HOVE is counting down to another of its major competition deciders on Sunday with the final of the Coral Gold Collar, the feature event on a card which will now include three semi-finals of the George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial.

These have been carried over from last Sunday’s meeting after a major issue with the 740m traps, also used for 285m contests, forced the Sussex track to delay the semi-finals of the six-bend Category One annual and scrap plans to stage any sprint races this week.

It is hoped Saturday’s card will include sprint trials before racing after work is carried out on the traps – to be precise a pillar linked to the arm which allows the traps to be swung off and off. This should then see Sunday’s card go ahead as planned.

Hove racing manager Rob Abrey said: “Gavin Smith and his team are carrying out the work on the traps which we are pretty confident will be sorted by the end of the week.

“Because of fireworks night we’re not racing on Thursday so that’s given us extra time and, while it means we’ve had to act in terms of the George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial and move the competition on a week, having the final on the night of Saturday, November 14, works well for us given opens were already scheduled that night.

“We’re also counting down to the Coral Olympic so, with the final of the Coral Gold Collar on Sunday, then the final of the George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial the following Saturday along with trial stakes for the Olympic, then that 515m competition itself, we’re got plenty of high-quality racing here across the start of our festive period.”

Fastest of the Coral Gold Collar semi-final winners was the Mark Wallis-trained Forgottotellya who raced away for a 29.11sec (normal) success over 500m when leading home Droopys Graph (Ricky Holloway).

The other semi-finals went to Belinda Green’s Coronation Cup winner Bikini Bullet who edged out Droopys Plunge (Patrick Janssens), the 2025 English Derby champion, in 29.16sec (normal), and Patrick Janssens’ Romeo Tomcat who crossed the line clear of Lincoln Impact (Michelle Brown) in 29.34sec (normal).

Sunday’s Coral Gold Collar Final: 1 Droopys Plunge, 2 Forgottotellya, 3 Bikini Bullet, 4 Droopys Graph, 5 Romeo Tomcat (m), 6 Lincoln Impact (w).

 

Photos: © Steve Nash