Romeo Crossfire stole the spotlight in the heats of the BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby at Newcastle on Thursday, securing a victory for local trainer Tom Heilbron. Heilbron enjoyed a double triumph on the night with two contenders owned and bred by Dave Firmager, a Derby-winning breeder.
In the second heat, Romeo Crossfire, a son of Droopys Sydney and litter brother of Romford Puppy Cup winner Romeo Crusade, showcased his prowess in the British-bred event. Taking an early lead, the former Romford competitor, now back in the UK after races in Limerick, impressed with a winning debut under Heilbron's guidance. He surged ahead, crossing the finish line over three lengths ahead of Wraysbury Oakley in a swift 28.52 seconds over the 480m distance.
The Heilbron/Romeo duo sealed their success with Romeo Jackson, making a striking UK debut. The young August '22 offspring of Ballymac Cashout displayed remarkable speed, pulling away down the backstretch to clinch victory by nearly nine lengths over Sirdar in a quick 28.60 seconds.
Other heat winners included A Bit Of Noah (29.14s) trained by Stuart Ray, Witton Myles (28.80s) from Jill Sutherst's kennel, Untold Quetzal (28.61s) under Carol Weatherall, and Queen Ariana (29.93s), representing the KSS Syndicate and bred by Angela Harrison, a sister of Queen Joni.
The trap draw for Thursday’s BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby semi-finals is as follows:
First semi: 1 Keefil Chase, 2 Coppice Lottie, 3 Blackhouse Alan, 4 Wraysbury Apollo, 5 Romeo Jackson, 6 Sirdar.
Second semi: 1 Hurry Up Brendan, 2 Tickets Bullet, 3 Signet Maisie, 4 Romeo El Aguila, 5 Rioja Bungle, 6 Bang On Polly.
Third semi: 1 Untold Quetzal, 2 Romeo Crossfire, 3 Wraysbury Oakley, 4 A Bit Of Noah, 5 Witton Myles, 6 Queen Ariana.