Ballymac Taylor in fine form for Saturday’s £15k TV Trophy Final at Oxford after setting a new track record in opening round.
BALLYMAC TAYLOR is set for a thrilling showdown in Saturday’s £15,000 final of the prestigious competition after reclaiming her own track record for the eight-bend journey at Oxford with another impressive performance in winning heat two of the Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy over 847m at the Cowley venue.
Under the guidance of trainer Mark Wallis, the talented greyhound initially trailed behind Savana Heross (Diane Henry) and Capel Rose (Tony Gifkins) but quickly surged ahead, seizing the lead on the second lap. Maintaining her pace, she held off Aayamza Dancer to clinch victory by a length in 52.54 seconds (normal time), securing her spot in this weekend’s final.
Ballymac Taylor's remarkable winning time was a significant improvement of 36 spots from her previous best for the distance, and she finished over two lengths ahead of Savana Jazz’s time set in heat one. As the September 2021 offspring of Ballymac Anton and Ballymac Merkle, she is expected to be a strong contender for Category One glory.
While her litter sister and Irish contender Ballymac Katie (Liam Dowling) failed to advance to the final from the same heat, Wallis’s entry will be accompanied by litter brother and kennelmate Garfiney Blaze, who secured a place after finishing second in the opening heat behind the strong-running Savana Jazz.
Diane Henry’s January 2021 greyhound, Savana Jazz, showed great determination in the heat, rallying late to overtake long-time leader Garfiney Blaze and winning by a length and three-quarters in 52.72 seconds.
The remaining spots in Saturday’s final were earned by Bubbly Inferno and Alright Patricia (David Lewis) after Paul Young’s bitch, a June 2021 daughter of Good News out of Bubbly Firebird, finished strongly to edge out the local runner by a neck in 53.07 seconds.
Simon Pearson, Oxford’s racing manager, expressed excitement for another thrilling evening at the track this coming Saturday following the success of the St. Patrick’s Day celebration during the heats.
“We had a fantastic turnout, and our spectators truly embraced the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. The racing action was exceptional, with both marathon track records being broken. Ballymac Taylor's performance was particularly outstanding, and we anticipate an electrifying final,” Pearson commented.
Trap draw for Saturday’s Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy final:
- Aayamza Dancer
- Ballymac Taylor
- Garfiney Blaze
- Bubbly Inferno (m)
- Savana Jazz (m)
- Alright Patricia (w)