Daisy's early dash set to prove key in red-hot Sandy Lane semi
DASHAWAY DAISY can see off two fellow heat winners, plus another trio who had hard luck stories a week ago, to land a red-hot opening semi-final of theultimatetipster.com Sandy Lane Sprint over 253m at Oxford (8.43).
It is a contest which would do justice to any two-bend final so there will be zero margin for error and the logic in siding with Maxine Locke's charge is that she might just be most likely to time the start right.
That was not quite the case seven days ago but she was soon in control and it may be that dropping to two bends from four will prove the making of her.
Jazzy George is most feared with the Scurry runner-up still easing his way back into things following a winter break - he matched Dashaway Daisy's 14.96sec last week - while now veteran 2024 Northamptonshire Sprint champion Broadway Murty can qualify in third.
The second semi at 9.01 could boil down to a match with Richard Rees' Avarua Lake preferred to Nightingale Crew, who is the only heat winner in the line-up.
The selection was shaded by Dashaway Daisy last week but ran a blinder in defeat and is strongly fancied to make full use of the inside draw.
Jonathan Kay
Earlier, three heats of the BetGoodwin Oxford Standard over 450m can go to Chris Hamblin's Ernie Webb Mate (6.04), Angie Kibble's Newinn Bliss (6.39) and Kevin Hutton's Coppice Ferry (7.31), with Hamblin's Drohobych Galaxy (6.21) plus the Hutton duo of Jazzy Soul (8.09) and Signet Bucko (9.18) the picks in heats of a puppy event over the same trip.
Pick of the one-off contests on a brilliant all-open card is the top division of a trial stakes for the forthcoming bet365 Hunt Cup Trial Stakes over 650m at 8.26 in which Heather Dimmock's Chasing Rachel can reverse last week's final form with Resonate.
It is also opens all the way at Doncaster this evening with Martin Haythorne's Rapido Ana fancied to follow up last week's stunning course and distance success in the 661m finale at 8.52.
There are two dual distance competitions getting under way with Robert Copping's Buster Eight (6.11) a standout in the opener of a 275/450m event, while Debbie Calvert's Sole Focus (7.42) should make all in the third heat of a 450/483m contest.
Pick at Donny's early Saturday meeting is Jimmy Gaskin's Redbrick Adele in a B2 at 11.47.
At Star Pelaw this evening, Martin Stout's Hillside Lily (7.48) and Tom Heilbron's Ballymac Sargie (8.18), respective winners of the Rose Bowl and Stewards Cup over the same trips last October, can score over 435m and 590m.
The afternoon action comes from Youghal with Ger Gubbins' Hollyhill Luca (3.03) and Bernadette Connolly's Carefree Magic (4.18) the suggestions.
Avarua Lake (nap)
T1 Oxford 9.01
Minimum requirement - 10 runners during the previous 14-day period
