Monsoon returns with a dream run
Candolim Monsoon kicked off his Coral Sussex Cup defence in the best possible style with a brilliant and almost fairytale return to the track in heat three at Hove on Saturday.
CANDOLIM MONSOON, the reigning Sussex Cup champ, takes early control of heat 3, going on to a fastest of night 29.84.
Coral Sussex Cup heats.
Hove 13th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Off the track and to all intents and purposes retired after injury last year, Derek Knight’s star was nursed back to full fitness by the Hove handler and his team and, despite a tricky-looking midfield draw in his heat of the famous 515m event, a fast start enabled the September 2020 son of Magical Bale to tack across to the rails and make all.
Clocking 29.84sec for the four-bend trip, Candolim Monsoon was the quickest of the six £10,000 Coral Sussex Cup winners on a night the four-bend annual shared the stage with the heats of the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Regency over 695m.
Patrick Janssens’ Romeo Command, also back on track and winning major races since an injury layoff, was another to impress when bolting home in the opening heat. The 2023 English Derby runner-up and winner of the BGBF TruFrame Champion Stakes on Derby final night at Towcester a fortnight ago made all from Miami Bullet (Paul Young) in 28.96sec.
Greyhound of the Year Droopys Clue powered to the front off the last bend to score in heat five as his anticipated clash with Coronation Cup winner New Destiny never really materialised after the latter was crowded out early before staying on, albeit missing out on a place in Saturday’s semi-finals.
ROMEO COMMAND comfortably takes the opening Sussex Cup heat in 29.94
Hove 13th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Droopys Clue (t1 right) gets up in a tight finish with Uncle Freddie (t5) and Clona Uriel (t2) in the Sussex Cup heats.
Hove 13th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
However, Seamus Cahill’s powerhouse Droopys Clue, was always a threat to the front runners Clona Uriel (Derek Knight) and Uncle Freddie (Richard Rees) and pounced when the opportunity arose off the last bend to score in 30.16sec.
Other Sussex Cup heats were won by Derek Knight’s Newinn Benni (30.00sec), who initiated a double for the local trainer before Candolim Monsoon’s victory, while another Hove handler Belinda Green also landed a Sussex Cup double with runaway winner Wasted Monday (30.01sec) and Beaming Panther (30.31sec), the latter edging out the game and staying-on Newinn Syd (Mark Wallis) by a neck.
Litter mates dominate in Regency Heats
RIVERSIDE SHARI leads hot favourite Queen Georgia at the penultimate bend, the 18/1 shot going on to land a Nathan Hunt double in the PGR Regency heats
Hove 13th July 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Nathan Hunt sent out his Cooladerry Dust to clock the fastest time in the heats of the Premier Greyhound Racing Regency. The Coral Coronation Cup runner-up got first run on favourite Bubbly Scorcher to race away impressively for a three-length win over that rival in 41.72sec for the 695m trip. Hunt was later to land a double with Riverside Shari winning heat six, edging 3 Steps winner Queen Georgia by a short-head in 42.27sec.
Dorando Marathon winner Ballymac Taylor was soon handy in heat two before powering to the front at the penultimate bend before going on to score by just over two lengths in 41.82sec, completing a double for the high-class September 21 litter by Ballymac Anton out of Ballymac Merkle given Haka Carlo’s impressive heat one victory in 41.84sec.
Other Premier Greyhound Racing heats were won by Belinda Green’s Baywatch Bullet (42.10sec), who raced away early to win well in heat four, and Seamus Cahill’s Lightfoot Falcon (42.16) led up before keeping on to deny favourite Coonough Crow (Mark Wallis).
Coral Sussex Cup – Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5
Heat 6
Premier Greyhound Racing Regency – Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5
Heat 6
Tornillo turns the screw in the Pall Mall
The opening night of the BetGoodwin Pall Mall at Oxford on Saturday night provided a few surprises as well as a new track record courtesy of the Dave Lee-trained El Tornillo.
One of two on the night to produce a 3.79 split, the son of Dromana Bocko smashed out and didn’t look back. He boasts smart form over Crayford’s 540m trip so was always going to be hard to pick up after turning in front. The clock stopped at 26.24, setting new figures for the 450m.
Ante post favourite Aero Sacundai was one of those behind El Tornillo. His split was a length and a half slower than when running riot last week, unable to land a blow at any stage.
Connections of El Tornillo were “over the moon” with trainer Dave Lee calling the win “Fantastic. A really good run, really pleased with it. We know he’s a good dog, a fast dog when he’s out in front. The track record and him winning doubled it (the excitement) up. Ran very very well”
Lee doesn’t like to look too far ahead but the Yarmouth Derby is “pencilled in” after the Pall Mall for El Tornillo as “the distance will be nice for the dog.” Kennel star Laughil Jess will have a solo trial at Crayford tonight as she continues on the road back.
Maverick with the need for speed
The race of the night was heat four. Keefill Maverick dug deep to get back up near the line to gain a short head verdict over Droopys Hanover. It was anything but a cruise to victory but he showed once more just how talented this litter is.
Maverick was the firstborn from the first Droopys Addition litter. That makes him a hugely special dog to trainer Phil Milner. “It’s unreal, if you breed, it’s what you’re breeding for. To get there in such a short space of time and have them competing at this level is such a buzz. It takes a lot of beating. He’s a professional, loves his work, loves his job.”
Milner is quick to praise the help of Geoff Parnaby who owned the dam Tarsna Atalanta. “Can’t believe Geoff let me have her, he helps plan the breeding.” That breeding includes Keefill Goose, runner-up in the BGBF Champion Stakes Final on Derby night. There is also another Tarsna Atalanta litter on the ground by Ballymac Cashout for the team to look forward to.
Milner knew that Maverick was “coming back to himself. He loves the place and we knew he was well at home, over the moon with the run.“ The Produce Stakes will be next on the agenda with Milner taking a team led by Goose and Maverick.
King Capaldi and Druids Say Go both won from the blue jacket in 26.48 and 26.54 respectively. Wrighty and Nowitsmyturn rounded out the heat winners while the 2023 runner-up Eze made it safely through to the semis.
Five wide seeds entered the competition with none of them making it through to the semi-final stage next week. 12 railers and six middle seeds remain in the draw ahead of next Saturday evening as the £10,000 BetGoodwin Pall Mall continues.
BetGoodwin Pall Mall – Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5
Heat 6
Juvenile Classic starts today
Six first-round heats at Towcester this afternoon in the first round of the Category 2 Genco Group Juvenile Classic. Rioja Bungle and Romeo Steel head the ante post market. The former has the red jacket in Heat 3 for Kevin Hutton, the latter is in Heat 1 for Patrick Janssens.
