NEW DESTINY set the standard as the fastest of the Juvenile Classic Official Trial Stakes winners at Towcester on Sunday.

Ahead of this weekend’s first round proper, in which the first three in eight official trial stakes contests were invited to run in four first-round heats this coming Sunday, it was the Mark Wallis-trained October 2021 daughter of Grangeview Ten and Coonough Dolly who starred with a brilliant success.

Having played her part in a successful winner-takes-all match race against Maree Champion which kicked off Star Sports/TRC Derby final night at the Northamptonshire venue the previous week, this time New Destiny dominated proceedings off a fast start (4.06sec sectional) and was never headed thereafter.

Racing clear, New Destiny crossed the line six lengths in front of Coppice Warrior (Kevin Hutton) and Ballymac Warrior (Angie Kibble) in a fast 28.86sec (normal) for the 500m trip – comfortably the quickest time of the day, underlining her position as a leading contender for the GBGB Category One event.

Maree Champion, her conqueror in the match race, had been himself touted as a possible winner of the £10,000 event but Seamus Cahill’s dog suffered disappointment off the back of a moderate start and crowding in the first official trial stakes as he could only manage fifth behind Maxine Locke’s Droopys Reserve.

The August 2021 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Droopys Zero raced to an impressive all-the-way 29.07sec (normal) victory from Saka Falcon (Patrick Janssens) and Chanceme Jack (Mark Wallis), winning by seven and a quarter lengths in the process.

Droopys Clue also impressed on the clock with a 29.02sec (normal) in the seventh official trial stakes as Seamus Cahill’s runner also dominated from the off on his way to a six-length victory for the August 2021 son of Out Of Range ASB and Droopys Natalia over Coppice Kaiser (Jimmy Fenwick) and Droopys Service (Maxine Locke).

Angie Kibble’s Ackerman also impressed clockwatchers in the eighth and final official trial stakes as the August 2021 son of Good News and White Queen railed into an early lead on his way to a near-six lengths success over Beatties Destiny (Kim Billingham) and La Conquistador (Patrick Janssens) in 29.11sec (normal).

The other heats were won by Mark Wallis’s Droopys Prymtime (29.63sec), John Mullins’ 16-1 scorer Wrighty (29.47sec), the Patrick Janssens-trained Blue Mustang (29.57sec) and Kim Billingham’s Beatties Electra (29.45sec).

Andy Lisemore, Towcester racing manager, said: “I thought it was a cracking day’s racing and it’s clear we’ve got a great crop of young talent. Obviously New Destiny starred in terms of the fastest clock and looks the one to beat – especially having run so well in the match race. She’s definitely come forward again.

“It’s a cracking event overall and shows there’s plenty of depth there, too. I suppose these are the Derby stars of the future, many of which are having their first taste of Towcester, and will presumably be back next year for the Derby – should we once again stage it. I know Kevin (Boothby) wants to, so fingers crossed everything can be worked out.

“Its a busy time for us. We hardly drew breath after Derby final night before racing the next day and then having the Juvenile Classic on the calendar, but that’s what Towcester is about. We want to show the best racing we can with the fastest dogs around – and certainly in the case of this year’s Juvenile Classic we’ve got a cracking pool of pups.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=399029&raceId=953803