Juvenile Classic winners Droopys Clue and Brookside Richie have put themselves into prime positions to land next weekend’s PGR St.Leger and the Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup after fastest semi final wins at Perry Barr on Saturday night.

Droopys Clue – winner of the 2022 Towcester puppy event – continued his unbeaten run in the event with a huge impressive front running display. Although slightly slower from boxes than in the heats, Seamus Cahill’s big striding coloured dog soon took a commanding lead (that would have been some 480 run!) before comfortably holding off Monmore’s Millridge Tanic by just under three lengths in 43.03 (-20). Clue’s calculated time was seven spots slower than his heat run, though six of the seven were lost in the first 275m.

There was also a double for Graham Holland who saw Jacktavern Bella also dominate from the start. In a race where the two Ballymac bitches would ruin each other’s chances, the leader was never challenged and the battle for second saw the game Lively Lauren miss out by a short head to Grand Prix winner Coonough Crow.

The other qualifier went to Corn Cuchulainn third Garfiney Blaze who produced some impressive track craft to reel in Jimmy Fenwick’s Lightfoot Clark.

 

2021 Juvenile Classic winner Brookside Richie (he and Droopys Clue also made Seasons Scaffolding Puppy Trophy finals at Hove) is well into his third season of racng but looks as good as ever  following a ‘never headed’ quickest run in the Birmingham Cup semis.

The second semi final went to Hawkfield Ozark who escaped early trouble which saw a double KO though both Chelms Greatest and Cuckoo Fund completed the course. As for the winner, his 3.44 split was the quickest of the qualifiers though five spots slower than his Laurels winning run in April when he clocked 28.03 in the decider. Rioja Joey’s second place saw two in the decider for ‘Big Kev’.

The last qualifier went to Gold Cup runner-up Churchfield Syd from Irish Derby runner-up Bockos Crystal. The result was determined at the third bend when the Holland runner made his challenge as the Rees runner checked his run.

With three railers, a middle and a wide, punters can look forward to a fair and truly high class decider next weekend.