ANTONS MAGGIE, a 5-1 chance, struck gold for Michelle Brown in the Bet365 Winter Marathon Final at Towcester to make it open-race win number 60 in 2023 for the Towcester and Suffolk Downs handler.

On an afternoon in which the £3,000-to-the-winner GBGB Category Two event supported the Bet365 Puppy Oaks Final at the Northamptonshire venue, it was the July 2021 daughter of Ballymac Anton and Slippy Maggie who stayed best for the spoils over 942m to take the prize for owners Craig Chesson and David Redmile.

The July 21 Irish-bred whelp comes from a superb Ballymac Anton and Slippy Maggie litter which includes regular winners She Loves You, who was also in Sunday’s final, and Chosen Maggie – with a special nod to dam Slippy Maggie who the Kemps, Michelle’s parents Hazel and Mick, trained to big-race wins at Crayford and Henlow.

Slippy Maggie won the Bunny Bookmakers Henlow Gold Cup, the Jay & Kay Coach Tours Kent St Leger and Boxing Day Marathon at Crayford in 2018, and was also a finalist in the Ladbrokes TV Trophy at the Kent track. A real star for the kennels on the track, she has passed that on in the paddocks – not least with Sunday’s big-race winner Antons Maggie.

However, it was Farneys Cooper (Kevin Boon) who led from Maleficent (Robert Emery) in the early stages of the two-lap charge at Towcester, with the former racing into a healthy lead at halfway in a bid to run the finish out of his rivals.

Even down the back-straight, Farneys Cooper had a decent advantage but She Loves You and litter sister Antons Maggie began to close the gap and the eventual winner made her move off the final bend to go on for a two-length win over favourite A Mystical Love (Lee Pearce), who flew home in customary style, in 59.26sec (-20).

The victory delighted winning trainer Michelle Brown, who said: “That was fantastic and I’m so proud of both girls. Antons Maggie just got inside She Loves You after halfway and was first to get to Kevin’s (Boon) runner and got first run on A Mystical Love. It’s just fantastic for us all, but I’m especially for Craig (Chesson) and David (Redmile).

“The support and friendship of these guys means so much to us, and mum and dad. They are massive supporters of the kennel and we wouldn’t have the dogs we have without them, so thank-you for both.

“I knew Maggie stayed strongly and and thought she was a massive price going into the final. She’s just not had a lot of a luck in her races – thankfully it came good for her on Sunday. We’ll head next for the Boxing Day Marathon at Crayford, which her mum won, of course, and then the TV Trophy at Oxford.”

Representing sponsors Bet365, Pat Cooney said he was delighted how both the Bet365 Puppy Oaks and Bet365 Winter Marathon had unfolded, adding: “We thought both competitions went really well, particularly with two thrilling finishes in each final.”

Cooney added: “It was interesting to receive so many plaudits for sponsoring the Winter Marathon. There seems a real love of these long-distance races.

“Both competitions received good publicity on social media, and I even spoke to many horserace goers at Doncaster on Saturday on our bet365-sponsored meeting who had followed both events. It was everything we could have wanted as sponsors.

“Well done to both winners!”