The Blue Riband, with a history that began at Wembley before transferring onto Hall Green is the first major event in the Towcester racing calendar.
Mark Wallis is going for a hat-trick having taken the ’23 decider with Hopes Paddington and the ’22 final with Ivy Hill Skyhigh. The ’21 decider was won by Patrick Janssens’ Kildare Lion and the Hockwold handler has this year’s ante post favourite and current track record holder Romeo Command.
Ower Mystery has made a great start to his UK career having run third in the Irish Produce Stakes for Pat Buckley. He has four wins from five races for June Harvey including the Olympic consolation final – where as a from guideline he was 43 spots slower than King Memphis. With Savana Beau on his inside, he should secure a decent run to the bend. Charming Girl is a 29.12 winner over course and distance and is the obvious danger Sel 3-5
Possibly the most open of all the heats as the ante post betting suggests. It appears to be at the mercy of Burj Khalifa who ran well to finish second in the Eclipse. This is his track and after a bloody nose against the record holder finds himself in easier company here. This is at the extreme end of Swift Iconic’s. range but he should lead on the inside and make a race of it until the latter stages. He performs well when he is fresh though a repeat of Chelms Sonny’s 29.17 run would also make him a player. Sel 6-1
Romeo Top Gun has often been let down by his inconsistent trapping but he has been a revelation in recent weeks. If he produces another sub-29.00 he will surely not be caught. Signet Goofy is never out of his league, and never runs a bad race so is the obvious option and forecast. Hard to make a case for the rest. Sel 2-6
Droopys Doughnut was runner-up in the €15K Champion Unraced at Kilkenny but has so far failed to sparkle since crossing the sea. However, this is one of the weaker heats, so even short of his top class form, he may be too good for these. Kilara Show will be running on. Sel 4-1
Two Olympic finalists in here and they should dominate. Newinn Syd was beaten just under two lengths at Hove, having previously landed the Eclipse. Different gravy to these. He has 28.90 winning form over course and distance and is deservedly second in the ante post betting. Wasted Money should follow him around. Sel 2-5
The Derby runner-up and Derby Plate winner are drawn in red and blue respectively and should progress in that order. With a race record like his, you can be fairly sure Romeo Command won’t be left out of many forecasts. There is NO such thing as a certainty in racing, but Romeo Command in form at Towcester is as close as you are likely to find. Sel 1-2
Smoking run from Blaze in Cesarewitch
To hear that ante post favourite Garfiney Blaze broke the track record in the first round of the ARC Cesarewitch might suggest that the Central Park event looks uncompetitive. That is certainly not the case.
Certain the Mark Wallis trained black produced a thoroughly professional performance when taking heat three. He was never headed before setting a new best of 44.94 and although his handler will expect his runner to come on for the performance, the same might be said of the runner-up and third.
Ela Maestro came into the event with the chance to prove that this is his level of ability and he passed that test with flying colours in heat two. After clocking the day’s fastest sectional – 11 spots quicker than the sprint open – Chris Hamblin’s railer was never headed and was only half a length slower than the favourite. Of course, the MWD Partnership might point to the deficit to their Mad For Sterling and argue that that length and a half was given away in early crowding. Bellmore Sally was never seen with a chance – though open race punters might point to a couple of similar Crayford runs, only to turn that form on its head within the space of a week.
The Wallis double was achieved when Ballymac Taylor looked a class better than the opposition in heat four. The race worked entirely as her trainer would have wanted with kennelmate Jacktavern Magic leading them around as he contemplated his own course or probably 750 metres. There were no excuses for the rest.
Heat one had gone the way of Gutsy Jet who never put a paw wrong, though the winning time suggests all three qualifiers will need to step up considerably to make it through to the final.
Kev’s Treble Base
Local trainer and breeder Kevin Hutton was always likely to have an influence in Oxford’s £10K BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup. In fact, he landed all three first round heats.
Despite the fact that the 36 runner event only attracted 24 runners and the fields included 25-1 and 40-1 chances, the results were nowhere as predictable as might have been assumed.
The first favourite to not only be beaten, but eliminated was David Mullins’ Romeo Firebrand (11-8) in a race that went to Union Blizzard (Droopys Sydney-Union Secret, Jun 22). With only three races on her card – all local A2s – the white and brindle led for the first time and was never picked up in heat one.
Heat two looked the weakest of the three and Phil Milner’s Keefil Dares headed the market. But the four sisters and their brother are the youngest in the event and inexperience went against the favourite. The winner was the tastily bred A2 local Dreamin Bea (Droopys Sydney-Forest Natalee, Apr 22) who made the most of her course knowledge to clock 27.42.
Romford Puppy Cup third Romeo Cypher is probably the most high profile runner in the event and he went to traps as the 4-6f in heat three. It turned out to be a cracking race with three different leaders but went to Bea’s litter sister, Coppice Ella who showed tremendous track craft to clock the fastest time of the day from an impressive Keefill Maverick. With four to qualify Cypher will get another opportunity though on this evidence, he is finding the trip on the testing side.
