Ericks Gav celebrated hitting veteran age in style when landing the Blunsden 509er at Swindon on Wednesday. Ben McBride’s runner turned four years old in May and in his first race since that milestone the son of Shaneboy Lee led from trap to line to hold the late flourish of Roznbaz by a length and a half in a useful 30.17sec.The white and brindle was only 12 spots off his personal best over c&d and he has won 15 of his 51 races and finished second on 12 other occasions.
Jamie Smith’s has half the field in the owners’ Association’s 500-metre members’ handicap final at Sheffield. Lisa Stephenson’s Muzzle It Mart came home ahead of Smith’s Frankies Charm in the first semi, but then Smith took the second with Slaneyside Bonny, and the third with Droopys Mission.
Burnfoot Alpha shrugged off his early exit from the Derby in the first round with a quick return to the winners’ ranks at Sheffield on Tuesday. Darren Golightly’s held off the late challenge of the favourite Russanda Brax by a neck in the Stadium Standard, clocking 28.98 for the 500 metres.
