ANTIGUA SUGAR underlined her claims as a leading contender for outright honours with a fastest-of-the-night victory in heat four of the Coral Essex Vase at Romford on Friday.

 

The 575m annual kicked off Romford’s GBGB Category One season and it was the 

August 2020 daughter of Ballymac Bolger and Dolce Vita, trained by Mark Wallis, who set the standard with an all-the-way victory.

 

Racing to a blistering 13.38sec split off the back of a fast start from the outside box, Antigua Sugar never looked in danger.

 

The recent Bet365 Challenge Cup runner-up, soon in full flow, drew steadily clear and came home four and a quarter lengths clear of Romeo Top Gun (Patrick Janssens) and Low Pressure (Belinda Green) in 34.70sec (+15).

 

The victory landed Wallis an Essex Vase heat double after Sweet Talker had struck in heat two. The August 2020 son of Ballymac Anton and Ballymac Minton, always handy after a good start, came home the stronger to beat Bonjour Bullet (Belinda Green) and Millbank Peach (Dan Brabon) in 35.44sec (+15).

 

Liz McNair also landed an Essex Vase double, starting with Havana Bale Out in the opening heat, as the April 2020 daughter of Magical Bale and Comeout To Play overcame a battle with fast-starting Peejays Forever (Jason Gornall) before dominating.

 

Led from the boxes by the Ladbrokes Gold Collar second, Havana Bale Out paced up to challenge off the second bend before hitting the front soon up and going on to score by almost five lengths from that rival and Minnie Bullet (Mark Wallis) in 34.85sec (+15).

 

The McNair double was completed by Coral Puppy Cup third Queen Pink as the January 2021 daughter of King Sheeran and King Danni produced an impressive display of front-running to score by half a length from the running-on Aayamza Magic (Mark Wallis) in 35.00sec (+15). Third here and into Friday’s semi-finals was defending champion Coolavanny Aunty (Angela Harrison).

 

The Michael Hurst-owned and trained Droopys Soldier made all in heat three as the 

September 2019 son of Out Of Range ASB and Droopys Blossom was always bossing proceedings after a slick exit before holding Feora Noel (Liz McNair) by a head in 35.44sec (+15). Local Dapper Rodney (Nathan Hunt) was third here.

 

The sixth and final heat produced an exciting finish as the Paul Burr-trained Swift Mellow, a December 2020 son of Out Of Range ASB and Swift Causeway, hit the front on the run for home to score by a length from longtime leader Droopys Stairway (Gemma Evans) and King Ezra (Liz McNair) in 35.34sec (+15).

 

Mark Arkell, Romford’s racing manager, oversaw not just the Coral Essex Vase heats but the heats of the Coral Maiden Trophy, a GBGB Category Two competition, on the same card. Fastest here was Kevin Quinton’s Yarmouth raider Quagos Peggy in 23.94sec (+10).

 

Arkell said: “It was just a superb night’s racing with two very different competitions starting. We had some upsets and some races going to form and it sets us up nicely for the semi-finals – building up to a gala finals’ night here the week after.

 

“Well done to Mark Wallis and Liz McNair for notching Essex Vase doubles – and both handlers have other semi-final qualifiers so are well represented on Friday. Paul Young also landed a double in the Maiden Trophy heats – and Paul Burr had one in each!”

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=393009&raceId=905205

 

Form and trap draw for Friday’s semi-finals: https://assets.cj1.in/imminent-otter/production/assets/results/Romford/form-guides/Friday-20th-Jan-23-Trap-Draw-Proof.pdf