Bear and Dancer set up a Birmingham clash

CHELMS BEAR powered home to score and set the standard in Monday’s Arc Birmingham Cup semi-finals at Nottingham, writes Dave Clark.

The Craig Morris-trained dog missed trouble at the opening turn in the first of the two 480m qualifiers and entered the back with four lengths to find on Nathan Hunt’s Cunnigar Yousir.

But a surge of pace down the far side and his huge finishing kick enabled the Yarmouth raider to take up the lead on the inside at the final bend before powering away to win by three lengths in 28.43sec.

Tom Heilbron’s Toddys Tank stumbled at the start but was another to miss the trouble at the first bend and qualified in third almost nine lengths back.

Another strong-running sort, the Mark Wallis-trained Kilmore Dancer, also came through late to win the second semi-final in 28.56sec by just over two lengths.

Odds-on favourite Droopys Aladdin dived inside from trap four and caused crowding down the centre in the opening strides, while Wallis’s 3 Steps To Victory finalist was able to hold his pitch on the rail from trap one and, similarly to Chelms Bear, took charge on the inside at the last turn.

Sean Parker’s Droopys Artillery had set the pace at 33-1 but had no answer to the all-round speed of the winner, with another outsider, 20-1 Brinkleys Louis, qualifying in third for Neil Chapman.

KILMORE DANCER wins the second Arc Birmingham Cup semi final.Credit: Steve Nash

On the supporting card, the action kicked off with two heats of the Arc Standard Trophy over 500m.

The first was a muddling affair in which Esther Driver’s Derby semi-finalist No Better Feelin (30.41sec) got on top late to score by just under a length, with Hunt’s Bridefort Lady (30.11sec) making all in the second qualifier.

Two heats of the Arc Sprint over 305m were won by Simon Deakin’s Bensons Boone (17.77sec) and John Lambe’s Lissan Buzz (17.92sec).

Trap draws

Arc Birmingham Cup final (480m): 1 Kilmore Dancer, 2 Cunnigar Yousir, 3 Chelms Bear, 4 Droopys Artillery (m), 5 Toddys Tank (m), 6 Brinkleys Louis (w).
Arc Standard Trophy final (500m): 1 Kellies Emerald, 2 Rackethall Brute, 3 No Better Feelin, 4 Bridefort Lady, 5 Loxleys Forest, 6 Droopys Poker (m).
Arc Sprint Trophy final (305m): 1 Platinumheatwave, 2 Bensons Boone, 3 Castell Maggie, 4 Mystical Cali (m), 5 Lissan Buzz (m), 6 Ballinakill Liam (w).

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