There has always been an element of ‘sorting the wheat from the chaff’ in the first round of Swindon’s Two Year Old Produce Stakes and that was the case on Saturday.

Ten of the twelve heats featured odds-on favourites – nine made it through – and it was the shortest price of the lot, Apache Kid, who recorded the fastest time of the night.

Heat 1 – went the way of Stuart Bucklands’ Supreme Rioja (Take The Crown-Ballymac Almighty, Aug 15). The Monmore A1 runner, who hadn’t trialled over the Produce course went to boxes at 4-6f and led home Fabulous Posh and Hedsor Misty

Heat 2

Derby quarter finalist Carn Brea (Take The Crown-Borna Empress, Apr 15) went to traps at 4-7f and led home Prime Time and Fabulous Westy

Heat 3

Ben McBride’s 16.36 sprint trialist Manny Pac went to traps at 4-5f, but he would be short headed by Lynn Short’s Hall Green A2 runner Castell Johnnie (Vans Escalade-Tyrur Alice, Aug 15)

Heat 4

The biggest shock of the night was the defeat of 2-7f Bansha Pat in the fourth heat. Already an open winner over 483m at Doncaster, he was outstayed by Richard Devenish’s Princes Royal (Head Bound-Millisupreme, Sep 15).

Heat 5

Although a number of the heats were not ultra competitive, the fifth qualifier saw all six runners covered by two lengths. At the front was Kevin Hutton’s Ballyoak Crystal (Slip The Lark-Ballyoak Alice, Jul 15) who went to the blue trap as a 10-1 shot. King Turbo (T5) was the 6-4f.

Heat 6

Supreme Rioja’s litter brother Come On Rodney (Take The Crown-Ballymac Almighty, Aug 15) has 28.49 form on his card at Monmore and became their sire’s third winner on the night with a bloodless 14 length victory.

Heat 7

Geelo Monty (Ballymac Eske-Macys Perfect, May 15) is among the leading fancies in the competition. But the 28.77 course and distance winner once again had to demonstrate resilience as well as speed to catch Romford’s Rushbrook Rocco in the seventh heat.

Heat 8

King Elvis (Tullymurry Act-Skate On, Oct 15) went to traps with a 5/8 record and made it 6/9 with a flawless performance. One of the youngest in the competition, he was followed home by another member of the Ballymac Alighty litter.

Heat 9

Litter brothers Westmead Turbo (Westmead Hawk-Little Flame, Feb 15) and Take The Crowd contested the ninth heat and Turbo – who broke a hock at Peterborough – showing continued improvement with a narrow victory.

Heat 10

The Savva double came courtesy of Westmead Freddie (Coolavanny Bert-Westmead Sula, Jul 15) who won the only heat in which an odds on favourite was eliminated.

Heat 11

24.17 Romford pup Brookside Alice (Bonamassa Rocks-Blue Glenard, Oct 15) was taking a slight drop in class in the penultimate heat and pulled away from the first bend to clock 28.95.

Heat 12

Apache Kid (Head Bound-Story Time, Mar 15) who came so close to breaking the Doncaster 483m record would always have been a short price to win the last heat. However the withdrawal of two runners gave the Ben McBride trained runner an even simpler task and he duly responded with the fastest time of the round.