Findlay's Bert wins well but Fifis goes faster

Coolavanny Bert: Off to a winning start in Henlow Puppy Derby

  PICTURE: STEVE NASH  

HENLOW staged six first round heats of the Primus Telecom Puppy Derby on Thursday night and Kelly Findlay's Coolavanny Bert, the red-hot ante-post favourite to land the £10,000 first prize, produced another powerful performance in landing heat two.
Crowded at the start and again at the first turn, he bravely drove the corner to take control entering the back straight and kicked clear to beat Penrhiw Guto by five and a half lengths in 27.82sec.
The opening heat had produced a great buckle between Seamus Cahill's Guiness Dusty (7-4F) and 10-1 outsider Ballymac Jones with the former getting on top close home and record 28.12sec.
Be Real, who was hampered at the start and again off the second bend, ran on gamely to qualify in third spot.
Heat three had been thrown wide open when the fancied Droopys Vito was withdrawn lame earlier in the day and the main beneficiary wasChris Allsopp's Fifis Legend (5-4F) who recorded a comfortable all-the-way success in 27.69sec. Arguably the most competitive heat of the night was the fourth and Mark Wallis's Benkaat Blue (5-2) managed to overcome a very difficult draw in five, and first bend trouble, to make all of the running in a time of 28.09sec.
Dean Childs' Droopys Stevie (7-2) made full use of an inside draw to slip round in front and dominate heat five. Aero Bellagio stayed on well to get within a length and a quarter of the winner who recorded a time of 27.95sec.
Bridge Bandit (4-1) showed superior early pace to take the bull by the horns in heat six. Maxine Locke's black was never troubled to beat Borna Dealer and King Bradley in a time of 27.91sec.
**The draw for next Thursday's semi-finals will be made at the GBGB offices on Friday morning.