COOLAVANNY AUNTY rewrote the record books with a scintillating victory in the semi-finals of the Arena Racing Company Grand Prix at Sunderland.

Already winner of the Essex Vase at Romford, the ante-post favourite has her sights firmly set on another GBGB Category One title after setting a new track record in the first semi-final of the 640m annual at the Wearside track.

Angela Harrison’s bitch was soon handy and, taking up the running at the fourth bend, quickly put the race to bed for a race against the clock as the brilliant September 2019 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Yahoo Katie went clear.

Keeping up a furious pace, Coolavanny Aunty stretched five lengths clear at the line, winning from Skywalker Forte (Ted Soppitt) in a time of 38.81sec (+30), which clipped 14 spots off the previous best set last year during the same event by Blue Tick George.

Tom Heilbron will send out another major finalist in the shape of the consistent Titan Jim who, like Coolavanny Aunty, maintained his unbeaten record in the Arc Grand Prix with another strong-running effort in the second semi-final.

The March 2020 son of Droopys Buick and Daring Rose was always in a pitch on the outside and came through best on the run for home to grab reigning champion Coolavanny Bani (Angela Harrison) by a length in 39.37sec (+30).

The third semi-final went to the Kevin Boon-trained Farneys Chloe who made the trip north worthwhile for the trainer by landing the odds by two and a half lengths from Move Over Joanie (Bill Finley). The winning time was 39.22sec (+30).

Andrew Dalby provided the commentary on the night for Sky Sports Racing and enjoyed overseeing what was a series of fine performances, not least from record-breaking Coolavanny Aunty.

He said: “Coolavanny Aunty took superb advantage of a perfect pacemaker in Tom Heilbron’s Little Seven, who’s stepped up to six bends in recent weeks as a wide-seeded fast starter with wins over 480m in both top grade at Newcastle and at Nottingham.

“Given the legendary sprinter Jimmy Lollie’s kept the sprint record from the same traps at 15.38sec for 12 years, Little Seven’s 15.64sec sectional in a stayers’ race was an ideal target for Aunty to aim at.

“She was just over half-a-length adrift going past that winning post first time with a 15.69sec split herself and took it up smoothly heading towards the back-straight and then it was just a question of how far inside 39 seconds she’d dip.

“I deliberately began confirming the result by reminding everyone of Blue Tick George’s 38.95sec track record in last year’s Grand Prix semis and noticed some of the kennelhands paused their walk back to the paddock knowing some special figures were on the way.

“Can she go even quicker than this historic 38.81sec in the final?

“Purely from a pacemaking point of view, Ted Soppitt’s Skywalker Forte also overhauled Little Seven for the second qualifying spot behind Aunty in that semi-final so there might not be such a scorching start to the final, at which point securing the £10,000 first prize becomes top priority especially with her drawn in trap two among four railers, against only a single middle seed (Move Over Joanie) and a single wide (Titan Jim).

“There’s one other omen about setting a Sunderland 640m track record in a Grand Prix semi because, after his own heroics against the clock 12 months ago, Blue Tick George was out-trapped by Aunty’s kennelmate Coolavanny Bani in the decider and couldn’t find a way past despite numerous attempts to do so.

“Bani’s in the white box right next to Aunty for this year’s final and, while I don’t think Bani’s quite in the form that saw her follow Aunty in that memorable one-two for Angela Harrison in January’s Essex Vase, she’d love to be difficult to pass yet again before letting go of her Grand Prix crown.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=383909&raceId=830528

 

Trap draw for Thursday’s Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Final:

1 Skywalker Forte, 2 Coolavanny Aunty, 3 Coolavanny Bani, 4 Farneys Chloe, 5 Move Over Joanie (m), 6 Titan Jim (w).