LIZ MCNAIR landed both semi-finals of the Bet365 Hunt Cup at Oxford on Friday with victories for Havana Top Note and Havana Lover and, with King Ezra also qualifying, will have half the field in the £10,000-to-the-winner showpiece.

However, ahead of the 650m decider, the traps will be changed for the six-bend trip at the Cowley venue after an incident in the second semi-final in which Low Pressure darted through a gap between the traps as the lids rose and was momentarily caught. He was reported fine by Belinda Green afterwards but Oxford promoter Kevin Boothby has acted.

He said: “I can only apologise to connections of Low Pressure and didn’t sleep last night after the incident. We just want to get things right and will do. In the meantime – and until the new traps arrive – we will replace the Oxford six-bend traps with the Henlow ones for this meeting and the Bet365 Hunt Cup Final.

“We will then run only 450m races at Oxford moving on.”

Havana Top Note, the first of the McNair double, had struck gold in the opening semi-final when pacing up well to lead into the turn after Night Time Danny (Stephen Rayner) had trapped in front. However, showing the better early gears, the eventual winner was soon in charge and on his way to success.

Keeping up the gallop, the April 2021 son of Eden The Kid and Mean Beauty crossed the line a length and a quarter clear of Wota Swell Party (Kevin Hutton) and fastest heat winner Minnie Bullet (Mark Wallis), with the fast-finishing Night Time Danny unlucky not to qualify in fourth. The winning time was 40.30sec (-30).

For good measure, McNair-trained runners then filled the first two places in the second semi-final, after the incident with Low Pressure, as St Leger winner Havana Lover finished best to deny kennelmate King Ezra close home.

Muxton Lottie (Mark Wallis) had led from the boxes until King Ezra caught the leader at halfway before going on, only for Havana Lover to prove too strong as the August 2020 daughter of Laughil Blake and Love Honey powered to the front on the run for home for a half a length success over King Ezra and third-placed Muxton Lottie.

The winning time was 40.30sec (-30), identical to kennelmate Havana Top Note’s effort, which delighted Rab McNair, husband of trainer Liz, who said: “They’re all running well and I’m happy enough with the draw. Of course, changing the traps is not ideal, but I’m with Kevin (Boothby) in what he’s trying to do.”

Trap draw and form for Saturday’s Bet365 Hunt Cup Final: 1 Havana Top Note, 2 King Ezra, 3 Wota Swell Party, 4 Muxton Lottie, 5 Minnie Bullet, 6 Havana Lover (w).

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=396029&raceId=930093