NEWS FROM YARMOUTH STADIUM - {2024}

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...Lame Boyo misses East Anglian Derby...

BY PHIL DONALDSON OF THE RACING POST


HIYA BOYO, who was trading as ante-post favourite for Yarmouth's RPGTV East Anglian Derby, has been withdrawn lame (12.23pm Wednesday) and misses the Category One competition which starts with six heats tonight.

The Hayley Keightley-trained ace, fifth in Saturday's Ladbrokes Gold Cup final at Monmore, was set to be replaced by reserve Pennys Fearnog, who was due to run from trap three in heat four (8.06).

Trainer's husband Mark Keightley explained: "He was quite badly spiked at Monmore and has an enlargement of his achilles tendon as a result.

"He's been to see George Drake [physio] and we were treating him with ice and water, but he's clearly reacting to pressure from the hand on it and I wouldn't put his and others safety at risk by asking him to hurtle round bends at 35 miles per hour on it."

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....Yarmouth double for Harrison via Dazzler and Levante....

ANGELA HARRISON took training honours in the first round of the RPGTV East Anglian Derby over 462m at Yarmouth on Wednesday with a double courtesy of Droopys Dazzler and Levante Beach but it was still a mixed night for her as Droopys Nadal had earlier suffered a broken hock, writes Jonathan Kay of the Racing Post..

Droopys Dazzler impressed on his return to four bends in heat three, showing excellent early and running the first bend really well before moving off on the second.

However, he was soon back on an even keel and was always repelling outsider Dantes Inferno, who nevertheless ran a blinder to go down by just a length to the 27.81sec winner.

The double was completed when Levante Beach landed odds of 5-6 in heat five although he looked vulnerable a number of times during the contest.

First he forced challenging Bramble Reggie to check at the second bend then kennelmate Droopys Carat found racing room scarce when looking dangerous at the third, the duo’s travails helping Levante Beach stay at the head of affairs as he beat Troy Firebird by just over a length in a modest 28.36sec.

Jim Reynolds’ Vics Charm (9-2) took an opening heat marred by that injury to Droopys Nadal who broke down at the second bend.

A 5.19sec sectional helped the winner assert and he then dug in to hold off Ballydoyle Miley and Detroit by a length and half a length in 27.79sec.

Quickest time of the night came from Kilara Lion in heat two, the Patrick Janssens-trained winner having crucially won the early-paced battle with Notouttheway who he went on to beat by three-parts in 27.62sec.

Having sent out a third with Detroit and second with Notouttheway, trainer John Mullins got on the scoresheet himself when Swift Lettuce took early control in heat four and went on to beat Saturday’s Monmore Gold Cup runner-up Bockos Boss by four lengths in a smart 27.63sec.

There was another local winner in heat six courtesy of Erica Samuels’ Black Mystery who rode first bend crowding en route to a near four lengths victory over Newinn Jacko in 27.93sec.

*The draw for next Wednesday’s semi-finals will be made at the GBGB on Thursday.

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LASTFORTHEROAD set the standard in the semis for the 462m RPGTV East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth on Wednesday, making all in the second eliminator for local handler Paul Burr.

He clocked 27.38sec, scoring by nearly six lengths from Angela Harrison’s Droopys Carat - squeezed up badly at the boxes as he got sandwiched but then burst clear to take second as the remainder collided at the bend.

Harrison had all three semi-final favourites and it seemed set fair for her Droopys Dazzler who blasted clear from the boxes in the opener.

However, it all went wrong when he suddenly ran out of petrol close home with Patrick Whelan’s Lenson Whelan (27.51sec) snatching a head win with Troy Firebird taking the other qualifying place by a desperately close short-head.

Harrison at least secured a winner and a second finalist when Levante Beach made no mistake in the third semi, leading all the way to a 27.66sec win. His sectional of 5.26 is the quickest of the qualifiers.

Janssens’ also made it two through via Kilara Lion, who battled on beaten two and a half lengths after early crowding.

Wednesday’s RPGTV East Anglian Derby final

Winner £10,000

1 Kilara Lion
2 Lenson Whelan
3 Lastfortheroad
4 Droopys Carat (m)
5 Levante Beach (m)
6 Troy Firebird (w)

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KILARA LION, in the words of former trainer Alex Hopkins, “ran his heart out” to land the £10,000 RPGTV East Anglian Derby final over 462m at Yarmouth on Wednesday.

Sent to Patrick Janssens after Hopkins took a break from the game to have a baby, Janssens said the dog ”had a great chance on the draw” was now Derby-bound. He indeed made full use of the red jacket to follow leader and eventual runner-up Droopys Carat round, getting crowded on the third bend before asserting off the last. He won by nearly three lengths in 27.62sec

Levante Beach, the favourite, missed his break. Troy Bluebird (third) and Lenson Whelan (fourth) both plugged on late. Local hope Lastfortheroad only broke moderately though showed good early before tiring.

Retired trainer Harry Crapper is among the winner’s delighted owners and had previously expressed his own admiration for the dog’s determination. Hopkins’ dad Craig had used to work with Harry. She now hopes to return to training next year.

Shrewd Call took the £1,000 Greene King IPA Sprint final over 277m for David Mullins, showing his now trademark burst of pace to lead at the first, chased home by Loggies Lito who went down by just half a length in 16.29sec

Sheldan was second-up behind fast-starting Upbeat Billy in the £1,500 Derby Purse final over 659m. Kevin Boon’s bitch, who led at the fifth, is back to her best and stormed away for an over six lengths win in 40.44sec

Favourite Roxholme Poppy ran on to be second after a first bend baulk.

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YARMOUTH ARE ‘SKY READY’



TAKEN FROM THE GREYHOUND STAR — MARCH 17, 2021
greyhoundstar.co.uk/yarmouth-sky-ready/



The East Anglian Derby has always been a great TV spectacle. This year's 75th final - if screened - would be in HD Photo: Steve Nash

Yarmouth promoter Simon Franklin is hoping to secure a slot on SKY Racing after spending £20K on new HD cameras for his stadium.

He said: “Although the main camera was fine, the three cameras that were underneath the stand were not HD compatible which meant we have had to re-equip. The camera behind the traps will now be sideways on. There is one for the parade and then one situated just into the second bend which will be looking back towards the dogs.”

The cameras will be in situ by Monday though it will only be betting shop punters that will benefit until crowds return.

The track are also hopeful that the forthcoming George Ings St.Leger might be the tempter to earn them their first call-up to the SKY Racing Channel. To date they haven’t featured.

With over £14K total prize money including a first prize of £7,500, the 659m Cat One event gets underway on Monday May 17, with the semis a week later. The final, scheduled for Saturday May 29th, will feature a full supporting card of opens.

Simon said: “We haven’t been able to supply the pictures for SKY Racing because we haven’t had the correct equipment. But we decided to invest in the cameras in the hope that it may lead to us being considered.”

The exposure of SKY greatly increases the chance of race sponsorship with Franklin still seeking a backer for the historic 75th East Anglian Derby.

The event gets underway on Wednesday September 1 and concludes exactly a fortnight later. At present the winner’s prize is penciled-in at £10,000.

Simon said: “The event will definitely go ahead with that prize money, even without a sponsor. If we can find someone to support it, the prize money will then increase.”

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