2026 Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks final

Oaks finalists

The final of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks on Saturday evening at Dunstall Park has all the makings of being a classic contest. A couple with sparkling early to set the fractions and a couple looking to turn handy enough to them to chase them down late on. It's a wide open affair with some top notch performers to enjoy in action. 

1 - Fahrenheit Jess - Graham Holland - Mr K Glen - 15/8

One of two for Graham Holland, she is the youngest in the field by a considerable margin, retaining her puppy status for another four plus months. To make the final of an Oaks at her age is an outstanding achievement, to go to the final with a leading chance is even more special in what will be just race number seven of her career. 

It has been her consistency from the traps that has set her apart from the vast majority of her rivals through the first three rounds, producing a smart break in every round. She is going to have to do that again now from a draw where she was 2/2 at Shelbourne but if she does, she is the one they all have to beat.

2 - Holding Hollie - Richie Taberner - Mr M Patterson & Mr G Shepherd - 40/1

Another Category One finalist for Richie Taberner who is enjoying an excellent year. The kennel have a pair of wins at the top table in recent months with the Produce Stakes at Towcester and the BetGoodwin Steel City Cup both going their way. 

This bitch has dug in well in each round, twice chasing home Holland's Bombay Special and then Fahrenheit Jess in the semis last week. She stays this trip well, and despite being the wide outsider, she has improved on her end time in each start, producing 28.13 last week. That would suggest that she shouldn't be too far away.

3 - Strike It Skye - Mark Wallis - MWD Partnership - 7/2

A shade unfortunate not to make the final of this contest last year when she was only beaten a length and a quarter in total in her semi-final. She was an Empress Stakes finalist prior to that and has made a Brighton Belle final and has been a Derby semi-finalist so far this year.

She has a Cat Two win at Newcastle to her credit but despite all of her smart form, she is yet to make the breakthrough at the top level. 480m around here is on the sharp side for her but she has a pair of sub 28 second times in the competition so far, showing herself to be more than capable of winning this event. 

4 - Ballydoyle Tina - Graham Holland - Mr P Ellis & Mr S Hagan - 7/2

Perhaps these traps are not for her as she has not come away yet as well as she can in Ireland. She exited the BOYLE Sports Irish Derby in the third round, knocked out in a heat won by eventual winner Bockos Gold, with Bockos Diamond half a length behind her. She chased home Bouncing Monarch in the second round there and in the quarter-finals of the Kirby as well as having form a short head behind Irish Laurels winner Ballymac Kamala and a length behind Lennies Tank who was an English Derby finalist.

It would be a surprise to nobody if Holland managed to get her to come away in the final as she has at least a length of improvement in her on the sectional, though missing it as Slingshot Poppy crosses her on the way to the bend might not be a bad thing either! Has the form in the book against the very best to win this if the gaps come. 

5 - Slingshot Poppy - Brian Fairbairn - Mr C Armstrong - 7/2

When it comes to straight line speed, there are not many dogs in the country who can go with Slingshot Poppy when she gets it right at the traps. The fact that she can produce such a strong level of form over two and four bends as well as sharper and stiffer tracks is a testament to the quality that she possesses. 

Like Ballydoyle Tina, she has had her card marked, awkward at Monmore in the heats of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, a competition she went on to make the final of. She has been foot perfect in three runs in this competition though, producing her best run so far in the semis last week. She will have a huge travelling support in two minibuses to cheer her on.

Owner Craig Armstrong said in the week, “In my opinion, she is the best bitch in the UK. But you could run this final 10 times and there’d be four or five different winners. It’s all on the break and our chances of winning will be defined in the first few strides.” 

6 - Signet Nayla - Kevin Hutton - Mr M Drake & Mrs L Drake - 14/1

Showed off her class during the Arc Birmingham Cup over track and trip last month, beating eventual winner Woltemade in the semi-finals. She is the sole seeded runner here which could be a big advantage to her, though she might just struggle to get to the front with the early gears that the likes of Fahrenheit Jess and Slingshot Poppy enjoy.

Poppy is drawn directly inside of her and should move left and clear out of her way into the opening bend which can hopefully give her a decent run around as she is not devoid of early pace herself. Incredibly consistent on the clock, her last five runs have all been between 28.19 and 28.28 so we know exactly what to expect from her.  

Conclusion 

This is a very difficult race to predict with four of the six priced at 7/2 or shorter and even the other pair far from out of things. 

The one runner who has the most upside has to be Fahrenheit Jess. Just six starts in her life and she finds herself in the final of the Oaks. She is a hugely exciting prospect for 2027 and there should still be plenty of improvement to come from her as she matures which is a scary proposition for her rivals. 

Expect Slingshot Poppy to lead up with her. She has a very difficult draw on paper to clear everything inside of her from five but if there is one bitch who has the straight line speed to do it, it would be her. Whether it will take too much out of her for the business end remains to be seen.

A lot will depend on who out of Strike It Skye and Ballydoyle Tina can get cleanly round just on the heels of the leaders at the first bend. Both of them are powerful over this trip and will be looking to punish any mistakes if the front runners push one another too hard to the third bend. It looks a superb race in prospect and may the best bitch win! 

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