FABULOUS SONIQUE (8-11F) kept hopes alive of back-to-back wins for Mark Wallis in the event with a fastest-of-the-night success in the semi-finals of the Coral Coronation Cup at Romford on Friday.

On a night the champion trainer saw track record holder and the defending champion New Destiny bow out of the competition when managing only third in her semi, it was the older Fabulous Sonique who kept one hand on the trophy for the boss of Imperial Kennels.

Lining up in the first semi-final, the British-bred July 2021 daughter of Magical Bale and Fabulous Pearl was always handy and powered to the front rounding the third bend on her way to a length and three-quarters success over keeping-on Teddie (Belinda Green) in 34.96sec (normal).

“Sonia’s such a star of the kennel and quite underrated in many ways, albeit not by us,” said Wallis. “She ran really well on Derby final night behind Patrick’s dog (Romeo Steel) and just never gives up. A stiff four bends is very much up her street.

“You’d say 575m at Romford is probably just a touch too far when you’re talking the top, top class, but she always gives herself a chance over this trip by getting to the front, or certainly close to it – and that’s what happened on Friday.

“She’s got great middle gears and must have a great chance of winning her first Category One event, although as we saw on Friday you can’t really count your chickens. We’d hope to be seeing New Destiny in the final and looking to defend her title.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out for her. She’ll have some time off now and maybe come back to defend her (Coral) Champion Stakes title at Romford – we’ll see. Monmore might come too soon.”

New Destiny was sent off a red-hot 4-9 favourite for the second semi-final but, in a huge shock, the David Mullins-trained 33-1 chance Jades Rocket led home another 33-1 chance in Whitewood Libre (Gemma Evans) for a big-priced Romford-trained one-two.

The latter had won the early exchanges and set the tempo before Jades Rocket took over on the second circuit for a length and three-quarters win in 35.37sec (normal) over Whitewood Libre, the pair making it through to Friday’s £10,000 final.

There was another surprise winner in the third semi-final as the Jim Reynolds-trained Cree Bono (12-1) was quickly away and always dominated for a three-and-a-quarter length victory over Golden Palace (Michelle Brown) in 35.24sec (normal).

It means the latter is set to contest another major Romford final having finished third to New Destiny in last year’s Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes Final.

Trap draw for Friday’s Coral Coronation Cup Final: 1 Cree Bono, 2 Jades Rocket, 3 Teddie, 4 Fabulous Sonique, 5 Golden Palace, 6 Whitewood Libre.