East Anglian Derby 1st Round Highlights
Druids Say Go wasted no time in making her mark, blazing through the round and leaving the competition in the dust. The early favourite for the event was eliminated, making way for fresh contenders.
Patrick Janssens’ entry, the standout performer of the night, secured a dominant win. Clocking an impressive 27.55, she finished a length and a half ahead of any other heat winner. Wrighty, a Pall Mall finalist, came in second for John Mullins, followed by Getup Me Son from Carol Weatherall’s kennel, both securing qualification.
A much-anticipated showdown between two market frontrunners, Gary The Arb, trained by Belinda Green, and Carl Jackson’s Lion Heart, ended unexpectedly. Instead of these two, it was Beaming Panther, a fellow kennel mate of Gary The Arb, who triumphed in the opening heat with a time of 27.67. Both big names did manage to qualify behind him.
However, the evening didn’t go as planned for my favourite Antigua Eagle. Fresh off a second-place finish in the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Monmore, he encountered some trouble and narrowly missed out on qualification by a short head. Another upset of the night came as Romeo Steel was eliminated in a surprise heat, won by Paul Young’s Bombay Zero with a time of 27.98. Nowhere to Go, and Ballymac John completed the top three in that heat.
Heat four delivered the tightest race of the evening, where John Mullins’ Swift Depot narrowly edged out Gemma Evans’ Millbank Boiler. They finished well clear of Newinn Sharkey, with the winner posting a time of 27.74.
The biggest upset came in the final heat, where 33/1 long shot Whiskey Eagle stunned the crowd with a victory for Craig Marston, finishing in 27.97. Vis A Vis, another surprise performer at 14/1, chased Whiskey Eagle home, producing a forecast payout of £280, while Steve Anderson’s Bramble Linton qualified in third place.
Local dog Murrow Inkosi, trained by Colin Fitch, also made an impression with a 28.00 win in heat two. He overtook Trumpers Bobcat, who had led for much of the race for Kevin Cobbold, while Bombay The Joker ensured a strong presence for John Mullins’ kennel by securing a spot in the semifinals behind them.
The first round was packed with unexpected twists and standout performances, setting the stage for an exciting next phase of the East Anglian Derby.