Crash, bang, wallop. That was the fate of the favourites in the William Hill Pall Mall semi-finals at Oxford Stadium on Tuesday.

One-by-one they bit the dust with Reading raider Brickfield Class (evens) who had run up a hat-trick of wins here, first to go.

He was eclipsed at the first bend as the highly-fancied Spears Tarquynn showed good early and late pace to prevail.

Then, the impressive Seanis Lad (2-1) also found a bad draw a handicap as he met trouble, leaving Farloe Rio to make all in style.

Milldean Flash (9-4) was all the rage in the third semi, but the orange jacket proved his undoing, which left the fast-finishing Unique Option to steam through and land the spoils.

One bright spot was the display of the Maurice Massey-trained Positive Step who made Tuesday's final after finishing runner-up to Farloe Rio.

It all points to an open final for the £8,000 purse this Tuesday, though the likes of Unique Option and Spears Tarquynn appear to hold all the aces.

Tarquynn has run up a sequence of four straight wins, two here and two at Hove and is bang in form, while Unique Option, like Tarquynn, is unbeaten here and both have good draws in the decider.

For me, Option, although having to find a bit on the clock against his main rival, should be at concert pitch on Tuesday and is the selection.

Add Tarquynn and Farloe Rio for the forecasts.

Tuesday's card will be televised live on Sky Sports.

WILLIAM HILL PALL MALL FINAL LINE-UP.

Trap 1: Conker All - black/white dog, June '05. Trainer: R Pattinson (Sittingbourne). Best time: 26.84. William Hill latest betting 6-1.

Trap 2: Spears Tarquynn - bd d, Feb '05. Trainer: A Gardiner (Hove). 26.76. 2-1.

Trap 3: Farloe Rio - bk d, July '04. Trainer: F Wright (Coventry). 26.89. 5-1.

Trap 4: Love Tiger - bd d, Nov '05. 26.97. 6-1.

Trap 5: Positive Step - wbk d, Nov '05. Trainer: M Massey (Oxford). 26.79. 14-1.

Trap 6: Unique Option - be d, Nov '04. Trainer: D Pruhs (Peterborough). 26.93. 2-1.