Open season and hares are running
A top-drawer night of racing is in store as four Open competitions get under way this evening at Monmore Green.
Racegoers are set to be treated to a card boasting both high quality and variety, with the Ladbrokes.com 480 Puppy event kicking off proceedings.
The Ladbrokes Dual Distance promises to be an interesting event as tonight’s heats take place over the 264m sprint trip before the final next week is contested over the standard 480m.
The Ladbrokes.com 480 Bitches and Ladbrokes.com 684 are each full of impressive dogs, too, while two one-off Opens will complete tonight’s meeting.
Monmore assistant racing manager Malgorzata Goncerzewicz said: “It’s a really strong night of Open racing with lots of variety.
“We’ve had a nice turnout of entries for all the competitions and have top visiting trainers such as Mark Wallis, Angela Harrison and Kevin Hutton coming.
“The Ladbrokes.com 480 Puppy starts the night off, and heat three of that competition should be particularly intriguing. Home trainer Alan Jenkins’ Swift Battery recently got her first Open win under her belt but faces some tough competition in Richie Taberner’s Aero Electric and Wallis’ Ballymac John.
“The Nathan Hunt-trained Droopys Flotilla, Trap Two in the first heat, could be one to keep an eye out for in that event as well.
“In the Dual Distance, it’s hard to look past Antigua Woofwoof, also trained by Hunt, in the first heat. He always runs well at Monmore and boasts 22 victories from 52 career runs. Kim Billingham’s Across The Field came in with a recent trial time of 15.28, though, so has the potential to turn heads.
“Billingham’s upcoming puppy bitch, Newinn Luna is in the 480 Bitches and has been performing consistently as of late.
“And in the 684, Paul Sallis’s Crokers Brandy – who won the Jim Woods Memorial Trophy in March – will be going for glory again. We hope everyone coming to the track or following from elsewhere enjoys the night’s racing.”
On Thursday night, meanwhile, Scottish trainer Graham Rankin had Jaguar Comet win by five-and-a-half lengths in an emphatic A4 triumph.
Poundnote Boyo, who does not turn two until August, grabbed his third career success in an A3 for Hunt while classy performer Skyfall Marty (Sallis) took home the spoils in the night’s sole A1 race.
