Jaytee Patriot put trainer Paul Hennessy and owner John Turner on schedule for a Derby-Leger double with a hugely impressive performance in the first quarter final on Thursday night. After taking a flyer from trap six – his 16.02 sectional would have won 20 of the track’s 22 sprint opens this year – the race went like this. . .
The second quarter final also went to a front runner, in this case, Charlie Lister’s Cloran Paddy (T2). The son of Westmead Hawk won on merit after dominating from the first bend . . . .
The third heat was for five runners but three managed to find first bend trouble leaving a race between last year’s fifth placed finalist Ferryforth Fran (T5) and Patrick Janssens’ outsider Hovex Grace (T1) . . . .
All eyes were on Rubys Rascal (T3) in the last quarter final and anyone who witnessed the clumsy pup in the early part of his career can surely only marvel at how he has blossomed into a top class stayer.
