VENETIAN MICK heads into Saturday’s semi-finals of the bet365 Hunt Cup at Oxford as the fastest heat winner in what looks a wide-open renewal of the 650m Category One, according to Paul Johnson, Oxford’s racing manager.

“It’s certainly another very competitive staging of the Hunt Cup, not so much because of the times clocked and the difference between the four heat winners, more the fact three of the heat winners are grouped together in the first semi and that just adds to the puzzle I think,” said Johnson.

“Venetian Mick was fastest and does have a lot of local knowledge,” he added. “He’s won most of his races here and, once ahead on Saturday, never really looked like being caught and he’ll be strongly fancied to win his semi-final and has won from trap five a couple of times. Then again he can ill-afford any mistakes. He likes to be up there early.

“The second semi is top-heavy with heat winners – The Other Winx, Malcolm Bosh and Powerhouse Duke – and that looks a good race.

“Powerhouse Duke is trained by Seamus Cahill who won last year’s Hunt Cup with Hogans Hawk, remember, while it’s good to see Ballymac Madgie back here and she finished second to The Other Winx. She reached the (bet365) Challenge Cup final here and has also won a marathon here.

“Reasonate was also in the Challenge Cup final and is also in the Hunt Cup semis after coming second to Powerhouse Duke so that form is definitely working out well.”

The 2026 running of the bet365 Hunt Cup kicked off with victory for the Maxine Locke-trained The Other Winx in heat one. 

On a good night for the Romford handler at the Cowley venue after Beaming Isla’s success in theultimatetipster.com Sandy Lane Sprint, the feature event on the card, The Other Winx was soon clear on her way to a two and three-quarter lengths success over Ballymac Madgie (Shaun Gresham) in 39.72sec (-45).

Venetian Mick then set the standard in heat two, overcoming a tardy exit before pacing up to head his field off the second bend and always held sway thereafter for a length success from early pace-setter Java Joan (Seamus Gaughan), who kept on well, in 39.56sec (-30).

Powerhouse Duke was also moderately away in heat two but the Hove raider unleashed an impressive turn of foot to lead at the first bend. However, Resonate (Kevin Hutton) turned second and kept up the pressure on the eventual winner, going down by just a head in 39.68sec (-30).

The fourth and final heat saw Angle Kibble’s Malcolm Bosh, a brother of the trainer’s Produce Stakes winner Eagles Respect, produce a last-to-first finish to deny longtime leader Distant Dahlia (Matt Dartnall) close home by three-quarters of a length in 40.04sec (-45).

Saturday’s bet365 Hunt Cup semi-finals:-

First semi: 1 Betweenthesticks, 2 Powerhouse Duke, 3 Ballymac Madgie, 4 Distant Dahlia (m), 5 The Other Winx (m), 6 Malcolm Bosh (m).

Second semi: 1 Ivy Hill Cherry, 2 Java Joan, 3 Remember Betty (m), 4 Salthill Sydney (m), 5 Venetian Mick (m), 6 Resonate (w).