Tuesday Trial Thoughts

With the Derby proper getting ever closer the trial stakes have been gaining more interest over the past week or so. MARTIN CHAPMAN from Star Sports reports.

Last Tuesday being a fascinating example. First to catch the eye was the beaten favourite in the 2016 Irish Derby final in Sonic. Graham Hollands dog, like many of his compatriots has been limited with race action not seeing the traps in anger since Shelbourne Park’s ‘Night of Stars’ in November. Very weak in the market all day, he was even eclipsed for favouritism by Jason Heath’s Street Lane, who ran a blinder in defeat on his previous start behind the track record holder Drive On Tipp. After a missed break and first bend crowding Sonic showed plenty of pace to move 3rd round the last bend, only for lack of race fitness to tell, his 5th place doing his run no justice. A strong running dog across the water, he can come on a ton during the competition and is one we would like to keep onside.

Drive On Tipp himself went to traps in the top division of the trial stakes, where he was made Evens favourite against Forest Con the Monmore Puppy Cup winner and 2015 Irish Derby finalist Cable Bay, whose five-figure reserve for a four-year-old dog raised a few eyebrows at the recent pre-Derby auction!

Forest Con’s achilles heel has been his trapping, walking out in his previous run around Towcester and not coming away too brightly despite breaking Hove’s 475 clock on his previous start. However, when he flew the boxes here, all eyes were on the clock, what wasn’t expected was him fading on the run in to be caught by both Drive on Tipp and Cable Bay, the former showing he can do it both ways and be a real contender while Cable Bay, even at four, showed promise to prove he’s no back number. Cons run though left us head scratching, is the 500m at Towcester a real test which is stiffer than we imagined , did the dog cramp? Questions we may only find out as we get into the competition.

One thing’s for sure, we are no nearer finding out who will be lifting that iconic trophy and the £175,000 winners pot on July 1st, but we will have great fun on the way finding out!