimbledon faced with the prospect of possibly having to travel down there on a Thursday or Friday night. We shall have to wait and see, but, at the moment I think that I will lay him out for the Classic at Sunderland and in the meantime he will have one or two one-offs at Nottingham and go back to Newcastle at the end of April for the Pinpoint Recruitment Healthcare Stakes.”
The meeting also featured promising first victories from two of Pat Rosney’s youngsters. Swift Carter, a July 2013 son of Iso Octane and Swift Pewter, came strongly at the finish of the first division of the Fun Factory Soft Play Maiden Puppy 480 to reel in Droopys Vodka and take the call by threequarters of a length in 28.91, and Vatican Gurkha, a May 2013 son of Scolari Me Daddy and Lemon Belle, was powerful down the back straight as he stretched out a five-length success over Armchair Mcglynn in 28.92.
Jimmy Wright opted against the option of the Golden Sprint at Romford for his flying machine Walshes Hill, but the dog showed his talent again in the Fun Factory Roller Disco Sprint, extending his unbeaten sequence to eleven as he whizzed round the 290 metres to defeat Colliery Jazz by six lengths in 16.80 just a couple of pips outside the record.
