Gary The Arb and Mongys Wild set early standards at Monmore

Ladbrokes Winter Derby and Golden Jacket get underway

Gary The Arb went quickest in the opening heats of the Ladbrokes Winter Derby. His 28.15 success for Belinda Green was a length quicker than any other heat winner. It was his first look at the track since the Summer Stayers final in August but that was no issue for the 2025 Winter Derby runner-up. 

Mike Burton's Droopys Aladdin was next in with a 28.23 victory. His early pace once more won him the day, clearing the pair inside him and heading to the rails early on and always pulling out enough to hold off Texas Jack for the second consecutive week. He has the red jacket next week in the semis which could help him finally make a well-deserved Cat One decider.

The dog with the unfortunate slot directly to the right of Droopys Aladdin in the semis is Unanimous Leon. Tom Heilbron's star clocked 28.30 in his heat win, looking for all the world like he would be swallowed up by Droopys Dettori as they rounded the third bend but the canny near veteran kept finding off the front. 

Monmore has been a very happy hunting ground for Maxine Locke's Headford Dane. The Puppy Derby and Gold Cup winner from 2025 has won six of his nine starts at the track, making just 15 in his career so far. He turned handy in third, spying a gap between rivals at the three-quarters mark before coming home too powerfully for his field in 28.32. The red jacket is his again next week.

There will need to be an improvement in the trapping of Santas Amigo if he is to take overall glory but he was brave to put himself between a pair of rivals at the opening bend for David Mullins. Once he turned second behind Kilara Berb in the opening heat there was only going to be one winner, hitting the line strongly in 28.46.

Craig Morris picked up a heat win with Not So Steady who stopped the clock in 28.52. He had to check at the opening bend which saw him take a bump but picked up well to get his head in front at the perfect time on the run-in. The Juvenile Classic runner-up from last year is making his third semi-final in a Cat One since.

Over six bends it was defending champion Mongys Wild who was quickest in the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket heats, producing a 40.98 effort for Mark Wallis. He got a little shuffled back in the pack at the opening bend but he found his way onto the tail of Bluejig Outlaw off the fourth bend, and there was only going to be one outcome from there. 

There was a slick display from the front from Vhagar. 41.07 was her winning time, running away from her field by seven and a half lengths. This track has been a happy hunting ground for her in the past, winning the Summer Stayers in August. There will be stiffer tests to come over this far but she was visually very impressive.

From the front saw Droopys Flare winning her heat in 41.09 for Sean Parker in the style that a 1/6 shot should. She is in a semi with bundles of early pace next week, a fascinating contest in prospect there as she take on Vhagar again. Three starts in a row in the autumn she beat the Wallis-trained stayer which will make the market hugely interesting.  

Three of the six heat winners in the Winter Derby sported red but Deadly Disco showed that wide runners could get the job done as well on the night, landing the opening heat of the Golden Jacket for Richard Rees in 41.38. He will renew rivalry with Mongys Wild in the semis.

For a long way in heat two, it looked as if Bombay Nutty had things in safe keeping but he tied up late with The Other Winx, grabbing him on the line for Maxine Locke. Just two and a quarter lengths covered the whole field as they closed up on the front-runner late on, with the winning time being 41.93.

The only real surprise winner of the evening for bettors was Malcolm Bosh, who took his heat at 8/1 for Angie Kibble. He walked out the traps but his stamina has always come into play in his career when he has had something to chase. After taking the lead up at the fifth bend, he only did what he needed to do in front to hold off Richie Taberner's Aero Academy. Something giving him a lead for longer in the semis will be a big help to the winner's cause. 

Central Park doubles for Donovan, Locke and Mavrias

Saturday night's card was a busy one at Central Park once more, the top performance over 491m coming from Maxine Locke's Ballymac Axel. It was his third win from his last four starts, with a winning time of 28.93 a rock-solid effort given that he came from off the speed to score. 

Droopys Sturdy has got Locke off the mark on the evening with a debut success. Unsurprisingly he showed signs of greenness, a little slow to stride and then moving off a touch at the opening bend but his middle pace was what impressed, putting the race to bed quickly down the back. His brother Jazzy Duke made an eye-catching start to his career at Oxford last week as well, landing an A3 for Kevin Hutton, they could be a litter to keep an eye on. 

Paul Donovan picked up his double within the first three opens on the card. Cinderella Tell was the quicker of the pair, producing a sub three second sectional to see off Millbank Boiler. The winner has made back-to-back Kent Derby semis and continues to perform at an excellent level on home soil.

Emers Dasha got Donovan off the mark, making it 2/2 for connections since coming over from Ireland. She had to work a little harder to get on top than she had on her UK debut but got the job done well. It's early days but she could be a Brighton Belle type for April, a race her kennel won last year with Runaway Dior.

A third trainer to double up on the card was Spencer Mavrias with Lets Go Girl and Lets Go Lucie both scoring at odds on. The first of those has won from four different traps so far, missing out by a short head on Cesarewitch final night from making that five. From the front or from behind doesn't matter to her either, she's the type most would love to own.

Lets Go Lucie landed a six-bend contest, getting herself off the mark at the sixth time of asking for connections. Runner-up to Bluejig Outlaw on her first try over the trip, she was behind Burrows Charm when he set a new track record last time out. This was easier company and she took full advantage by three and a half lengths.

One More Tune won the other staying race on the evening. Julie Luckhurst's railer was sent off a short price in a solid-looking field, getting the better of Aphantasia after a decent battle. The veteran had picked up her first win since March last week, not making connections wait long for another trophy.

Three sprint races on the card went to Nick Carter's Cronody Zuma, Siomhas Princess for Gemma Evans and Mick Mavrias's Eire Force Two. The first of those was the quickest with a decent 16.16 effort while the last produced the biggest surprise for punters on the night with a 16/1 victory.

Debbie Hurlock picked up a win from Noirs Pocket on his first run at the track. The multiple S1 Romford winner has now won five of his eight runs for the kennel. The final open on the card went to Dan Brabon's Bumble Belles. She had won on Cesarewitch final night on her most recent outing, getting her head in front late on to double up.

Hutton and Lewis braces at Oxford

Five opens on the Oxford card saw Kevin Hutton and David Lewis pick up a pair of winners apiece. Alright Twinkle is absolutely flying for Lewis at present, landing her fourth straight open. She hit the front much earlier than is normally the case, producing a very smart 26.47 as a result. There were only seven times in 2025 that were quicker than her, three of those from Start The Engine as well as the first two home in the Pall Mall.

Alright Patricia returned to winning ways for Lewis in a six-bend contest. It was the first open race win for the veteran since taking the Dorando Marathon at Towcester on Derby final night, although she has picked up an A2 in the meantime. In her defence, it was only her sixth start since last June, so she has not had many opportunities.

It was good to see Hutton's Droopys Doris back in winning action yesterday. She landed six wins on the bounce over the 450m trip in the spring of 2025 but has been seen in a race just once since a win at Dunstall Park on Oaks final night. 

Hutton's double started in a sprint contest with a win for Dunquin Rory. It was only a three-runner contest where he popped out in front to make every yard. 

Mr Flashy took the other open on the evening for Adam Sear, the National Sprint semi-finalist looking to enjoy being back on his home track. 

Janssens takes both Yarmouth opens

Only two opens on the Yarmouth afternoon card, comfortably taken by Romeo Steel and Yahoo Megan for Patrick Janssens. The pair combined for almost 10 lengths of superiority, returning 1/2 for the double.

It was a first run of 2026 for Romeo Steel, the East Anglian Derby champion back at Yarmouth produced a comfortable 27.58 success. He enjoyed an exceptional 2025, winning 23 of his 35 starts, taking two Category One titles and breaking a pair of track records. That earned him a well deserved nomination for Standard Performer of the Year.

Yahoo Megan needs one more win to hit 40 for her career and while her 16.14 is short of her personal best around Yarmouth, it was still more than enough to see her scoot clear by six and a half lengths in a 277m contest. She is one of just two greyhounds to dip under 16 seconds at the track, stopping the clock a spot shy of Quagos Jack's track record when she won last September.