Saturday Night Open report – Regency, Sussex Cup and Pall Mall

Saturday Night Open report – Regency, Sussex Cup and Pall Mall

Superb action from Hove last night with the Category One Coral Sussex Cup and Premier Greyhound Regency heats taking centre stage. 

Heat one of the Regency at 6.08 looked a match on paper and that’s exactly how the race went, with Breton Molly in T1 finishing two and a half lengths behind winner Bombay Nutty (10/11f), who was the first of a Mark Wallis five timer. Nutty led at the fifth bend and went onto to record 41.71, an impressive run from the February 2023 son of Broadstrand Bono. Lilys Bullet finished third and booked her place in the semi-finals. 

Heat two of the PGR Regency at 6.26 was all over bar the shouting at lid rise when Romeo Empire trapped well and led round from T2. Sent off as the 2/15 favourite, the bookmakers were taking no chances regarding the Patrick Janssens-trained performer and rightly so, with him bolting up and claiming a six-length victory in 41.56. Soul Choice finished second with Rules For Some grabbing third and place in next weekend’s semi-finals. 

Next up was the return of Mongys Wild in heat three. Sent off at 1/6, the Mark Wallis-trained flying machine turned last but made his move down the back straight and hit the front off the sixth bend and went onto record a 41.71 victory. He will come on plenty for that outing and looks a major player in the competition outright. Tuono Bella (T1) finished second with Droopys Invent (T2) back in third. 

Heat four at 6.59 looked like an ultra-competitive event with the bookmakers going 5/2 the field. Ivy Hill Cherry popped out from her inside draw and kicked for home and the others never landed a blow on the Seamus Cahill-trained railer, who went onto win by seven lengths in 41.53 at 16/1. Newinn Cloud (T4) finished second with Alright Gordy grabbing third from T6. 

At 7.16 in heat five all eyes were on Vhagar as the February 2023 daughter of Dorotas Wildcat lined up from T5 for trainer Mark Wallis. Vhagar pinged the lids and recorded a flying 14.23 sectional and went onto clock 41.61 over the six-bend 695-metre trip at Hove. Borna Parachute was three lengths back in second with a further five to Ower Smasher in third. 

The sixth and final heat of the Premier Greyhound Racing Regency went to Garfiney Blaze from T3. Sent off the 10/11 favourite the Mark Wallis-trained railer turned mid-pack then set his sights on Burrows Eclipse (T6) who was half a dozen clear of the chasing pack. As they approached the fifth bend, that gap was down to just a couple of lengths and the writing was on the wall. Blaze hit the front and powered clear with Art Riddler catching the eye in second.

The draw for next Saturdays Premier Greyhound Racing Regency semi-finals can be seen below: 

Coral Sussex Cup 

Next up at Hove was the first heat of the Category One Coral Sussex Cup run over the four-bend 515-metre trip at the south coast venue. 

Ower Mystery was sent off at 33/1 but the May 21 son of Droopys Sydney didn’t read the script as he pinged the lids and made all in 30.28. No Better Feelin finished second with race favourite Ballymac Kobe back in third. The forecast paid £189.69, well done if you found that one!

Heat two of the Coral Sussex Cup produced another shock with the Ricky Holloway-trained railer Dazl Hermes (33/1) cheating a draw in T5 to produce a quick away-made-all victory in 30.30. The Liz McNair-trained King Memphis finished second following a lengthy layoff. It's great to see him back in action, and he goes into next weekend’s semi-finals with every chance from a rails draw in T1. Golden Palace grabbed third a further three lengths back. 

Heat three was surely the race of the night with a short head separating Queen Shakira (7/2), Gary The Arb and Romeo Tomcat with the winner Shakira clocking 29.96 following a flashy 4.41 sectional. All three are safely into the semi-finals and all go into those heats with live chances. 

Slick Sentinel (2/9) was ultra-impressive in heat four at 8.41 when the wide seed pinged the lids and made all in 29.97, recording a two-and-a-quarter-length victory from Ballymac Axel, who caught the eye in defeat. Quill Quids finished third and a further length and a quarter back. 

Heat five at 8.59 looked ultra-competitive on paper with plenty in with chances but Mossrich Kylie pinged the lids from T4 and never looked like getting caught as the Derek Knight-trained local runner recorded 30.17 to reward those that backed her at 14/1. Chelms Bear stayed on well to grab second with Newinn Benni back in third. 

At 9.16 in heat six of the Coral Sussex Cup all eyes were on Proper Heiress as the Mark Wallis-trained railer ran from T3. The September 2022 son of Droopys Sydney showed blistering early gears into the corner following a level break and kicked three lengths clear of Missile One, who finished second. Razldazl Barkley finished third a further six lengths back. Proper Heiress recorded the fastest time of the night, taking the race in 29.69. 

The draw for the semi-finals of the Coral Sussex Cup: 

BetGoodwin Pall Mall at Oxford 

Over at Oxford, the BetGoodwin Pall Mall semi-finals took place at 8.09, 8.26 and 8.43 with two from each heat booking their place in next week’s Category One final. 

The first semi-final at 8.09 went to recent Kent Silver Salver winner Rioja Oisin as the Kevin Hutton-trained performer bolted up following a flashy 3.86 sectional. The May 2022 son of Droopys Sydney went on to record 26.43 and laid down a huge marker for the competition outright. 

The second semi-final at 8.26 again went to the Kevin Hutton kennel with Union Rebel making all in 26.65. Sent off at 2/1 second favourite Union Rebel put the race to bed early on as he pinged the lids and skipped clear down the back straight. Paradise Sky finished second and booked her place in next weekend's final. Antigua Kestral finished a close third but was eliminated from the competition. 

The third and final semi-final at 8.43 went to the 13/8 favourite Crossfield Enxo in a quick-away-made-all run in a flying 26.45 clock. The Richard Rees-trained Hove raider won by just over five lengths with Madabout Peck in second. 

BetGoodwin Pall Mall final draw:

Elsewhere, on the card, we saw wins for Start The Engine (26.52), Dreamin Francis (26.79), Aero Becks (26.85) and Rebel Pine in 26.89. The BetGoodwin Oxford Stayers open race at 6.58 over the six-bend 650-metre trip went to Salthill Sydney from T4. Sydney trapped well and drove up the inside of Droopys Monice (T5) at the first corner and kicked for home off the second bend. Sydney went on to win by half a length in 39.88. 

Open Race action from Monmore

Nine open races were staged at Monmore last night with the John Lambe kennel landing a treble with 11/8, 4/7 and 5/1 winners. 

The first of the Lambe-trained treble was Da Mighty Man, who made all Ladbrokes 480 Maiden open race at 6.48 in 28.47. Next up was Flying Desire who led off the fifth bend before powering clear to a five-length victory in the Ladbrokes 630 Maiden in 38.28. The treble was completed by Swift Underwater who took the Ladbrokes 480 open at 8.47 in 28.64. 

Elsewhere, on the card we saw wins for Dhunstone Carmel (7/1), Thor Odinson (15/8), Sunnyside Broxi (2/11), Cunnigar Yousir (5/2), Whisky Instyle (10/1) and Inca Lewie (6/4).

The performance of the night can go to the Nathan Hunt-trained Inca Lewie who bolted up in the Ladbrokes 480 Maiden at 9.04. The lightly raced May 2023 son of Grangeview Ten moved off at lid rise from his inside draw in T1 but still managed to lead round and, once on the bunny, it was all over bar the shouting for those that took the 6/4 on offer from bookmakers. Lewie skipped clear of the chasing pack down the back straight and went on to record a seven-length victory. He looks a nice type and is worth keeping an eye on over the coming weeks, especially if he’s stepped up to six-bends.

Open Race round up 

Elsewhere on a busy night of open race action Head Count took the Arc Bitches Trophy final over the four-bend 491 metre trip at Central Park. Coppice Lizzie attempted to make all from T2 but Head Count got up late on to deny her. Head Count was sent off as the 10/11 favourite for the race and won by an official winning distance of a neck. 

Over at Yarmouth five opens took places with races over the sprint, four-bend and six-bend distances. The sprint open race at 8.29 was won by Our Boy Ben from T3 in 16.17 in a quick-away-made-all success. Next up it was all eyes on Strathrannoch in the Stadium Bookmaker Maiden Standard and the local bookies were taking no chances with the favourite sent off at 8/15. Strathrannoch led at the first bend and went onto record an eight length victory - go collect!

The C&C Sheds Maiden Stayers open at 9.07 didn't go to plan for favourite backers with Shes Joking finishing second at 8/13 behind Lemon Eunice from T6 who took the race to reward those that backed her at 11/4. Two heats of The Yarmouth Saturday Standard were next up and they went to Laugh Alot (9/4) in 27.38 and Acejukeboxpopper (11/10) in 27.79.