Sponsors Coral rate Coolavanny Aunty as a 15-8 chance to land tonight’s Essex Vase Final. Racing Manager Mark Arkell sees the race as being altogether a tighter affair.
The defending champion looks ideally drawn in red but the multi Cat One winner, and potential Greyhound of the Year is far from a ‘good thing’. For a start, the trip is ‘between distances’. Although she won the Empress Stakes at Towcester (500m) and the Grand Prix at Sunderland (640m), Assistant Trainer Jimmy Wright has conceded that the ‘575’ is within Aunty’s ‘flat spot’.
That showed up in last week’s semi finals, where she led and was caught by Aayamza Magic but then rallied late to reduce the winning margin to just a length. But it perhaps goes to show how competitive the decider is when Dan Brabon’s 20-1 outsider Millbank Peach has sub-35.00 form over course and distance.
Arkell said: “There are six railers in there, which is far from ideal, and I see it as ‘whoever comes away’ will take all the beating. We saw last week that Aunty moves off the rail and I don’t think there is an obvious trapper in the field. Look further out and the likes of Bonjour Bullet has shown that she likes to rail. You can never rule Mark Wallis out of any final here, Liz McNair won the last big stayers race with Warzone Tom and it is all to play for.”
Full Corals odds: 15-8 Coolavanny Aunty, 11-4 Queen Pink, 4-1 Aayamza Magic, 6-1 Minnie Bullet, 7-1 Bonjour Bullet, 20-1 Millbank Peach.
The £5,000 Coral Maiden Trophy is being staged for a second occasion and the layers reckon the competition could go in the same direction as the first – back up the A12 with Paul Burr.
Nineteen month old Rapido Sabbath was unraced when he arrived at Yarmouth and qualified straight into A2 where he was beaten in his first three races. He soon found the winning habit but has found the extra 62 metres taxing at his home venue. He is unbeaten at Romford and is decently drawn to follow up the exploits of Zari Rosie last year.
Arkell said: “It has been a great addition to the schedule with a good quality entry and a competitive final. It is good to have a couple of middle seeds in there, though realistically, I think most of the field look ‘rails to middle’.”
“It is a very good card. Our Friday opens are being well supported. It is just a shame that the Vase consolation didn’t fill.”
Coral odds: 2-1 Rapido Sabbath, 11-4 Gunboat Wichita, 4-1 Icaal Frankie, 9-2 Droopys Chaser, 10-1 Chelms Gask, 14-1 Droopys Gambler
Mark also reminded trainers that the track’s next Category One event, the Coral Golden Sprint will be staged as a double-header competition alongside the Coronation Cup, which will be run as a Cat One event for the first time. (March 3, 10, 17)
