Ricky Holloway is on the brink of his seventh triumph in the £10,000 Ladbrokes Champion Hurdle at Crayford, with four of his greyhounds advancing to Sunday’s final as the Kent track anticipates more Category One action this weekend.
Sunday's semi-finals brought unexpected results. Holloway’s Razldazl Barkley, who dazzled on his hurdles debut with the fastest time of the round and started as the 4-6 favourite, struggled after a poor start in the first semi-final. Despite this, Holloway still secured a one-two finish.
Harlequin Ernie capitalised, leading from the bend and winning in 23.78sec (+20), holding off Barkley’s litter brother Razldazl Randall by three-quarters of a length. Droopys Fivestar (trained by Allison Kelly-Pilgrim) also qualified, finishing third.
A major surprise occurred in the second semi-final as Nunhead Shiv, at 33-1 odds, seized control of the race from the turn and maintained the lead. Barry O’Sullivan’s runner outpaced the competition, including 5-6 favourite Traceys Sydney, and won by three-quarters of a length. Holloway’s Dazl Hermes and Four From Two secured the other qualifying spots, with the winning time being 23.86sec (+20).
Crayford racing manager Danny Rayment expressed excitement for Sunday’s final, noting that Holloway aims to add to his previous victories with Soviet Military (2013), Razldazl Raidio (2016), Lenson Wilson (2018), Turnhouse Jet (2019), Tookmaker Daddy (2021), and Lenson Doolin (2022) – the first year Crayford hosted the event.
Rayment remarked that Holloway remains the favourite, despite not having his retired Hurdler of the Year, Lenson Doolin. He highlighted that Holloway's younger hurdlers are showing promise, with Razldazl Barkley expected to bounce back. Rayment also highlighted the inclusion of Barry O’Sullivan and Allison Kelly-Pilgrim’s finalists, noting that with a 33-1 win already this week, anything could happen.