Three exciting heats of the BGBF TruFrame British Bred Champions Stake at Towcester last night have led to a very classy line-up in the Final, to be held next Saturday, Derby night.

This £3000 (plus jacket and Trophy) to the winner Category 2 competition is kindly co-sponsored with us by TruFrame Ltd, the company run by long time supporter of British Breeding David Firmager, and we are very pleased to have them on board to make this Derby night Final competition very special!

The first heat was dominated by Posh Nosh who led from the traps and crossed the line in the fastest time of the three heats, clocking 29.56 and beating King Louis into second by two and a half lengths. Posh Nosh was bred by Richard Devenish with Dilys Steels at Glatton Kennels, Turves, trained by him for owner Peter Band – whelped May ‘19 by Confident Rankin and out of Tea For Tess, he comes from a long line of home-breds:  Tea For Tess was bred by Richard at Glatton – she won the Puppy Oaks in 2017 and the BGBF Oaks in 2018; Tea For Tess’s dam, Milliesupreme, was also bred at Glatton – as was her dam, Eye Opener, in 1998 …and going back even further, Eye Opener’s dam Glencoe Star was bred by Terry Dartnall, by Phantom Flash out of Bach In Front!  Odds-on King Louis, who could never catch the flying Posh Nosh, was of course bred and owned by Brendan Keogh and his KSS syndicate and is trained by Liz McNair; he is by Keogh’s Leamaneigh Turbo out of Queen Asia – also homebred by them out of their Shaws Dilemma.

The second heat was close to call – quickest out of the traps, Peter Harnden’s very good bitch Salacres Tilly took and held on to a good lead and looked to be set to win until the line where she was just headed by Amka Rofe, who had been tracking her throughout, in 30.03.  Peter Harnden bred, owns and trains Salacres Tilly – also by Leamaneigh Turbo, her dam, Salacres Sophia, was homebred by Vincent Lund out of Harnden’s Salacres Gem.  Amka Rofe, bred and owned by Jeff Watson and trained for him by Robert Smith, was a Produce Stakes Finalist last year and tonight increased his tally of wins to 12, seven of them Opens.

The Seamus Cahill bred and trained Pocket Lola took the third and final heat in 29.75 for owners the Magnificent Five.  Back up to four bends after a winning streak of sprints at Hove, this June 2019 daughter of Droopys Sydney and the Cahills’ prolific Open race winner Banabane took an early lead and ran on. Tim Piercy’s Agincourt Xpert, by Blackstone Marco out of Tim’s Agincourt Xpress and trained for him by Caroline King, got up for second place and secured the sixth place in the Final.

So lining up in the Final we will have four dogs and two bitches, two by Leamaneigh Turbo, two by Blackstone Marco, one by Confident Rankin and one Droopys Sydney – all sires who have made their mark on British breeding in the past few years. Two 2019 whelps – Posh Nosh and Pocket Lola – and four 2018s. We have a British Bred treat in store for next Saturday at Towcester!

Final Draw : 1. Posh Nosh, 2. Salacres Tilly, 3. Agincourt Xpert 4. Amka Rofe, 5. Pocket Lola, 6. King Louis

Congratulations to all the connections of these six worthy finalists, thank you again to TruFrame – and thanks to Towcester for including this Final on what is sure to be a fantastic Derby night!