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Gymcrack Puppy Championship Final Review: Mottos Star shines brightest

Jonathan Hobbs reflects on a thrilling night of racing at Hall Green.

To Hall Green for the Gymcrack Puppy Championship final and a terrific front-running effort from the Charlie Lister-trained big-race winner Mottos Star.

He took chief advantage as market leaders Boherna Best and Blonde Fern both missed the start and then found trouble when Mothball moved off, and into them.

But Eye on the Brave, who finished a close-up third to Mottos Star, was for me the real eyecatcher in the final as far as future punts are concerned. He made up a lot of ground and, while he remains a maiden after ten races, success will not be long in coming.

It was fantastic to see Fear Haribo make it two wins from three starts since his return from a long spell off injured, and he should mop-up in seniors' contests from next month.

Farloe Ferdinand was quite brilliant in the sprint, clocking the second fastest sprint time in five years at the Birmingham venue, and should continue to pay his way.
But that form will have been noticed by all and, while Ladywell Trick would have turned closer had he not taken a bad second-bend bump, the performance of Beardys Robbie caught the eye.

He had no chance with the winner, but what was noticeable was how he kept a straight line into the turn. Peter Witchell's dog recently had the middle seed tag put on and it might well help him return to winning ways soon.

Swift Maybole was great in front over six bends, but had Tipp The Breeze been just a length quicker into the turn having completely fluffed the start, she would have been on terms at the third bend.

A game winner, but very unlucky runner-up in my book.

And keep tabs with Iceman Brutus. He blew up behind Directors Chair over the shorter six-bend distance but did a lot of running to move into second. The winner had flown, but the runner-up's now familiar high head-carriage certainly did not stop him running.

The marathon was a cakewalk for the back-to-form Bubbly Kate, who deserved the success. But it was also nice to see Shelbourne Holly show some zip. The 892m trip might just have taxed her on this occasion, but a return to the winner's enclosure is just around the corner.

Best event currently on-going - Shelbourne's Champion Stakes aside - is the Sussex Cup at Hove.

The heats threw up one or two shocks, but the eyecatcher was Ballymac Under. Back to winning ways, he will massively improve for his heat run and earns my ante-post support ahead of next week's semi-finals. Droopys Carvalho shaded Barnfield On Air inasmuch as most impressive winner on the night, although the latter's stop-start 2008 must be factored in. Great to see him back.