Bookies 6 Punters 0 at Monmore
2/1, 6/1, 6/1, 7/1,9/2, 9/2 – the punter carnage from the PGR Puppy Derby first round is plain to see. (Even the 2/1 winner only scraped home by a short head). Every favourite was beaten though thankfully only two were eliminated at Monmore on Saturday afternoon.
Quickest on the day was Omuircheartaigh with Tom Heilbron’s runner extracting some revenge over Clona Curly following their previous meeting at Newcaste though the ante post favourite lost nothing in defeat.
There was a 37/1 double for Kevin Hutton courtesy of Union Rebel and Ballymac Zari. Nathan Hunt unleashed his new star Icemans Girl with a 28.78 winning debut.
Patrick Janssens has three through to the final headed by Droopys Supply while Vixons Filofax continued his steady progress for local trainer Brian Thompson.
KSS playing a different hand
Last Sunday we were reviewing a KSS five card winning hand of three Kings and two Queens.
This week we are reviewing a QQQKK winning hand and it was ‘ladies first’ with Queen Shakira clocking the fastest opening round heat of the ARC Kent Plate with a flying 29.06 for the 491m.
Big brothers King Capaldi and King Memphis both their respective heats impressively leaving their two ‘cousins’ Queen Joni and Queen Georgia to complete the five-timer. (Watch how 27 kilo Joni takes no messing from 35 kilo Drive On Lad when they are ‘negotiating’ their routes around the first bend).
The clean sweep was missed when King Sydney came a cropper at the first bend as Patrick Janssens sent home the tricast headed by Slick Sabo.
Taylor made for TV Trophy
Ballymac Taylor grabbed back her own 847m track record when landing the quickest of the Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy heats at Oxford on Saturday night.
In his audio interview broadcast on this site midweek, Mark Wallis warned that ante post favourite Garfiney Blaze night be a fraction undercooked going into the heats and so it proved. After clocking a 450m sectional of 26.70, he was ruthlessly hunted down by the relentless Savana Jazz in a new 847m record of 52.72.
The new clock lasted half an hour before Blaze’s sister Ballymac Taylor reduced it by a couple of lengths but was made to work by the impressive Aayamza Dancer. However there appears to be an error in the form line with the runner-up beaten more than the length shown.
There was an even tighter finish in the third qualifier when Bubbly Inferno finally collared Alright Patricia in the final stride.
