FROMPOSTTOPILLAR, completing a treble for Liz McNair on the night, proved the star of the show in the heats of the RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar as Oxford kick-started its first major competition since reopening with eight heats over 450m on Friday.

The Nov-2020 son of Droopys Sydney and Rafa Babys Baby posted the fastest time of eight heats with a superb front-running effort in heat seven. Pacing up well into first bend, he steadily drew clear of his rivals for a nine-and-a-quarter lengths success over Puppy Cup runner-up Romeo Mission (David Mullins) and One Mean Kid (David Lewis) in 26.93sec (normal).

The winning time for Fromposttopillar, a 28.28sec Tralee winner, was just six spots off the track record and achieved in just his third start after a debut win at Central Park in August and second at Towcester last month.

Next quickest was the earlier 27.24sec posted by the Frank Gray-trained Makeit Swallow in heat four as the March 2021 daughter of Pestana and Cracked Lady dominated from the get-go as she crossed the line three and a quarter lengths clear of Havana Playboy (Liz McNair) and Grandpa Roo (Kevin Crocker), all three making the second round of the £10,000 event on Friday.

Queen Pink, third in the Romford Puppy Cup, franked the form of that event still further with a strong-running effort in heat five to land the middle leg of the McNair treble. Always handy, the January 2021 daughter of King Sheeran and King Danni grabbed long-time leader Jasmine Lily (Tom Levers) in the shadow of the post in heat five to win in 27.37sec. David Mullins’ Fabulous Bling qualified in third here.

The McNair hat-trick in the heats was initiated by Queen Pink’s litter brother King Ezra in heat three as this strong-running youngster finished best to strike on the run for home, winning by a length and a half from Two Marks (Kevin Hutton) and Nancy Spin (Matt Dartnall) in 27.54sec.

The Richard Baker-trained Oi Oi Joey scored a popular local victory in the opening heat as the

November 2020 son of Laughil Blake and Tyrur Jennamarie, named in memory of Oxford football legend Joey Beauchamp, landed a trap to line success in 27.36sec, holding on by a short-head from Lively Lauren (Matt Dartnall) and Queen Gaga (Liz McNair).

The other heats were won by Heather Dimmock’s outsider Brennans Harris (27.51sec) after a cracking duel in heat two with Kevin Hutton’s Singalong Java, another Hutton-trained runner Vancouver Port, who made all in heat six to land a 22-1 surprise, and the David Mullins-trained fast-starting Jondel (27.51sec) in heat eight.

Kiaran O’Brien, Oxford’s racing manager, said: “Firstly I like to thank James Chalkley for overseeing the meeting. I was taken ill last week and took a few days off – thanks, incidentally, to everyone who sent me get-well messages, it was appreciated. So I missed the heats of the RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar but have caught up since.

“I thought the overall standard of the pups really good. Clearly, the McNairs had a very good night with a treble in the heats plus other qualifiers through to the second round. Kevin Hutton, Matt Dartnall and David Mullins are also well represented, although am sure David was disappointed to see his Romford Puppy Cup winner Romeo Hotshot go out.

“He just had no luck in running, but it was good to see the Puppy Cup form showing up pretty rock-solid with Romeo Mission finishing second in his heat and Queen Pink winning hers. And, of course, you could hear the cheers ring out when Oi Oi Joey won the first heat. That seemed just a perfect way to kick off our first major competition here.”

Trap draw and form for Friday’s second round: https://oxford-stadium.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Oxford-Friday-14-October-Puppy-Collar-Trap-Draw-Formlines.pdf

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=388167&raceId=865218