Saturday's card was a fair open card, featuring
the Circuit final.
In the opening Div 2 430m race, the jolly Myella
Honcho broke well and led at the first. However, Ringview
Rascal outpaced him by the second, despite running wide. Hypatia
Blue stuck to the rails well and ran on to lead at the 4th bend.
She won in a decent 26.12, though the ground was fast.
Droopys
Best Guy led early in the 6 bend hurdles event, but could not
contain Sonomax,
who ran on and led from the 5th bend.
In the Div 1
maiden, Maneen
Haka was quickly into his stride. He made all, but was fading on
the run in and held on by 3/4 of a length. Ortuna
kept on for second.
Milldean
Buster was an impressive winner in the Div 2 standard. He broke
very well and never saw another rival. Kindred
Sparky kept on quite well for second. Ronnies
Earner ran rails and was crowded on the run up and kept on well
afterwards. If he gets a rails plot sometime soon, he'll be one to
be on.
Only 4 went to post in the marathon and Melon
Twister broke well and made the running. Irate
Kate turned close in his slip stream and after challenging at
the 3rd and 7th bends, finally got his head in front on the run in.
Ronnies
Hustle and Back
By Evening paced up well in the puppy standard and Ronnies
Hustle cam out narrowly the better to win by half a length.
There was a pile up in the middle on the run up and Erinaceous
Rapid stayed on for third. Rather
Rapid got a clear run and was poor from the third bend.
A
trap one draw is worth a few lengths in the 430m races. Emporio
Rapide had the plum rails spot and used the advantage to good
effect, taking over from Boy
Becca in between the first two bends. Emporio
Rapide made all from Pennys
Cherokee who kept on well for second, after a modest break.
Droopys
Darina made all in the Laddies stayers race. Emporio
Caesar only went down by a length and threw that and more away
running wide at the bends.
Noirs
Ted came back to form with a bang in the Div 1 standard. Sent
off a very generous 9/4 shot, he made a mockery of those odds. He
broke well and gave Courts
Ad Queen a running lesson.
The recent Champagne
club high profile purchase Cash
For Kate was sent off 2/7 in the maxi marathon. She could not
get on terms with Seathwaite
Robby, who showed terrific early pace for a marathon, pulled
clear and made all. He was entitled to get a bit tired on the run in
and the gap closed to a length and a half. The winning time was a decent
one (56.27), though again the ground was fast. (Star Of Dromin holds
the clock at 55.78)
Kildare
Lark led round in the hurdles event and was fading when Blackmagic
Jamie attacked him at the last bend. Moreton
Mist got a lovely clear run and led on the run in. Blackmagic
Jamie had a look at him as well on the run in and only went down
by half a length. Somehow Blackmagic
Jamie appears to have escaped a red card, if the official
comments are anything to go by. ( I was in York, so can't be sure of
this)
In the Circuit final, Cobra
Striking missed the break and the 2007 Arc winner Too
Risky led on the run up to the bend. Cobra
Striking showed a devastating burst of early pace to grab the
lead going into the bend and swung off the second a couple of
lengths in front. The classy Jazz
Hurricane turned a few lengths behind and it was race on. Jazz
Hurricane was clumsy and lost a length or so between the last
two bends and it looked as if her chance had gone. A combination of
her class and guts, and Cobra
Striking not being the strongest on the run in, allowed Jazz
Hurricane to force her way back in front. What a superb final!
Budwiser
King broke best in the Div 2 maiden and led to half way. Steady
Scholes broke moderately, but paced up well off the second and
led from half way. Form
Of Love kept on and grabbed second spot.
The
jolly Like
Hot Cakes made all in the novice stayers finale. Droopys
Madam showed plenty of early pace, but ran wide at every bend. Masterpiece
kept on for second.