The three fastest heat winners in the first round of the Coral Golden Sprint were separated by as many hundredths of a second.
In what would prove an expensive night for punters, the opening heat went to Charlie Lister OBE’s 5-1 shot Bigmans Kid (Head Bound-Cornamaddy Daisy, Oct 13). A winner of three of his previous 15 races, the black popped out of the blue trap in front and took a middle course to the first bend where he avoided the subsequent bumping. His winning time was 23.74. Saffroons Boxer finished second. Favourite Pinpoint Lad (T1) was eliminated.
National Sprint winner Scolari Sound (Droopys Scolari-Youraisemeup, Mar 14) had been surprisingly beaten on his last visit to London Road but David Pruhs’ black jacketed 3-1 chance, never looked like repeating the error. Out and gone in a fastest-of-night 3.62 sectional, he was pursued but never really challenged by Laughing Gravy (11-10f), the winning distance was a nod under two lengths in a joint fastest 23.71
Sound shared the winning time with Bob Pattinson’s Pass To Go (Gold Slipalong-Droumeragh Queen, Oct 13). The 4-1 chance was fast away and enjoyed a solo run on the outside winning by six and a half from Ballinclare Solo (T4). Favourite Evanta Fantasy (T3) had been well placed on the rails at the bend but was the ‘third domino’ as Mays Teejay (T1) ran into Saffrons Anna (T2).
Reigning champ You Never Listen (Makeshift-Swift Erin, Sep 12) looked some way short of her best but used her early pace to best effect in the second heat. Marginally quickest to the bend off a 3.78 sectional, the black jacketed 3-1 chance skipped clear of the field and ground out a three quarter length winner over Blakefield Nites (T1) in 24.11. Favourite Bramble Bruno (T6) finished fifth.
It is three years since veteran Express Master (Kiowa Sweet Trey-Express Mist, Jul 11) ran second in the Sussex Cup but his 8-1 SP proved wide of the mark in the third heat. Pat Cowdrill’s runner was well away from trap three (3.69 sect) and just headed an early buckle with the orange jacketed 6-4f Droopys Story (3.71). Story maintained a competitive challenge until the third bend where Mystical Charlie took closer order and it was Barrie O’Sullivan’s brindle who took second place, two lengths behind the 24.06 winner.
The remaining favourite to be overturned was Ernie Gaskin’s Mankoya Tim (T5) in the fourth heat. The race went to Bellview Soviet (Crash-Invincible Diva, Sep 13) who crossed Schumacher-like across his field on the run to the bend from trap one. Richard Joyce’s 9-4 chance eventually crossed the line in 24.21 from Adageo Djongo (T6).
