Joe’s Thursday tips
*** 7.16 Hove – Ballymac Lolls
**6.42 Hove – Burgess Anne
*8.41 Hove – Dannys Gem
*7.53 Swindon – Hopiehopiehopie
A cracking open race card at Hove and plenty of opens at Swindon set us up nicely heading into the weekend.
Hove Selections
The Coral Stayers 695 Trophy Final at 8.07 can go the way of Lightfoot Falcon. He put in a career-best when winning the heat last week in a scintillating run, clocking 41.53 and beating Ower Smasher by over four lengths. Move Over Ogie looks the main danger but if Lightfoot Falcon comes away on terms he should dominate from an early stage.
There are two heats of the Coral 695 Maiden Stayers Trophy on the card where Marvellous Mabel can go on better than last week by taking heat one at 6.59 pm and Ballymac Lolls looks like a good thing to dominate heat two at 7.16 pm.
Three heats of the Coral Dual Distance Trophy are on the card with heats over 500m and final over 515m next week.
Uncle Freddie can get the better of Candolim Monsoon in heat one at 8.24 pm being drawn inside him in trap three. Trap six Dannys Gem can make the most of a good draw out wide to land heat two. Droopys Pivotel takes all the beating from trap one in heat three at 8.59 pm.
At 6.42 pm trap two Burgess Anne brings some solid Irish form to the UK for Julie Luckhurst. She has trialled extremely well at Crayford and Central Park clocking a 29.26 at Central Park in her last trial. She can get off the mark at the first time of asking by winning the Coral Thursday Night 500 Maiden.
Two from Swindon
At Swindon, Hopiehopiehopie can land the Blunsdon Stayers at 7.53 pm on her first UK start. Getup Me Boy can get back to winning ways for Carol Weatherall at 9.52 pm. He ran well last week in defeat on his first look at the track.
Bar One Sprint Final
Part of a Dundalk doubleheader with horse racing this afternoon, the €20,000 Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup concludes tonight.
Not only are the six runners chasing the generous prize on offer, but they can also pick up a €10,000 bonus if the winner goes on to land the Laurels at Cork.
The 2023 Sprint Cup winner Carrick Aldo is back to defend his crown. He would finish fifth in the Laurels final last year, sent off the 2/1 joint-favourite for that October competition final.
Ardnasool Jet was the last winner to go back-to-back in this competition in 2018 and 2019. The only other repeat winner was Fair Mistress in 1942 and 1943.
Favourite tonight is the track record holder, Broadstrand Syd. He has produced both 20.57 and 20.60 during the competition, a level that stands out if he is able to repeat it. The race is at 9.00 pm and should be the race of the night.
- Ballymac Finn 12/1
- Broadstrand Syd 4/5
- On the Nose 12/1
- Road Exile 9/2
- Carrick Aldo 10/3
- Elite Kursk 13/2
Yarmouth boosts to East Anglian Derby night
Wednesday, September 18 – is a date for your diary!
There have been many noteworthy dates at Yarmouth – though none to quite match their planned May 1940 opening fixture that coincided with the German army invaded Holland.
But comparatively speaking the third Wednesday in September 2024 should be right up there.
We had already flagged up the changes in the Click Competitions 78th East Anglian Derby, which includes the scrapping of entry fees and the reduction from 48 to 36 runners.
(Note too – the £15K win prize money – making it the 11th most lucrative final in the Calendar behind the English Derby and nine PGR finals)
Now, we can reveal that the supporting card should be the most lucrative ever staged at the track.
In addition to main sponsors, Click Competitions, the track has assembled a strong selection of final night sponsors including Sonata Security, the MWD Partnership, C&C Sheds, the connections of last year’s beaten favourite Coolavanny Shado and the local bookies.
The net result will be a string of four-figure finals – only the £750 one-off maiden is worth less, plus the traditional Derby Purse and Sprint Finals worth £2,000 and £1,500 respectively.
Promoter Simon Franklin said: “No runner on the night will be running for less than £100. While we always allow that running the Derby is a significant cost to the stadium, it is thanks to the sponsors that we have been able to boost prize money on final night.
“We realise that we are, geographically speaking out on a limb for many kennels, but if this doesn’t attract a decent entry, I would really be at a loss to know what to do.”
SIS Schedule Changes
With the absence of Suffolk Downs, SIS is making some schedule changes starting next week.
Saturday, August 17 – Towcester replaces Oxford in the morning from 10.32-2.11. Towcester will no longer race in the afternoon.
Monday, August 19 – Oxford replaces Suffolk Downs afternoon meeting from 2.26-5.46.
Tuesday, August 20 – Towcester replaces Suffolk Downs afternoon card from 2.26-5.46.
Thursday, August 22 – Towcester will race in the afternoon from 2.33-5.54.
Daily Stats
- Classy Gorey – 5.37 Perry Barr – Has won four of the five A7 contests he has run in at the track.
- Tickity Hazel – 6.46 Valley – 6/8 when drawn in trap five at Valley.
- Dashing Dude – 8.11 Swindon – Is 17/21 overall at the track.
Opens
Thursday: Hove ♦ Swindon
Friday: Romford
Saturday: Doncaster
Sunday: Crayford ♦ Sheffield ♦ Towcester
