Champions Night Hurdle heats start off with a Flash
The Champions Night Hurdle heats were run at Romford last night. The three heats saw the top two racers earn spots in next week’s £1,000 final.
In the first heat, Lenson Flash got off to the best start of the group and took the lead after the first hurdle. Flash stayed wide from the sixth trap and finished first, ahead of Freedom Man by 1 3/4 lengths.
Freedom Man proved that the track is no place for pups when the veteran racer took second place, and a spot in the final, 3 lengths ahead of 7-4 race favourite, Little Boy. Boy lost ground on the first hurdle, dropped back a couple lengths on the second turn, and couldn’t recover.
Finishing behind Boy was Rockburst Mason, and taking the final two spots were longshots, Handy Magic in fifth, and Punchie in sixth.
Romeo In Miami took a late lead in the second heat to win by 1/2 a length over 5-2 race favourite, Bigstrongpup, who took an early lead on the first bend, but by the time they reached the fourth hurdle it was Miami in front.
Finishing another 1/2 length behind in third was trainer Seamus Cahill’s, Rahora. Another of Cahill’s hounds, Royal Honcho, took fifth spot. In fourth was Barnagrane Barry, and in last place was Linwood Dazzler, who hit the first hurdle, but was still able to make it a close fight for fifth, finishing just a neck behind Honcho.
The third and final heat in the hurdles saw I Went Whoosshh take an early lead, only to lose it before the half way point of the race to Little Spark. Whoosshh then dropped further back behind 7-4 race favourite, Platinum Formaly, and finished in in third place.
Both Spark and Formaly stuck to the rails, and while Formaly took every chance to pass, Spark wouldn’t allow it, winning the race by 1 ½ lengths. Barnfield Chubby, who finished in fourth, kept pace with the leaders until he hit the fourth hurdle, and both 12-1 longshot, Unlikely Mover, and Kilaharry Henk hit the first hurdle. Mover took fifth and Henk finished in sixth.
With only one favourite eliminated, and no longshots qualifying for the final, it looks like it will be a close one. With hurdles on the track, it will be difficult to predict the outcome.
The hurdles final is set: 1 Bigstrongpup, 2 Platinum Formaly, 3 Little Spark, 4 Freedom Man (m), 5 Romeo In Miami (m), 6 Lenson Flash (w).
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