Garfiney blazes to set Hove standard

The first race of the night produced the fastest George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heat.

It was the start of a good night for Mark Wallis with his stayer back in race action for the first time since June. He headed the betting ahead of the opening round and is now as short as 6/4 for outright glory. A well-timed exit saw him in control straight away and although Alright Gordy closed him down late, he was never getting there. The David Lewis-trained dog has now finished first or second in 13 of his last 14 starts.

Beach Babe was the second quickest on the night for Tom Levers. Once she got out in front, she was never coming back given the depths of her stamina. Droopys Flotilla and Move Over Ogie both ducked under 45 seconds for Nathan Hunt and Matt Dartnall respectively, comfortably justifying their short odds.

A shock came in heat three with Minstrels Six getting her head in front at 16/1 for Jason Heath. Breton Molly (Patrick Janssens) got the better of Tuono Bella (Paul Donovan) by three-quarters of a length in the closest finish of the six heats.

H1 – 1st – Garfiney Blaze (t3) – 2nd – Alright Gordy (t5) – 3rd Millridge Tanic (t6)

GARFINEY BLAZE posts a fastest of round 44.49.
George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H2 – 1st – Breton Molly (t1) – 2nd Tuono Bella (t2) – 3rd Broncos Bullet (T4)

BRETON MOLLY wins heat 2 45.01
George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H3 – 1st Minstrels Six (t3) – 2nd Alright Patricia (t6) – 3rd Innfield Charm (t1)

MINSTRELS SIX lands heat 3 at 16/1
George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H4 – 1st – Move Over Ogie (t4) – 2nd – Hopiehopiehopie (t3) – 3rd – Lossies Ace (t2)

MOVE OVER OGIE wins in 44.94
George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H5 – 1st – Droopys Flotilla (t1) – 2nd Ower Smasher (t2) – 3rd – Bright Jewel (t6)

DROOPYS FLOTILLA, 44.92
George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H6 – 1st – Beach Babe (t6) – 2nd Coffee Time Guys (t1) – 3rd Barbie Bullet (t3)

BEACH BABE (t6) leads Coffee Time Guys (t1) on her way to heat 6 victory in 44.79
George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

Heiress shows he’s a proper dog

The opening Olympic heat stopped the clock in the quickest time.

A quick track to start the evening saw Proper Heiress take advantage of the red jacket for Mark Wallis. +10 added to the going actually made him a spot slower on calculated times than Aayamza Sydney who added to his excellent second half of the year for John Mullins in heat three. He is searching for a fourth straight cat one final and a fifth of the year.

The ante-post favourite Droopys Plunge failed to make it out of a messy final heat which went the way of Newinn Syd for Wallis to close out a treble on the night. Antigua Kestrel was visually impressive for Kevin Hutton while the other two heats were both shocks for the punters. Rapido Ali (Patrick Browne) and Starshinestunner (Richard Rees) were both 14/1 winners.

H1 – 1st – Proper Heiress (t1) – 2nd – Kevins Rocket (t2) – 3rd – Gingers Rubin (t3)

PROPER HEIRESS (t1) leads Kevins Rocket (t2) in the early stages of the opening heat, going on to post a fastest of night 29.64.
Coral Olympic heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H2 – 1st – Rapido Ali (t3) – 2nd Barntick Bear (t2) – 3rd – Antigua Forky (t6)

RAPIDO ALI (t3) hangs on by a short head in heat 2 from the fast finishing Barntick Bear (t2)
Coral Olympic heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H3 – 1st – Aayamza Sydney (t2) – 2nd – Gary The Arb (t3) – 3rd – Missile One (t1)

AAYAMZA SYDNEY (t2) takes early charge in heat 3, running out a 29.73 winner
Coral Olympic heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H4 – 1st – Starshinestunner (t1) – 2nd – Gun Slinger (t4) – 3rd – Droopys Pivotel (t2)

STARSHINESTUNNER (t1) is well placed early on the inside disputing with rivals Droopys Pivotel (t2) and Clona Kody (t6) before going on to land a 14/1 success in heat 4
Coral Olympic heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H5 – 1st – Antigua Kestrel (t3) – Droopys Extragud (t4) – No Better Feelin (t2)

ANTIGUA KESTREL (t3) takes an early lead from Candolim Monsoon (t1) to win heat 5
Coral Olympic heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

H6 – 1st – Newinn Syd (t1) – 2nd – Burrows Sapphire (t4) – 3rd – Newinn Port (t6)

NEWINN SYD (t1) rails closely to land heat 6 (the final race of the night) from Burrows Sapphire (t4 left of shot)
Coral Olympic heats
Hove 30th November 2024
Photo: © Steve Nash

Georgia the first round queen at Oxford with a new track record

39.17 took two spots off Havana Top Note’s clock on a track that was rated -20. 

It had looked the deepest of the bet365 Challenge Cup heats on paper but a smart break set Queen Georgia clear. The Three Steps to Victory winner from back in May saw off the consistent Cooladerry Dust with Coonough Crow the big-name casualty from the heat.

Mark Wallis had better luck with New Destiny who produced 39.33 when winning her heat. The original ante-post favourite produced  a sub 15-second sectional, as did Coppice Ella for Kevin Hutton with her win in heat one in 39.79.

Golden Palace scored for Michelle Brown in 39.58, the kennel quickly doubling up when Bodell Bucks won a 450m maiden. The other Challenge Cup heats went to Carols Hero for Matt Dartnall in 39.96 and Gagas Merry for Robin Jury in 39.64.

Three semi-final heats of the BetGoodwin maiden series over 450m saw a double for Maxine Locke. Ballymac Axel (26.81 and Droops Prefect (26.99) continued a record-breaking year for the kennel with Pat Doocey landing the other other heat in 26.97 with Longacres Honey. Newinn Lotto won the opening sprint for Daren Whitton and the evening was closed out with Millbank Boiler winning for Gemma Evans.

Other Saturday open results

Three other tracks hosted opens on Saturday night.

Brian Thompson won both opens at Monmore. Vixons Filofax took the 480m contest in 28.13 and Knock Beeswing won the sprint in 15.68. Cinderella Tell (Paul Donovan) and Good Rainbow (Barry O’Sullivan) won the pair at Central Park in 29.05 and 29.42 respectively. Jimmy Gaskin, Barry Denby and Kirsty Grayson won the Doncaster opens with Redbrick Daisy (17.09) Bellmore Ozzy (27.99) and Maximum Calibre (27.84).

Droopys Kathleen’s litter sisters in Towcester action

With the bet365 Puppy Oaks starting next week, there’s a smart level of youngster at Towcester today.

Ireland’s new wonder pup has a trio of her May 2023 litter siblings racing at Towcester today. Droopys Flare will be towards the top of the betting for the Puppy Oaks after a pair of smart Towcester trials. She clocked 29.20 in a solo on her first look at the track for Sean Parker. A strong stayer at 500m, she races at 2.52.

Heather Dimmock has one from the litter in action earlier on the card. Droopys Mikado will go to traps in the 2.33. She already has a semi-final in the Puppy Derby on her card, set to race against her own sex now.

Carol Weatherall unleashes Droopys Smily in maiden company at 3.49. She has had just two sprint trials so far but in the second of those she beat Bombay Ben. That dog is a litter brother to Puppy Derby winner Bombay Birch and is already an open winner over Towcester’s 500m, stopping the clock at 29.38.

GBGB launches retired racers at Christmas campaign

Stats

  • Deacon Pee Wee – 3.57 Hove – 7/11 from trap one.
  • Acomb Irene – 5.19 Sheffield – 7/12 in one off open company at Sheffield from trap four.
  • Miss Syd – 6.42 Crayford – 5/6 from trap five in Crayford one off opens.
  • Tromora Supreme – 7.24 Star Pelaw – 5/8 from trap two.
  • Glenvale Bjorn – 7.58 Star Pelaw – 5/8 when clad in white.

Opens

Sunday: Crayford ♦Sheffield ♦ Towcester

Friday: Romford