Tuesday Night Open Report- Swindon hat-trick for Kibble while Poppy lands five-timer

Tuesday Night Open Report- Kibble lands Swindon hat-trick

Swindon hosted the open race action in the UK on Tuesday night, with six opens featuring on their 12-race card, with local trainer Angie Kibble landing a hat-trick of victories

Ballymac Loca (3/1) provided Kibble with her first winner, running out a four-length winner from Mike Burton’s Only Live Once. Having trapped well, Ballymac Loca took up the lead off the second bend and was never in any danger at that point, recording a time of 28.20 for the 476m trip.

The double was landed in the very next race courtesy of Haverhill Lass (9/4F), who got the better of Rob Short’s Cul Na Braithre in a messy contest. Patrick Godfrey’s Arthur Crumpet emerged from first bend trouble with a lead, but Haverhill Lass got up the inside round the third bend to hit the front. Cul Na Braithre stayed on well but just couldn’t reel the winner in, going down narrowly by a head in 28.63.

Kibble landed the hat-trick in the last open contest over the six-bend distance of 682m and got the better of a photo finish as Ballymac Mags (9/4) just got the better of John Lambe’s Billis Wizard by a short head. Ballymac Mags led into the first bend but was squeezed out by a combination of Billis Wizard and Mike Burton’s Droopys Suprstar. It was Droopys Suprstar who hit the front and looked to have built up a race winning lead, but the stride shortened rounding the final bends, and Billis Wizard took up the lead on the run in but it was Ballymac Mags who got back up on the line to score in 41.74.

Patrick Godfrey also enjoyed a good evening with two winners, the first arriving courtesy of Arthur Minute (15/8F), who overcame a slow start and some early trouble rounding the opening bends to hit the front round the final bend before drawing clear up the run in to record a three and a half length success in 28.58

Being favourite, that result wasn’t really a surprise, but Arthur Lobster’s victory later in the card certainly was as he made all the running to score at 20/1. Having produced a cracking start, recording a 3.98, Arthur Lobster raced into an early lead, and down the back, had a good four length advantage. John Campbell’s Sallowglen Hope emerged from the pack and gave chase, and off the last bend, looked a likely winner. However, his interests at this point were to not go past the winner, resulting in a disqualification for deliberate interference, with Arthur Lobster just holding on as he crossed the line a short head in front in a time of 28.41

Kevin Hutton won the remaining contest on the card, and it saw the in-form Southfield Poppy landing a five-timer. Having won a couple of contests at Perry Barr, Southfield Poppy has won her last three starts at Swindon and has been sent off as favourite for all five victories. On the back of a 3.98 sectional last night, she was able to make all the running, but those who took the 1/4F odds may have had their hearts in their mouths on the run for home as Paul Foster’s Baggios Intent stayed on well in the later stages to reduce the winning distance to three quarters of a length as Southfield Poppy stopped the clock in 28.14, the fastest time of the night.