BOMBERS BULLET eyes a Category One double in Thursday’s Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic at Monmore – and Mark Wallis’s dog will likely start favourite to take the £7,500 first prize at the Wolverhampton circuit.

The Sunderland Grand Prix winner led home Roxholme Poppy and kennelmate Roswell Romanov in their semi-final clash in Thursdays’ semis, winning in 37.50sec for the 630m trip, and has delighted his trainer – doubly handed now in the decider.

Wallis said: “To say Bombers Bullet is in-form is an understatement! He reached the Derby final then won the Grand Prix at Sunderland, his first major competition over six bends, and now in his second one he’s made the final.

“He has terrific trackcraft – we saw that at Towcester where he improved throughout the Derby and then at Sunderland where room got tight on a few occasions. He came through those tests, although will need to be clever from a tricky trap three in the final!”

The Imperial Kennels handler paid special tribute to his kennel stalwart Roswell Romanov, who led for much of the way in that semi-final last week before being caught by Bombers Bullet and then Roxholme Poppy.

“It’s brilliant to see him in a major final away from Romford and he might be a spot of value to go one step better than his Essex Vase second earlier in the year,” added Wallis. “He’s been pinging the lids at Monmore and needs to do so again from trap four.

“If he does and the better fancied runners get held up, he might not come back to them!” said the champion trainer of the August 14 whelp owned by Evan Herbert. Kennelmate Bombers Bullet represents The Bruiser Boyz syndicate.

Ela Juliet, winner of the other semi-final last week in 37.69sec, represents owners Alex Antoniou and Paul Bennett and trainer Matt Dartnall – a combination which landed the Monmore Puppy Derby earlier this year with Rising Brandy.

The ex-Irish bitch has won four of her five starts in the UK and will be looking to dominate again in the fence in the view of Tony Williamson, racing manager at the Ladbrokes-owned venue, who is looking forward to the night.

“We’ve got a great line-up of races planned and, of course, a cracking final,” he said. “Ela Juliet is unbeaten here and continues to improve. She will go well I’m sure, as will Bombers Bullet and Roxholme Poppy, the two fastest runners in the competition so far for Mark (Wallis) and Hayley (Keightley).”

“Unfortunately, we’ve no local hope to follow our Buckos Lass winning last year’s Summer Stayers Classic, but it’s great that open-race trainers from all over the country are taking in our big races.

“Therefore we wish Matt, Mark, Hayley, Barrie (Draper, Soars Above), and Carol (Grasso, Jetstream Lynx) all the best – and look forward to a great night here on Thursday.”

Thursday’s final of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic: 1 Ela Juliet, 2 Soars Above, 3 Bombers Bullet, 4 Roswell Romanov, 5 Roxholme Poppy (w), 6 Jetstream Lynx (w).