Four-timer for Young at Romford plus three for Milner and Heilbron at Sunderland

Young takes Romford honours

Paul Young grabbed four winners at Romford last night led by Bombay Buck. The Coral Golden Sprint victor bounced back to winning ways last week over 400m and he quickly added to that success a week later. There was plenty of trouble at the quarter mark which is around where he picked up the running after a decent split, needing no second invitation to score. 

The step up to 750m for the first time last week looked to really suit Droopys Rhona and she confirmed that impression by going in again. She led up but lacked the middle gears of Zenith Ottoman who looked like she'd stolen a march on the field but the winner ground her down to lead again in the shadow of the line. 

Uncle Ed picked up his first open contest over 400m since the opening round of the Guys & Dolls at the track last October. He had landed a sprint open at this track in April and used that speed to turn handy here before asserting down the far side.

Young's other winner was Undergroundnicky who showed the best pace from the lids to go around in front. All eight of her prior career wins for Young had come in back-to-back pairs, so she could be one to back again next Friday night in a bid to do that for a fifth time. 

There was a double for Maxine Locke with Droopys Scratch and Headford Wayne getting the job done. The latter kicked the night off in the opening contest, returning to four bends after making the semis of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Sprint at Towcester. 

It was a six-bend contest that was won by Droopys Scratch, getting herself to the front at the fifth bend before putting four lengths into her rivals. She hadn't won since her debut for the kennel last August but trying six bends for the second time looked to suit her as did the move to a rails seed after sporting the striped jacket on her last attempt. 

Bernie Doyle was another to pick up a pair of winners. Swifty Does It got the job done in good style over six bends. Closely related to 3 Steps to Victory finalist Swift Regina, she has now won three of her five starts over this far, an S2, S1 and now an open for the first time. 

Too Spicy was exactly that for her rivals, producing a 3.72 split to blitz them from the front. She has been a great success story for Doyle this year. In A6 as recently as February 24, she has won seven of her last 12 starts, making the breakthrough at open level last night. 

Rouding out the braces on the evening was David Mullins. Izzys Tenpin was turned over in heats over 575m last week but got the job done in the final. His draw to the inside of his heat conqueror Gothic Abbess was a help to him, getting to the front from an early stage.

Don Cici had kicked off the double in the second race of the night, also over 575m. He had managed to get his head in front just once in his first 21 career starts but has won two of his three since trying Romford's six-bend trip. Connections have clearly found the key to him.

Arguably the top performance of the night came from Nathan Hunt's Mad For Cash who ran riot over 575m in a very quick 34.68. She was a short-priced favourite to get the job done and had control of the contest within the opening few strides from the innermost draw. A 13.47 split took her into a lead that had extended to seven lengths by the finish line. 

The winners were rounded out by Rockmount Kellie for Craig Morris. A sprint winner at the track in the middle of March, she had got her eye back in at the venue when runner-up last week. She produced a 3.65 split which was remarkable given her awkward exit from the traps and then bumping the rival to her immediate right. She has serious straight line speed.

Milner and Heilbron with three each at Sunderland 

Phil Milner took three of the first five opens run at Sunderland last night, with Keefill Rocky producing the top performance of them on the clock. He was already two lengths in front of any of his rivals as they hit the winning line the first time around, dipping under 28 seconds, just the 10th time this year that level has been breached. 

Keefill Walker had kicked off the winners for Milner, turning over his better fancied kennelmate Keefill Goose in the process. It was just a fourth career start for the October 24 whelp and a second win, chasing down the leader at the third bend to go on and score by three and three-quarter lengths. 

It was First Addition who brought up the treble, springing the surprise of the night for punters at 9/1. He showed a good attitude to add to his sprinting wins at Towcester and Nottingham, picking up his first victory over four bends.

There were three winners on the night for Tom Heilbron as well. Toddys Storm went into every notebook going when making a winning debut for the kennel at Newcastle, getting her head in front last night for the first time since. The inside three runners all hit the line first time within a couple of spots, the winner showing her bravery to cut the pair to her left off and go around in front. 

Just a short head separated Five Ofa Kind and Velvet George in their 450m contest, the former just getting up in the nick of time for Heilbron. He was breaking his duck at the 13th time of asking, that experience standing him in good stead here against a pup with just a single Derry race to his name. 

Romeo Dutch had won three sprints at Towcester for Laurence Tuffin and wasted no time in getting off the mark on his debut for Heilbron. He was a little cautious at the bends but showed by far the best straight line speed in the contest to run out a more comfortable winner than the official length margin.

The quickest winner of the night over 450m was Mark Bulmer's Frenchyarrow. He got himself to the front at the opening bend before racing eight and three-quarter lengths clear of his field. His winning time of 26.91 is the third quickest at the track in 2026.

Although Ted Soppitt was out of luck with his English debutant Velvet George, he picked up a winner in the final contest of the night with Ballymac Buddy. the Northern Puppy Derby finalist had lost his form a little bit in April but having had a short break, he arrived back fresh and reinvigorated with an all the way success. 

There were two sprint opens on the card with Ballymac Deboss winning the stronger of the two despite not doing quite such a quick time. Carl Jackson's charge was picking up his 10th win for the kennel but his first over a sprint trip since his second start for Jackson over track and trip last September. 

There was also a sprint success from Play On Words for Paul Miller. He came away level but showed the best speed into the opening turn. Once he was around in front it always felt like he was in control of proceedings despite runner-up Pothole Bob closing the lead to three-quarters of a length come the line.