Popular Rosie provides a perfect Don swansong
WAYWARD ROSIE (6-1) produced a scintillating performance to lower the colours of William Hill Oaks champion Shaws Dilemma inlanding the Photo Finish Production Stakes over 460m at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Having her first race since a Hove success almostsix months earlier, the Paul Donovan-trained bitch was only moderately away but showed brilliant pace to lead just before the first bend and quickly put distance between herself and her rivals.
Shaws Dilemma, who had broken pretty well, turned second and many would have expected Tuesday’s strong-finishing Racing Post Juvenile second to close the leader down, but Wayward Rosie had absolutely no intentions of working to that particular script.
Winning in the style of a top-class bitch, the 2008 Puppy Oaks finalist kept on well and held off Shaws Dilemma by a comfortable two and a half lengths in a very smart 27.56sec, while it was more than four lengths further back to Special Liberty in third.
At Poole, locally-trained Lynnwood Bolt (6-4F) was quickest in the semi-finals of the Golden Crest over 450m as Graham Cleverley’s charge took the second in 26.84sec. Going clear from the first bend, he was always in control afterwards and scored by just over two lengths from Mays Rocknroller in 26.84sec.
That was ten spots quicker than the time recorded by Ken Mitchell’s Urban Crash (7-1) in the opener as she rallied to outstay rank outsider Iceman Joss by just over a length.
**Draw for Friday’s £3,000 final: 1 Blonde Playboy, 2 Mays Rocknroller, 3 Urban Crash, 4 Blenhiem Regal (m), 5 Iceman Joss (m), 6 Lynnwood Bolt (w).
*Final prices in draw order from Jem Racing (with comments from Martin Johnstone)
Blonde Playboy 7 Found plenty of trouble before staying on comfortably to qualify for the final
Mays Rocknroller 5 Will appreciate the draw closer to the middle
Urban Crash 6 Came away well in the semi and stayed on strongly from half way
Blenhiem Regal 4 Has shown great early pace throughout the competition
Iceman Joss 12 Surprised many in the semi by leading the field a merry dance until the run in
Lynwood Bolt Evens Has fared very well in the draw and a level break may be all he needs to bag the Golden Crest
Shawfield staged the heats of the bettor.com Scottish Derby Trial Stakes over 480m and they proved a triumph for rookie trainer Craig Dawson, who landed allthree courtesy of Ardkill Tunoco (4-7F), Target Classic (2-5F) and Ardera Monarch (5-1). The first-named duo both clocked 30.33sec on a track rated -90, with Ardera Classic just four spots slower.
Pick of the trials before racing was the 30.45sec effort of Jimmy Wright’s Droopys Kentucky, also on -90 going.
*Draw for Saturday’s final: 1 Sniper Petra, 2 Ardera Monarch, 3Greenwell Viper (m), 4 Target Classic (m ), 5 Ardkill Tunoco (w), 6 Greenwell Gale (w).
In Ireland, ante-post favourite Fatboyz Nodrog crashed out of the Tote Gold Cup at Shelbourne when only fourth behind Tyrur Bucko (8-1) in the opening second round heat.
There were also victories for Castlehill Pat, Maldouda and Da Hatter with the last-named’s 28.66sec for the 525 yards being the fastest of the night.
Top stayer Corporate Attack returned to winning form after a shock reverse at Limerick seven days earlier when winning over 750 yards, a race in which Henlow Grand Prix hopeful Hello Hippy finished fourth.
