Lil Risky takes revenge on Jimmy and Tony

Mark Wallis: Trains Hove Sprint winner Lil Risky

  PICTURE: STEVE NASH  

ONE highlight of a quality open card at Hove on Thursday night was the 285m Sprint at 9.40 which featured  round three of the running battle between top sprinters Jimmy Lollie (Seamus Cahill) and Swabys Tony (Paul Young).

Jimmy Lollie had won the last two thrilling encounters by the narrowest of margins but on this occasion both were beaten to the punch by Mark Wallis's Lil Risky who recorded 16.31sec.
Lil Risky, who finished third to Jimmy Lollie last week, hit the boxes running and was always in control. Swabys Tony recovered from a sticky start to finish well while Jimmy Lollie, who didn't break well, was a disappointing fourth.

The programme had opened with a red-hot Puppy contest at 7.31 which, on paper, looked a match between Barrie Draper's Ballymac Eske and Chris Allsopp's Proud Berry.
However, the Sheffield raider fluffed his break and then ran into first bend trouble leaving the way clear for Proud Berry (9-4) who then had to dig deep to hold the resolute Swift Reagan by three parts of a length in 30.08sec.

The 695-metre Stayers' at 8.34 attracted some of the top distance runners in the country for which 4-1 chance Swabys Princess took a few notable scalps.
Paul Young's bitch enjoyed a rare early lead and made all of the running in a time of 41.61sec.
However, she may have been a little lucky as Bubbly Capel was mounting a menacing challenge on the final corner before tripping up - an incident that left Portavoe Lass in second position albeit some three lengths behind the winner.


**Future for Wimbledon and the GRA explored in Friday's Racing Post - don't miss it.