Sky Night Reaction / Editor / 12 February 2009 / Leave a comment

The Lord sorts the wheat from the chaff following Wimbledon's Springbok finals night.

Did the best dog win the Springbok at Wimbledon on Tuesday?

I'd say yes, certainly on the night and maybe the event. His time was not just the quickest of the competition, but also quicker than all of the trials and trial stakes, and Wimbledon was hardly lightning quick on the night. It wasn't slow by any stretch, perhaps a touch on the fast side but even so 27.96sec was a cracking time for Bomber Bailey.

Nebuchadnezzar ran flat but not too dissimilar to one or two of his flat races. It was the same with Hawks Dilemma later in the card. It was almost as if both returned to bad habits and both could be given second chances.

It was one of those nights. Flying Winner, Bubbly Totti and Kilelton Rose will have been seen by many as obvious plays, and did the business, but there were one of two disappointments on the card and one or two hard-luck stories.

Kicking off with the puppy race and how did Kinda Ready not get past Cranham Star, the shock 33-1 winner? Perhaps because the winner ran a stormer, and is a clearly a dog who needed a trip between 380m and 540m, his distance at Crayford. He got it with 480m at Wimbledon. But I'd take Kinda Ready over him eight times out of ten, and I reckon it was just inexperience which caught the Wallis dog out.

Wallis, the Springbok final aside, had a mixed night in the supporting Opens. But his other runners were a shade unlucky and both can return to winning ways next time.

Mountjoy Gold got no sort of run after being chopped off at the turn by winner Drink Up Zorro, while Goldcrest King was denied a clear path to the front after Vito Rocket took an absolute flyer. Whether he would have held Bubbly Totti is doubtful but a Swindon track record in a recent trial suggests he would not be stopping in front.

Kilelton Rose was faultless in the bitches' contest and showed Oaks-like form, far better than during the bitches' Classic in November where she exited at the second round stage. She is top class on her day.

However, the bitch to take out of the race is undoubtedly Ballymac Sophie who showed pace into the turn before being buffeted out of contention.

Hawks Dilemma didn't get competitive at all in the six-bend race but was knocked out of his stride early, although should have finished closer really. Up front, Lorrys Options did it well, however.

Flying Winner was awesome in the marathon and really cannot be taken on just now. She is showing more early pace it seems and even 'young pretender' Bubbly Eagle was taught a lesson, although he will improve.

As for the other hurdles race on the card, Winkys Don and Eye Onthe Flame carried on their good recent work, but looking in behind at the third bend and the giant strides of Ranch Pacific suggested briefly that both could be foiled. It was a case of 'no extra' for Jason Foster's dog, but he gets a place on the 'dog to punt list' next time up.

* * *

As we predicted last week, the form was turned on its head in the Arc second round at Swindon. Traps five or six won three of the four qualifiers after the railers held a definite advantage in the first round.

But the layers and players do not seem to have taken this into account. Mountjoy Ruby and Driving Up Pal can excel in the better conditions now expected. Favourite Shaneboy Luke might just struggle.