Ladbrokes Golden Jacket: Jenny and Dream lay down a marker

For a competition that’s seen its fair share of anteposts fancies come unstuck in the past the opening heats of this year’s Ladbrokes Golden Jacket resulted in a fair few welcome results for favourite backers.

Danny Rayment, Crayford’s racing manager, told the Racing Post: “15 out of the top 17 in the betting qualified – that’s unusual.”

Fastest of the qualifiers was Golden Jacket second-favourite Racenight Jenny (6/1), who posted an exceptional 45.48sec having come on strong off the seventh bend to take heat five.

Meanwhile, St Leger heroine Roxholme Dream (11/10) posted a none too shabby 45.56sec (with a fastest sectional of 23.12sec) to further outline her credentials with trainer Hayley Keightley visibly thrilled following that run.

Watch Roxholme Dream bolt up to win the first heat of this year’s Ladbrokes Golden Jacket!

But away from the top two in the betting Dean Childs’ Droopys Bear (8/1 from 10/1) also caught the eye with his three-length victory in heat two a taking performance having pinged the lids.

Seamus and Teresa Cahill also had reasons to be cheerful with Newinn Echo (50/1 from 100/1) an unlikely hero in heat three.

Later on in the evening the more fancied Chicago (14/1 from 16/1) justified favouritism to seal his passage to the next round.

All eyes will now turn to the three competitive semi-final heats on Thursday 19 February with the £17,500 showpiece decider set to be live on Sky Sports the following Tuesday.

Latest Ladbrokes odds:

Roxholme Dream – 11/10

Racenight Jenny – 6/1

Droopys Bear – 8/1

Chaotic Dotty – 10/1

Chicago – 14/1

Rearguard Bond – 14/1

16/1 bar

Click here for full list of Ladbrokes Golden Jacket odds, including semi-final betting.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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