Dunstall Park has delighted Mort as the new home of the British Breeders Puppy Cup
Liz Mort has been pleased with the way that Dunstall Park have stepped up to take on the British Breeders Puppy Cup which has its final on Saturday.
Mort praises Dunstall Park
Dunstall Park has been praised by Liz Mort, chair of the British Greyhound Breeders Forum, after taking over the running of the British Breeders Puppy Cup from Oxford.
The final of the £10,000-to-the winner Category One competition takes place on Saturday alongside the final of the Arena Racing Company Arc Stayers, a Category Two, for a big-race double header at the track at Wolverhampton Racecourse.
And Mort has been delighted with how the competition has been welcomed by management at Dunstall Park and how much quality is on show in the 480m event.
“Romeo Astron has been really impressive for Tom Heilbron. Even after a few strides in his semi-final on Saturday he looked as though he was running in quite a separate race from those behind him.
“Bred, of course, by David and Nicola Firmager, Romeo Astron is from only the second British-bred litter by the Australian star Aston Rupee - himself a son of the great American KC And All, who also sired the likes of Superior Product and Pat C Sabbath.
“Romeo Astron's dam was the Firmagers’ star bitch Fabulous Azurra, litter sister of their home-bred Derby winner Romeo Magico, and herself winner of the BGBF British bred Derby in 2021 - and then the British bred Oaks in 2022 and 2023. So no wonder their offspring have turned out so well!
Speaking of Romeo Astron, Tom Heilbron was pleased with the draw that his charge has got in the final. “It’s been a long time since I looked at a greyhound and got really excited,” he said.
“He has bullet early pace, and seems to be staying on stronger in his races which is a huge positive.
“When he’s in front, he’s top class and it will take a very good greyhound to beat him on Saturday if he hits the first bend in front.
“I thought Dunstall Park might stretch him, but perhaps not. He couldn’t have come away any slower in the ARC Puppy Trophy final at Sunderland last month, so hopefully we can make up for that at the weekend.”
When speaking about the other semi-final. Mort went on to say “The second semi-final winner Harton Whirlwind was bred by Simon Kneafsey and is now owned and trained by Rose Draper.
“He is the product of the only litter by the Drapers’ talented son of Droopys Sydney, Distant Podge, who himself won the Nottingham Puppy Classic in 2022, and out of Kneafsey's Black Racket, a useful bitch by Pat C Sabbath.
“So even though we have just the six runners left fighting it out for Category One success in Saturday’s final, all 24 pups who started out in this competition have shown that there is a great deal of quality coming through in the current British-bred litters - and again remind me of two things: talent begets talent and that dam lines matter.
“After that, yes, rearing, feeding, schooling etc all play their important part but it’s the breeding, their inheritance, that shapes the raw material and these puppy competitions really highlight that like nothing else can.”
