Julie Bateson arrived at BELLE VUE with two runners on Thursday and won both opens on a great night for the ladies.
The first leg for the Lancaster based handler came in the puppy open where Ashbank Christy (Scolari Me Daddy-Droopys Valerie, Sep 15) returned at 11-10f when clocking the fastest 470 of the night – 27.82 (N).
The double came courtesy of 9-4 shot Lissom Sheldo (Blackstone Gene-Mysterious Le, Dec 13) with a 14.97 run for the sprint – just one spot outside Drumcove Lad’s track record.
Pat McCombe won the bitch’s race with Paradise Beauty (Elite Stare-Paradise Geneva, Apr 15) in 27.86.
On a night where nine of the ten races were won by female trainers, Pat Rosney was the sole successful male when his bitch Swift Bethany (Makeshift-Swift Pacquiao, Sep 15) won the remaining 470 in 28.04 (N).
Host track MONMORE supplied 24 of the 30 entries for Thursday night opens and landed all five races.
The performance of the night was surely secured by Paul Sallis’ 9-4 chance La Brava (Head Bound-Callura Lark, Apr 14) with a career best winning time of 28.27 (-30) for the 480m.
There was a 17-1 maiden double for Corren Price with Droopys Pesa (Blackstone Gene-Droopys Donna, Nov 14) on her seventh open race attempt 28.65 (-20), and puppy Trumpers Kelsa (Vans Escalade-Lissivigeen Pat, Sep 15) on her third 28.74 (-40).
The 630m stayers events went to Stuart Buckland’s home bred Black Grand (Hondo Black-Supreme French, Ag 14) in 38.70 (-40) and Pat Cowdrill’s Daddy Pat (Big Daddy Cool-Black Eyed Boss, Oct 14) in 38.03 (-10)
With the Derby dominating home track Towcester Matt Dartnall set off for the coast with six runners at HOVE and returned home with two winners, two seconds and a third.
The most lucrative run was from Droopys Polly (Romeo Recruit-Exiles Pride, Aug 14) – at least in prize money terms. On semi form (29.87 calc) the black 2-5f had five lengths in hand on her field and she converted that to a 30.14 (-20) four and a half length win the £500 Ladies Final. Kennelmate Humphreys Pride (Me Buddy-Junket Chick, Mar 13) returned at 7-1 when landing a 475m open in 28.03 (-20).
For the neutral, the return to winning form of Banabane (Droopys Scolari-Ballymac Razl, Mar 14) would have been particularly pleasing.
Seamus Cahill’s 2016 Brighton Belle winner had not won a race since her 29.69 victory last November, followed by an enforced lay-off. Her Thursday night win was her sixth outing following the break and although the 30.11 (-20) run is still a bit off her best, it was still the fastest time of the night. She ran from trap six. . .
