Flare guns it to set Regency standard

DROOPYS FLARE showed why she is the red-hot ante-post favourite for this year’s Coral Regency with an 11-length romp in the opening round at Hove on Saturday.

Some big names were in action on a thrilling night of open racing on the south coast, which also featured the Coral Sussex Cup, but it was Sean Parker’s star who shone brightest.

The St Leger and Golden Jacket runner-up, having her first competitive start since winning on Derby final night at Towcester, took the lead in the fifth of six heats at the penultimate bend before surging clear.

The May 2023 whelp set the standard as she drew away to win by more than eight lengths, in 41.25sec – the fastest of the year so far for the 695m trip.

Next best on the clock was Belinda Green’s recent Coronation Cup third Teddie, who made all in the second heat in 41.60sec, while the trainer doubled up when kennelmate Swift Jarvis swooped late in the fourth eliminator, reeling in front-running Irish raider Lennies Desire on the run-in to score by a length in 42.11sec.

Heather Dimmock’s Chasing Rachel (42.10sec) was a game winner off the front in the opening heat, hanging on by a short head from the fast-finishing Bowmers Buddy.

Local handler Seamus Cahill went one better than Green with a treble which comprised one Regency winner and two in the Sussex Cup.

His Powerhouse Duke outstayed Green’s Bonus Bullet in the third qualifier, leading near the line to win by half a length in 42.02sec.

Jason Heath’s Burrows Charm was another local winner when he made all in the other heat in 42.41sec.

In the Sussex Cup the locals were again among the winners, taking three of the six heats. However, fastest of the night was Roy Peckham’s Essex Vase champion and recent Coronation Cup runner-up Tiffield Tarquin, who impressed off the front in the third.

Racing into an early lead, the powerful wide runner dominated in 29.76sec.

Patrick Janssens, who has twice won the Sussex Cup, took the opener with his Droopys Graph. He was the only other heat winner to dip inside the 30-second barrier as he also made all in 29.99sec.

Cahill’s Olympic runner-up Moving Force nailed Paul Young’s Gymcrack runner-up and leader Copney Queen right on the line in a thrilling finish to heat two, posting 30.11sec, while Cahill’s treble was completed by Brighton Belle queen Blackstone Opera, who justified odds-on favouritism by dominating her rivals throughout in 30.05sec.

Early pacer Avarua Zlatan (30.18sec) made all in the fourth heat for Richard Rees, while Young’s Droopys Alldeway (30.17sec) was another smart winner from the front in the finale, which saw ante-post favourite Fabulous Aria eliminated in fifth place.

Draws for Saturday’s semi-finals - Coral Regency, first: 1 Newinn Ginger, 2 Teddie, 3 Bombshell Bullet, 4 Burrows Charm, 5 Fabulous Heka, 6 Croydon Rory (w).
Second: 1 Bella Bullet, 2 Bonus Bullet, 3 Chasing Rachel, 4 Powerhouse Duke, 5 Swift Jarvis, 6 Lennies Desire (m).
Third: 1 Bubbly Evie, 2 Droopys Flare, 3 Unthinkable, 4 Marshmallow Moon, 5 Bowmers Buddy, 6 Radical Story (m).

Coral Sussex Cup – first: 1 Westwood Shay, 2 Blackstone Opera, 3 Droopys Alldeway, 4 Gingers Layla, 5 Burrows Fizz (m), 6 Moving Force (w).
Second: 1 Raebella Bullet, 2 Droopys Assured, 3 Droopys Graph, 4 Avarua Zlatan, 5 Smokestack Saxon (m), 6 Tiffield Tarquin (w).
Third: 1 Ower Cracker, 2 Yougo Freddie, 3 Droopys Invent, 4 Copney Queen (m), 5 Bubbly Hogan (w), 6 Behemoth (w).

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