Vhagar has her eyes on a second Category One title of the year heading into Sunday’s semi-finals after Mark Wallis’s Summer Stayers Classic winner posted the fastest time in the heats of the bet365 Challenge Cup at Oxford last weekend – and now tops the sponsor’s betting on the 650m Category One.

“Vhagar was certainly very impressive,” said bet365’s Pat Cooney after the daughter of Dorotas Wildcat raced away for an all-the-way victory in heat two from Resonate (Kevin Hutton) in 38.90sec. “She runs the track as if on rollerskates, super smoothly, and you’d have to think gives Mark (Wallis) a major chance of winning the Challenge Cup once again after New Destiny last year.

“It wasn’t to be for New Destiny this time around, although I understand she’ll be back on track soon. It seems Romford and the Essex Vase is the plan before she signs off. Win or lose it’s been a brilliant career and we’re delighted to have New Destiny on the Challenge Cup roll of honour at Oxford.

“As for this year, Vhagar does look the one to beat but you couldn’t rule out Romeo Empire and anything Patrick Janssens trains. What a year Patrick has had and, while we were disappointed not to see New Destiny qualify in that first heat, Romeo Empire is another top-class runner and I thought he was exceptional in the circumstances.

“He’d not raced for over a month but it was a superb return to the track and he comes forward for sure and is probably the biggest danger to Vhagar – although the pair now go against each other in a really hot first semi-final on Sunday afternoon. That’s why Eagles Respect is now second favourite – and he also went well for Angie Kibble.”

Patrick Janssens’ Romeo Empire had kicked off the £10,000-to-the-winner competition with a sixth straight success as he returned from a lay-off to make all from Gagas Merry (Robin Jury) in 39.32sec (-30) as the British Bred St Leger winner, PGR Regency runner-up and Derby quarter-finalist crossed the line two lengths clear.

Produce Stakes winner Eagles Respect has handled the step up to six bends well and Angie Kibble’s son of Tommy Shelby raced away impressively off the back of a fast start to win heat three by ten and a quarter lengths from Droopys Invent (Seamus Cahill) in 39.15sec (-30).

The remaining heat four went to Ron Peckover’s Salthill Sydney who ran on strongly to reel in leader Burrows Eclipse (Jason Heath) before crossing the line three and a quarter lengths from Ballymac Madgie (Shaun Gresham) and Bombay Nutty (Mark Wallis) in 39.73sec (-30).

Trap draw for Sunday’s bet365 Challenge Cup semi-finals:-

  • First semi: 1 Romeo Empire, 2 Droopys Invent, 3 Crafty Prospero, 4 Vhagar (m), 5 Salthill Sydney (m), 6 Resonate (w).
  • Second semi: 1 Ballymac Madgie, 2 Eagles Respect, 3 Malcolm Bosh (m), 4 Bombay Nutty (m), 5 Newinn Cloud (m), 6 Gagas Merry (w).

 

Kevin Hutton is enjoying a steady supply of winners at home track Oxford and was delighted to see his Venetian Mick score a Category Two success in the final of the BetGoodwin Series Maiden Stayers at Oxford – and is confident there is more to come.

A half-brother of his former trainer Pat Buckley’s dual Irish Cesarewitch winner Singalong Dolly, Venetian Mick completed an unbeaten run through the 650m event at the Cowley track when following up heat and semi-final success in the £3,000 final with an impressive off-the-front victory from Is This Wise (Matt Dartnall) and Ballyhimikin Ben (Jamie Kingsley).

The winning time for Venetian Mick, an October 2023 son of Deerjet Sydney and Mydras Dawn, was 39.36sec (-30) for the six bends there, a time which compared favourably to the four heats of the bet365 Challenge Cup which shared the stage with the Category Two decider on another weekend open-race card at Oxford.

And Hutton’s team continues to shine at the track.

“We’re having a good run at Oxford and long may it continue – and I’m especially delighted for Venetian Mick and his owner Graham Freeman,” he said of the two-year-old who arrived at Hutton’s Burford kennels after enjoying success in Ireland for Buckley and Venetian Mick’s breeder Gilbert Anderson.

“I’m delighted that Mick has given Graham a first Group Two success. He purchased Mick from Gilbert as a potential stayer. He’d won a couple of races at Shelbourne but also ran in good company at Kilkenny and Limerick and, once he was with us, this competition looked an obvious choice for him when it was announced,” explained Hutton, for whom Venetian Mick made a winning UK debut at Towcester in late August.

“Mick was an impressive winner of his four-bend maiden at Towcester when clocking a fast time but then came up against Derby winner Droopys Plunge twice and then ran into Proper Heiress at Hove, so we decided to step him up in trip. Thankfully he’s taken to it ever so well and looks a nice type for all the staying competitions next year.”

On the same card at Oxford on Sunday, Hutton saw his prolific Start The Engine rack up another victory at the venue, as well his Resonate qualify behind the impressive fastest-of-the-afternoon Vhagar in the heats of the bet365 Challenge Cup on the same card. She runs in this weekend’s semi-finals.