The £588 tricast tells the story. The Colossus Bets TV Trophy was won by 16-1 chance Goldies Hotspur from Rubys Rascal (8-1) and Millroad Smokey (6-1) with favourite Roxhome Magic beaten a total of 16 lengths back in fourth place.
So how did the race compare to expectations and prophesies?
In his column this week, Mark Wallis suggested an early battle between Rubys Rascal and Shellam Delano with the hope that the early paced pair ‘wouldn’t cut each other’s throats’.
As it transpired, the Newcastle dog was never a factor and it was Goldies Hotspur who would prove Rascal’s nemesis.
The black cracked away, pursued by Rascal who worried away at her for the first circuit. She slammed the door for the final time at the fourth bend effectively ended his chance. Hotspur crossed the line in a 28.04 sectional – only three spots quicker than in the semi finals.
On on that occasion though, she had Swift Mask in front of her.
In his semi final, Rubys Rascal had secured the lead by the third bend and clocked a 28.07 sectional. In the decider, he still recorded 28.10 but this time he had a 27 kilo obstacle to negotiate. With every stride in the leader’s slipstream, his chances ebbed away.
In the second lap, that three quarter length deficit was extended by another three lengths with Millroad Smokey running on well to get within just over a length of the runner-up.
The favourite was never seen with a chance. She was slow away but was unable to negotiate the three-runner traffic jam in front of her.
Goldies Hotspur’s winning time of 55.45 (-40) compared very favourably with the fastest semi final time of 55.57 (+20). With going allowance included – she actually improved 140 spots between semi and final. (Rubys Rascal improved 60 spots).
By further comparison, the 2015 final was won by Ballymac Bonnie in 55.44 (N), and last year’s decider was won in 56.57 (-60).
The track record – held by Droopys Cottage is 55.17 (+20).
Trainer Patrick Janssens had been bullish on the chances of his bitch winning and that view was duly confirmed.
He said: “She had to come away. Roxhome Magic was probably the only one who could outrun the dogs. The others were much of a muchness. Rubys Rascal is a great dog but when she chopped him off at the fourth bend I thought we were in with a big shout if Roxholme Magic doesn’t perform at her best.
“(Goldies Hotspur) did everything right. She is a great bitch She started out here in A6 as an raced puppy. She was beaten in an S2 here. We took her to Romford, she won 20 lengths.
“She came in season, Keith (Allsop) wanted to sell her and I said to Andy (Pelley), she is a TV Trophy bitch.
“She came out of season and started back in the grades back here. She won an S1 and we went from strength to strength. I said to Andy today ‘she is in the form of her life’, but she had to be in the form of her life to win this. It is a dream come true.”
