Romford four-timer for in-form Young team

THE in-form kennel of trainer Paul Young was in dominant form at Romford again on Friday night, landing a four-timer in opens at the London Road circuit.

The standout run came from Yahoo Mareike, who was completing a double over the 400m trip as she flew out to land one of two bitches’ races on the card, recording a 3.66sec split en route to a fastest-of-the-night 23.83sec (+20) success. 

The victory also saw her win the option of a free mating with March On Freddie, who has recently been retired to stud.

Young also struck in one of two featured finals as his Hollys Belle turned the tables with heat conqueror Noirs Pocket to make all in the £500 Maiden Stayers decider, the 8-1 chance leading home the Debbie Hurlock-trained favourite by a length and a quarter in 35.18sec (+30) for the 575m course.

The four-timer was completed for the Wickford-based handler with 575m wins for Ballymac Carlina (36.04sec) and Bubbly Amber (35.51sec) –the last named taking the first of two heats of the Friday Night Stayers.

The John Mullins-trained Aayamza Legend set the speed ahead of next week’s final with a slick 35.04sec effort off the front in the second qualifier.

Local trainer Bernie Doyle claimed the honours in the night’s other decider as his Swiftly Does It, sent off the 9-1 outsider for the 400m Friday Night Maiden final, took a flyer to make all in 23.90sec.

Monmore trainer Nathan Hunt enjoyed another successful return to his former base when notching a double, with wins for Bretons Girl (24.19sec) in the first of the bitches’ contests and March On Foghorn (23.90sec) in a 400m maiden.

Yarmouth raider Nightingale Crew proved too fleet of foot for his rivals in the sprint opener as the Craig Morris-trained speedster roared to a 13.21sec (+5) success.

Other opens went the way of Gemma Evans’ Droopys Putt (23.97sec, 400m) and Alison Kelly-Pilgrim’s Chelms Skint, who struck at 28-1 in a one-off over the standard trip in 24.30sec.

Trap draw
Romford Friday Night Stayers final (575m, Friday): 1 Full Monty, 2 Bubbly Amber, 3 Aayamza Legend (m), 4 Crossfield Roger (m), 5 Unmistakeable (m), 6 Underground Jim (m).

Mo sets the Sunderland pace for Stark

MILESTONE MO set the standard in Sunderland’s Arc 450 heats on Friday night as the George Stark-trained bitch made all over the standard trip to win in 27.20sec (+20), writes Phil Donaldson.

The local ace was completing a double over the distance as she booked her spot in next week’s final with a length-and-a-half victory over George Power’s Mossend Fox.

Stark will be double-handed in the £500 decider after also taking the second heat with the in-form Millhill May, who landed a hat-trick when snatching a short-head success in 27.80sec, catching Glenn Foot’s Star Pelaw raider Caister Kay on the line.

The open action kicked off on Wearside with a dominant display from Stuart Tighe’s Brickhill Tamika (15.52sec, +10) in the 261m Arc Sprint, while Newcastle trainer Jimmy Fenwick landed a double courtesy of Tammy The Best (39.68sec, +40) and Taylor The Best (27.13sec) in respective 640m and 450m one-offs.

Trap draw
Arc 450 final (Friday): 1 Lotties Big Wave, 2 Caister Kay, 3 Millhill May, 4 Mossend Fox (m), 5 Milestone Mo (m),  6 Toddys Panther (m).

Scooby stars in Clonmel semis

SCOOBY MARQUESS, trained by Jennifer O’Donnell, turned the tables on favourite Swords Diamond to set the standard in Friday’s semi-finals of the National Produce Stakes over Clonmel’s 525-yard course, writes Phil Donaldson.

Taking a flyer from trap four, she made all, clocking a fastest 28.20sec to win by four and a quarter lengths, setting up a rematch with Graham Holland’s dog in the €20,000 final next Sunday.

The first semi went the way of Paul Matthews’ Firstpastthepost, who also led early to win in 28.54sec.

At Shelbourne Park, the semi-finals of the Islandbridge Sprint saw John Linehan’s Droopys Scampi and Michael O’Donovan’s 2025 runner-up Stonepark Browne record identical 18.33sec winning times over the 350-yard course.

The pair will meet for the first time in Friday’s €5,000 showdown.

Trap draws
Islandbridge Sprint final (Shelbourne, Friday): 1 Portrush Ben, 2 Droopys Scampi, 3 Tiermana Dream, 4 Stonepark Browne, 5 Bomber Nina, 6 Rallying Billy.
National Produce Stakes final (Clonmel, Sunday): 1 Berlin Trilogy, 2 Firstpastthepost, 3 Swords Diamond, 4 Droopys Winsome, 5 Scooby Marquess, 6 Oriental Prince.

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