CANDY MAN roared back to winning ways when setting the fastest time of four quarter-finals of the Premarket Pets Blue Riband at Towcester on Sunday.

Carol Weatherall’s Laurels finalist and M Lambe Birmingham Cup winner paced up well in the third quarter-final to head the fast-starting pair of Perfecto Storm (Sally Johnson) and Signet Denver (Kevin Hutton) at the turn before racing clear as the rest of the field, including favourite Brookside Richie (David Mullins), crowded behind.

Thereafter the March 2019 son of Holdem Spy and Wont Fall Behind was never headed and won comfortably, crossing the line almost eight lengths clear of Perfecto Storm and Brookside Richie. The winning time was 29.45sec (normal)

Forest Gold kicked off the quarter-finals of the 500m Category One event with another victory to add to his impressive record as Kevin Hutton’s BresBet Steel City Cup winner produced a textbook display of front-running.

Well away in the first quarter-final, the September 2018 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Forest Dot was never headed thereafter as he crossed the line four and a half lengths clear of the Mark Wallis-trained pair of Drumcrow Brent and Ivy Hill Skyhigh in 29.56sec.

Janine Loveys, wife of part-owner Darren Loveys who owns the three-year-old with Mark Hart, said: “We were worried about him being in trap four in the quarter-finals, but when he came out and pushed his way to the first bend, you sort of knew he wasn’t going to get caught.

“Had we drawn trap four in the semis and not been there before we may have been worried, but after the performance this week – not so much!

“It’s a tough heat on Sunday, of course, with both Thorn Falcon and Candy Man being in there so we have our fingers crossed. But last Sunday was a good day and started things off well for Kev (Hutton), who went on to have three quarter-final winners. We spoke to Kev yesterday to see how he was – and he was bouncing and ready to go again!”

The Hutton quarter-final treble was completed by Signet Otis and Bull Run Norris in heats two and four respectively.

British Bred Derby runner-up Signet Otis won a four-runner quarter-final as he paced up well from a trap four draw, heading inwards into the turn as he set the tempo, eventually holding the staying-on Savana King (Diane Henry) by half a length in 29.70sec. Bryce Canyon (Mark Wallis) qualified in third here.

Bull Run Norris completed a fine afternoon for Hutton with another trap-to-line success as the three-year-old made the turn in front after a fast start before holding his staying-on kennelmate Sleek By Design by a short-head in 29.57sec, with the fast-finishing Derby champion Thorn Falcon another head behind in a blanket finish.

 

Trap draw and form for Sunday’s Premarket Pets Blue Riband semi-finals:-

First semi: 1 Ivy Hill Skyhigh, 2 Brookside Richie, 3 Sleek By Design, 4 Perfecto Storm, 5 Bull Run Norris (m), 6 Drumcrow Brent (w).

Second semi: 1 Savana King, 2 Signet Otis, 3 Bryce Canyon, 4 Forest Gold, 5 Thorn Falcon (w), 6 Candy Man (w).

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=381166&raceId=806648