2026 Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby final

Kent Derby finalists 

Saturday's Central Park feature could be one of the races of the year with four of the top four-bend performers in the country all going head-to-head. Just a couple of points in the betting separate those four runners and a strong case can be made for each of them to lift the £20,000 first prize. 

1 - Proper Heiress - Mark Wallis - MWD Partnership - 2/1

Set a new track record in the opening round, and although he didn't back that up on the clock, he picked up a comfortable enough win in his semi-final to head to the decider unbeaten. 

The reigning Greyhound of the Year has had a much lighter campaign in 2026, starting with a runner-up effort behind Scooby The Lady in the Arc Kent Plate and a run to the semis of the Derby before pitching up here. A veteran now but has fewer miles on the clock that many given the time of year. 

2 - Annadown Warrior - Maxine Locke - JR Racing Syndicate  - 4/1

This is his first competition outside of puppy only company, more than holding his own to make the final. He won his opening heat before a missed break cost him any chance of picking up Scooby The Lady in the semis but he shaped like he would've been right there if he had trapped. 

He is more than capable of coming away better than that as he did when smashing out and making all of the running in the final of the Arc Puppy Classic at Nottingham, producing a flying 4.85 split. If he comes away like that at the perfect time again, he has a huge chance. 

3 - Scooby Mustang - Carol Weatherall - Mr S Noble - 20/1

The October 24 whelp is the youngest in the field, runner-up in both his heat and his semi. He was another to make the final of the Puppy Classic at the end of August at Nottingham, finishing fifth behind Annadown Warrior there, picking the worst time to produce his slowest sectional. 

This is another step up from that against all-aged rivals which includes some of the very top dogs in the country. He has bundles of natural ability but drawn in the middle of the five railers means that he has no room for mistakes. 

4 - Underground Gold - Paul Young - Underground Greyhounds - 11/4

Exploded onto the scene at Monmore when bolting up in the final of the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby. The 27.79 that he produced in the final is still the quickest of the times over 480m there this year, a time that he also clocked in the opening round of the competition. 

A quarter-final appearance in the Derby followed despite not really looking in love with Towcester before taking the Select Stakes in impressive style from the front at Nottingham. Ran Scooby The Lady to three-quarters of a length in the third round of the Derby from a draw outside of her, wearing black when wining the Select Stakes. It will be interesting to see them this way around. 

5 - Scooby The Lady - Richard Rees - Mr S Noble & Mr G Walker - 11/4

The Kent Plate winner from back in March, she was exceptional throughout that course and distance competition, setting a new track record in the final. Things have continued to tick over well since, winning four of her five starts at this venue, her only defeat coming in the opening round against Underground Gold.

She is blessed with exceptional early pace which she is going to have to utilise to great effect here with the widest draw of the railers. She won last week from four, the same box she set her track record from so she is capable of clearing if she times it perfectly. 

6 - Watcha Gotcookin - Kerry Schimmefennig - Cooneen Racing - 66/1

It is a remarkable achievement for this local runner making his way to the final. A multiple A1 winner at this track, he is certainly a smart local, and he has a beautiful draw to work from as the only seeded runner that has made the final. 

His back story as well as that of the trainer (which can be seen below) would make him an incredible winner and a proper Hollywood story, but it is hard to see him pulling it off unless there is a serious amount of trouble amongst the five railers. 

Conclusion

What a race in prospect! The trainer's title will not be won or lost on this race alone but with Maxine Locke, Paul Young and Mark Wallis all getting a runner to the final, a win for any of those three is going to be a massive plus to their chances of being crowned champion come the end of the year.

It is a seriously difficult race to predict with most of it coming down to who traps and who doesn't. If one of the five railers can get to the bend in front and turn clean, then they are going to tricky to pick up again such is the quality that is on show. They are all capable of that smash break which makes it even tougher! 

Probably the best early pace comes from Scooby The Lady. She has the widest draw of the railers but she won the Kent Plate from trap four, smashing out from that box again last week. She was chased home by Annadown Warrior that day and he has to be a big player if he comes away like he did in the final of the Puppy Classic. If he can hold his pitch on the inside, he might just be a spot of value in an incredibly close contest. 

2-5-4

Watcha Gotcookin the emotional runner

Watcha Gotcookin landed Lingfield-based Kerry Schimmefennig her first Category One finalist only months after securing her trainer’s license in the summer.

The three-year-old black dog chased home six-times Category One champion Proper Heiress to secure the sixth and final place in Kent’s most prestigious greyhound race of the year, which is worth £20,000 to the winner.  

Priced 125-1 to win the competition outright prior to Saturday’s semi-finals, Watcha Gotcookin has the opportunty to cause one of greyhound racing’s great upsets.

And it would be an emotional success too for Kerry and her team following the death of former trainer David Puddy - who died in May following a determined battle against cancer – whose license she took over after working for him since 2023.

“There were mixed emotions when he qualified,” said Schimmefennig.

“We were shocked, there were tears – it’s so exciting for everyone involved.

“When I took over the license, I wasn’t sure if the greyhounds would run to the level they had been previously as we moved into our own kennels and it was a total change of scenery and routine for them.

“But I’ve been proven wrong and Watcha Gotcookin ran the race of his life to qualify.”

After growing up around greyhound racing through her mother’s influence, Kerry returned to the sport by assisting Fawkham trainer Barry O’Sullivan as a parader.

She was then approached by David Puddy to work full-time as a kennel hand and hasn’t looked back since with 27 greyhounds currently in her care. Training responsibilities are split between herself plus Kerry’s niece and sister who are both employed.

Saturday’s race represents the biggest of Kerry’s short career as a trainer to date.

She added: “We’re the outsiders, but anything can happen in a final.

“We have been blown away by what he’s achieved so far in the Kent Derby. Saturday’s semi-final performance was a bonus, so this is off the scale.

“It will be a wonderful evening and we’ll have a lot of support trackside I’m sure.”