Champion trainer Mark Wallis sent out the quickest winners in both of Towcester 18-runner competitions on Tuesday night.
Quickest in the puppy competition was Rubys Rascal, one of Wallis’ Six to Follow at the end of 2015. Contesting the sixth race of his career, the black edged clear at the first and stretched his lead with every stride to win by six and a half lengths in 28.40 (-10).
The other two qualifiers were both clocked at 28.47 (-10) and won by the favourite. First up was Phil Simmonds’ Bang On Giles (Kinloch Brae-Tyrur Alice, Apr 14) who beat Tonot Tornado by a shade under six lengths. He was followed by Matt Dartnall’s exciting young bitch Droopys Polly (Romeo Recruit-Exiles Pride, Aug 14). By far the youngest in the event, but going for a third win in four outings, the black rocketed away (4.06 sect) and beat Famias Hope by a comfortable four lengths.
The heats of the £750 Standard gave many of the track’s top hounds a chance to show off their ability.
Marginally quickest was another of the Wallis sextet (see above), his leading Derby fancy Roswell Iceman (Shaneboy Lee-Cara Said So, Dec 13). The white and black was led up by Mustang Chick but stole the lead at the turn and pulled away to win by just over four in the fastest time of the night, 28.25 (-10).
The Wallis double – he had five winners on the night – was courtesy of former track record holder Blue Moment. An lucky third in his previous outing, he brushed off an early bump to clock 28.50.
However, Iceman’s biggest danger for the final will surely be Steve Rayner’s Blackrose Cloud (Ace Hi Rumble-Rising Lyric, Jun 12). One of the aces in Towcester’s Track Championship winning team, Cloud made it five wins from his last nine with another flawless six length victory in the second fastest time of his career, 28.27.
