Jess and Button shine at Monmore
Rackethall Jess more than justified the glowing recent tribute from her trainer with another stunning win at Monmore – though she was forced to share the limelight with a potential young starlet.
After last week’s 480m victory, trainer John Mullins described Irish Puppy Oaks runner-up Rackethall Jess (Droopys Scolari-Leamaneigh Breda, Sep 15) as ‘potentially the best he has ever had.’ On Thursday night, Jess extended her record to six wins from nine races (all three defeats came at the paws of Droopys Polly at Hove).
Returned at 4-7f, the wide running black beat La Brava by seven and a half lengths in 28.05 on going rated at -20 giving her a one spot improvement on the 27.86 calculated time recorded last week.
Half an hour earlier, the highly rated youngster Bull Run Button (Ballymac Eske-Tullowmac Java, Mar 16) was impressive winner for Barrie Draper.
A calculated 28.63 winner at Kilkenny when only 18 months old, Button had 15.94 (calc 280m) and 28.54 (calc 500m) qualifying trials on her card at Sheffield and had been expensively beaten in her first two outings.
But despite not leading until the second turn, the 8-11f pulled away for a seven and a half length win in 28.10 (-30).
A reminder that next Wednesday’s Lol Jones Memorial meeting closes for entries at 11am on Monday.
Brave and fast at Hove
By any stretch of the imagination, Brave Venture‘s (Sparta Maestro-Pleasant Moments, Nov 15) five and a half length victory at HOVE on Thursday was remarkable.
In the first instance, he clocked a stunning 29.76 (-20) for the 515 metre course, the fastest time of the year to date, even without the going taken into consideration.
Not bad for a dog who had won just once in his 14 previous outings – albeit in a flying 28.02 (N) for Towcester’s 480m.