IVANEXILE saved the best for last with a fastest-of-the-round 29.35sec in heat eight of the Stadium Bookmakers Juvenile Classic at Towcester on Sunday.

The Matt Dartnall-trained youngster, third behind Havana Lover in the SportyStuff TV Puppy Cup over C&D on Derby final night, was quickly away in the final heat before racing to a 4.15sec split on his way to a three and three-quarter lengths success over Aiden Mccoy (Mark Wallis) and Your Kidding (Reggie Allder) in 29.35sec for the 500m.

Next quickest was Droopys Mural who led at the halfway point to score in heat three for Hove trainer Richard Rees’s kennel. The September 2020 whelp thereafter went on to score by two and a half lengths from Kilbreedy Sydney (Damien Matthews) and Deanridge Skippy (Allison Kelly-Pilgrim) in a fast 29.47sec.

The other heats went to the John Mullins-trained Chelms Chris (29.87sec), Robert Hall’s Bit View Tara (29.84sec), Mark Wallis’s Antigua Sugar (29.73sec), the Patrick Janssens-trained Crescent Allstar (29.58sec), Vicki Lea’s Kaluki (29.57sec) and Paul Young’s Jeopardy Dawg (29.52sec).

Nathan Corden, spokesman and consultant for the Northamptonshire venue, said: “This is the second running of the Juvenile Classic – and thanks to the stadium bookmakers for once again supporting this exciting competition. We opted to go for 48 runners this year and both the quantity and quality was top drawer.

“There’s no doubt Matt Dartnall’s Ivanexile was very impressive and set the standard on the day. The victory proved once again how good the form of the SportyStuff TV Puppy Cup is and those that came out of that event should be followed, including the winner Havana Lover who had no luck yesterday but did well to qualify.

“And again from Towcester’s point of view, seeing Antigua Sugar win again was superb. She was a great winner of the greyhoundtrader.com Stakes on Derby final night and followed that up with another victory and impressive turn of foot coming from behind again. She continues to improve for the Wallis camp.

“Another catching the eye was Richard Rees’s Droopys Mural, who’s always been well regarded. He claimed the victory in an impressive time and could also go from strength to strength now – as will all the runners in the event. There are sure to be future Cat One winners amongst them and we’re now looking forward to Sunday’s second round.”