MARK WALLIS holds a huge hand in Sunday’s bet365 Empress Stakes Final at Towcester after his highly rated duo of Crafty Shivoo (pictured) and Fabulous Sonique won their respective semi-finals of the bitches-only GBGB Category One event at the Northamptonshire venue, with the pair also joined by kennelmate Minnie Bullet in the decider.

Crafty Shivoo was just in front on the clock from the semi-finals after posting the faster time in the second semi as the Irish Oaks champion improved her UK record to six wins from seven starts, but only after a superb head to head with Charming Girl (Patrick Janssens) with the pair dominating this particular contest.

Charming Girl was first to show from the boxes but Crafty Shivoo paced up to join issue and then lead into the turn and held sway thereafter, albeit the October 2021 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Ballymac Sanjose was kept up to her work by the runner-up who kept on well before going down by three-quarters of a length in 29.59sec (-50).

Minnie Bullet (Mark Wallis) finished third here to take her place in the £10,000 final.

The first semi-final also went the way of Imperial Kennels as Fabulous Sonique maintained her top-class form by catching fast-starting Kilara Coco (Nathan Hunt) approaching the first bend on her way to a four-length success over that rival in 29.66sec (-50), with Monmore raider Beatties Sparkle (Kim Billingham) qualifying in third.

A delighted Mark Wallis, after seeing his team claim both Empress Stakes semi-finals, said: “I couldn’t really have asked for more – and getting Minnie Bullet through was also great and maybe a bonus, although she’s strong over four bends having won over a lot further and never lets you down.

“Sonique was bought by us off the back of a Clonmel win. She’s bred by Dave Firmager which is great and you see how strong she is, too, but she’s got that speed that puts her in the race quickly and she’s still improving.

“Crafty Shivoo is an incredible bitch as we all know. She’s only an October whelp but is already an Irish Oaks winner and has done great for us. She arrived in great condition as you’d expect fro the Divillys, settled in well with us, and we’re just giving her as much chance to get to Perry Barr for a crack at the English Oaks.

“Getting to the Empress Stakes final is almost a bonus but it’s a cracking event with a great sponsorship, good prize-money, and was full of top-class bitches. The final is a cracker and they’ll all have to do things right to win it. Ours are all next to each other as the only railers, but we’re happy enough where they are.”

Trap draw for Sunday’s bet365 Empress Stakes Final: 1 Fabulous Sonique, 2 Minnie Bullet, 3 Crafty Shivoo, 4 Charming Girl (m), 5 Kilara Coco (m), 6 Beatties Sparkle (m).