Crayford takes centre stage on Sunday
The final of the Guys & Dolls is the 7.49 at Crayford tonight.
A race full of early pace, where perhaps Dower Pat has the pick of the draw on the inside for Dan Brabon. He won the guys semi-final by a wide margin seven days ago and his 36+ kilo frame up the inside of these runners could see him making room for himself even if he is not already in front.
The winner of the dolls heat was Mini Eva who led home a one-two-three for trainer Dave Lee. She will likely head straight left from the lids from trap four given that both her wins in this competition came from the red jacket.
The Queen of Crayford Laughil Jess has a tricky-looking draw in five. This trip is on the short side for her so she has done well to make the decider. All Along in two and Slick Sabo in three will need some luck to avoid being the meat in the sandwich on the run to the opening turn.
Five railers and a middle runner draw the eye to Tom Heilbron’s Romeo To Victory. He is the slowest of the six on the times in the book but if he can come away with a 3.51 like in the heats, he could be set for a clean run around.
It is a 12-race all-open card starting at 6.08.
Ladbrokes Gold Cup and Summer Stayers Finals set
A dual Category One semi-final night at Monmore saw some top-notch displays.
All three semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup were won by the favourite, with two of the three Summer Stayers also being won by the market leader.
Ladbrokes Gold Cup
Antigua Eagle got the semis rolling with an all-the-way performance for Kevin Hutton. The second fastest qualifier of the night, if he could come away in the same fashion next week in the final, it would make for a very interesting contest. Untold Ruble chased him home for Tom Heilbron.
Ante post favourite Churchfield Syd was the fastest of the night for Richard Rees. He has a spectacular record at Monmore and as the sole wide runner in the final, he has his draw. Seaview Sydney made him work hard in the early stages, keeping on for second for Nathan Hunt.
Hunt would win the third semi with Cunnigar Yousir. Making room for himself at the opening bend sprung him clear with Ballymac John (Mark Wallis) keeping on the best of the rest to book his spot in the decider.
Ladbrokes Summer Stayers
The first semi of the Summer Stayers had looked the most competitive on paper beforehand. The first four home were separated by just five spots. A messy contest, it was no surprise that this was the slowest of the three semis. Coonough Crow (Mark Wallis) took the right gap at the right time to qualify ahead of Seamus Cahill’s Droopys Clue.
A third straight Category One final beckons for Cooladerry Dust after the Coronation Cup and the Regency. Nathan Hunt enjoying another good night with three of the 12 total finalists next week. Baywatch Bullet was the winner of that latter competition and managed to make another top-level decider herself for Belinda Green.
The final semi went the way of Liz McNair’s Queen Georgia. The Three Steps winner has taken well to this easier six-bend test than Hove, with her 12.51 sectional the fastest of the night. At the opposite end of things, Towcester’s 712m track record holder Savana Jackpot finds this a sharp enough test but stayed on powerfully to book his place in the final for Diane Henry.
ANTIGUA EAGLE (t5) wins the opening Ladbrokes Gold Cup semi from Untold Euro (t1)
CHURCHFIELD SYD wins his Ladbrokes Gold Cup semi from Seaview Sydney (t4)
Monmore 17th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
CUNNIGAR YOUSIR (t1) takes early control of the third Ladbrokes Gold Cup semi, to give Nathan Hunt a double.
Monmore 17th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Outsider Swift Depot leads early in the opening Summer Stayers semi, with eventual winner Coonough Crow (t2 right) in the rear at this stage.
Monmore 17th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
COOLADERRY DUST is clear turning for home in the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers semis
Monmore 17th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
QUEEN GEORGIA (t1) wins her Ladbrokes Summers Stayers semi from Savana Jackpot (t4) with Gary The Arb (t3) just missing out.
Monmore 17th August 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash
Clonbrien Treaty goes back-to-back
Graham Holland’s son of Pestana won his second Willwego.com Irish St Leger.
Despite being beaten in the first three rounds, Clonbrien Treaty had signalled he was approaching his best in the semi-final last week. He backed that up in no uncertain terms, producing his fastest-ever run over Limerick’s 550y in 29.28.
His dam Clonbrien Millie is a granddaughter of Trout Or Salmon who was the dam of Holland’s previous winner of the Irish St Leger, Clonbrien Hero. He is the first repeat winner of the race since Time Up Please in 1971 and 1972.
Miami King picked the perfect time to produce his best sectional of the competition, leading the field early off a 2.81 split. While he could not hold the winner, he dug deep to maintain second, beaten a length and a half. Barefoot On Fire was third.
Ower Cracker did his best to steal Clonbrien Treaty’s thunder. In the following race, he shaved a spot off the 600-yard track record, clocking 32.04. He was a first-round casualty in the St Leger but has won all four of his starts since.
Knegare fastest in the Juvenile
The second round of the Time Juvenile Classic produced another shock.
House Martin started the night as a joint-favourite for the competition outright. He ended up fourth in his heat and out of the running, though he is clearly still a very smart recruit. It was a bad night for the Droopys Sydney – Susie Sapphire litter with litter sister Grangeclare Lady also exiting.
The quickest of the night was Callaway Knegare who broke the beam in 27.98. Owen McKenna’s charge was a finalist in an unraced stake at Cork before setting clockwatchers’ hearts racing with a pair of sub-28-second trials at Shelbourne.
Second quickest was Ballymac Briar who scored for Liam Dowling in 28.05. Cheap Sandwiches (28.18 – Graham Holland) and Fun Inthe Run (28.23 – Michael Malone) were the other two winners ahead of next week’s semi-final stage.
Droopys Sydney has passed away
Sad news came out of Droopys Stud yesterday that super sire Droopys Sydney has passed away.
The top sire of his generation has produced more than 5000 offspring, winning Irish stud dog of the year for the last three years. Among his best runners is the recent Bar One Irish Sprint Cup winner Broadstrand Syd who has been setting flying times at Dundalk over the summer.
Sire of two English Derby winners in Deerjet Sydney and Gaytime Nemo, he was responsible for a pair in the final of the 2024 Towcester classic courtesy of Churchfield Syd and King Memphis.
His sons Ballymac Cashout and Ballymac Bono have made a huge impact at stud themselves while he also proved himself as a solid dam sire. March On Freddie who is the favourite to win the JenningsBet Puppy Classic on Monday week is out of the Droopys Sydney bitch Seaglass Shadow.
Next Saturday night the Ladbrokes Gold Cup Final has three sons of Sydney taking on three grandsons of Sydney! It is a testament to the class that he has stamped his offspring with. Truly an all time great.
Stats
- Romeo Command – 3.29 Towcester – 5/6 from this trap here.
- Dazl Rolex – 6.59 Crayford – 9/10 in open races at the track.
- Ascot Logan – 8.09 Clonmel – Has won 4/5 in A2 grade, those in his last four straight races.
- Radioactive Boy – 8.26 Clonmel – 5/7 when running in A2s.
