Gemma Evans lands Doncaster Puppy Derby with Cluain Denis

Denis causes a shock

There was a 16/1 shocker in the final of the Doncaster Puppy Derby as Cluain Denis landed the money for Gemma Evans. Prior to this success he had a pair of graded wins at Romford, but he had taken well to the very different demands of this circuit to finish runner-up in both his heat and semi, doing some good late work on both occasions.

He had sported the red jacket in both of those, so a draw in five looked tricky on paper. It saw him produce his best break of the competition though, and with his stamina fully assured, it was always going to be an uphill task for his rivals to try and claw him back again. 

A half-brother to Kirby winner Faypoint Harvey as well as Tom Heilbron's Ladbrokes Gold Cup finalist Untold Euro, he will be well suited to a step up to a longer four-bend trip and could end up in time a 575m type at his home track of Romford.

It was Heilbron who fielded the next two home with My Twilight Zone leading Demon Hunter across the line to fill out the podium spots. The former had stayed on well to grab a semi-final win but had no answers to the powerful winner with the third staying on well from out the pack after a messy first couple of bends. 

Shado Earth was fourth for David Mullins with Aero Molly for Richie Taberner coming in behind him, that pair also getting more than their fair share of trouble on the way around. The Coral Romford Puppy Cup winner Carrigoon Cece was sent off as the red-hot favourite for Michelle Brown, picking the worst possible time to miss her break when she had been so consistent before.  

Although Mullins was out of luck with Shado Earth, he picked up a pair of winners on the card including Returning Storm who was a semi-finalist in the Puppy Cup after producing the quickest heat win. He was dropped into a sprint, pacing up well to clock an impressive 16.76.

The race prior had seen a success for Lansdowne Vinny on his first run away from Romford. He was another to show decent pace to the bend, able to hold his position on the inside of the favourite at that opening turn which gave him pole position to kick away from his field.  

Debbie Calvert was also a double getter on the night with Good Hormuz continuing his progression with a wide-margin victory. He has not had a lot of luck in a pair of tries at Category One level with a first round exit in both the Puppy Derby here and the Puppy Classic at Nottingham but he is 5/7 in all his other starts, looking a fine recruit in the process. 

Wraysbury Ace has settled in quickly with Calvert having arrived from the Newcastle kennel of Paul Rutherford. He worked his way up the grades for Rutherford and has now scored in three of his four runs at Doncaster, with this his first success at open race level. 

The card opened up with a six-bend contest and another win for Barry Denby's Ballintubberstar. He has hit a rich vein of form around here, with this his fourth win on the trot over the 661m and his eighth overall here. Getting first run on dour stayer Greenwell Gypsy was the key to his win, taking up the running at the fifth bend to beat his main market rival by three and three-quarter lengths.

Taberner got on the scoresheet with Aero De Janeiro. He has a 480m win at Monmore on his card to go along with this 450m success but this is as far as he wants to go. He had been pitched into the Silver Salver on his debut for the kennel before winning an open over 400m at Romford. His early pace will always give him a shot over a bigger four bends, scoring from the front. 

Although Brown was out of luck in the feature race, she did pick up a win with Speedy Teddy Mac. It was a messy contest from start to finish but the winner took up the running heading into the back straight and staying on powerfully to get the job done with plenty in hand. 

The other open contest went to Jimmy Gaskin's Gotacrushonyou. The six runners went into the corner in a line, so it was very much to her credit that she rode a bump, and drove around the outside of her rivals to take up the lead heading into the back. She certainly lacks nothing for heart, fending off Arc Birmingham Cup finalist Tomahawk. 

Young bandwagon rolls onto 199

Only Maxine Locke with 205 has more open race winners than Paul Young this year, a treble at Central Park putting him on 199 for 2026.

Ballymac Stud clearly enjoys his Kent visits, winning for the third time in four starts at the venue, with his only defeat coming in the semis of the Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby. He has bundles of early which is a big help to him, though this stiff four bends looks about the extent of his stamina. 

The final race of the evening saw the first four home covered by barely a length and a half with Underground Arlo and Highview Levi separated by a short head. The pair came from about five lengths off the leader into the back with Jacktavern Chief showing the best pace out wide to put it up to them before just getting collared on the run-in.

Young's other winner came from Frankys Bullet who made an impressive step up to six bends. He has a 500m win around Hove to his credit but this looked to suit him much better, getting to the front at the end of the back straight on the second circuit before powering away from his rivals to score by a large margin. 

There was one other six-bend contest on the night with Romeo Empire getting the job done for Patrick Janssens. His time was only 15 spots quicker than Frankys Bullet which gives some context given Janssens winner was out and gone from the very start. It was win number 28 on start 54 for the classy stayer who has made five Category One finals.

There was a double for Janssens with Shado Pluto showing the best early pace to take the lead and avoid the trouble that happened behind him at the opening bend. It was only his fifth career start, so there should be plenty more to come from him, showing promise previously at Towcester ahead of this.

There was also a double on the card for Barry O'Sullivan, both of his winners coming in sprint contests. Coillbhui Nora produced an 8/1 surprise to complete the double, quickest into her stride, she pulled out enough of a lead in the early stages to hold on when she was challenged late in the piece. 

Genuine Sambuca had kicked off the double with a win in the first open of the night. This time it was the O'Sullivan dog bearing down on the leader as the line came, getting his head in front to grab a short head victory. The pair are both top grade scorers at the track, getting off the mark in opens. 

Last week saw a spectacular race debut from Gemma Evans's Amazing Chief and he quickly followed that up with another very smart success. This was only the final of a minor maiden competition, so there are going to be much tougher targets coming for him, but he is a very exciting recruit. 

David Lewis got on the scoresheet with Shes A Gooner. She had not managed to score prior to this effort in six runs for Lewis since joining from Belinda Green but this was the first time that she has raced at Central Park and that seems to have suited her, helped by a missed break, missing the trouble at the second bend to get herself to the front.  

On His Travels won from the front for Maxine Locke, getting off the mark at the third time of asking for connections. He produced by far his best break of those runs which was a massive help to him, getting himself on the bunny for the first time and that saw his best run.

Another sprint on the card went to Julie Luckhurst's Half Jarred, another to get out in front and on the bunny from an early stage. He was an open race winner over four bends in March, April and May but has been confined to sprint action since he returned from a break of almost five months. 

The other open on the card went to Nick Carter's Our Girl Kels. She slipped around the inside at the second bend having made a slow start to her race. She had already won a sprint open, getting off the mark at the fourth time of asking over four bends. 

Thunder trims rivals down to size in Alan Dobbin final

The Alan Dobbin Maiden final saw a shock winner in Ross Miller's Trimmer Thunder who landed the prize at 12/1. Her early speed from the widest draw was the key here as she managed to escape and avoid the trouble behind. That saw her just in front by a short head when the line came. 

Miller also had a win with Singalong Rex, another who used early pace to best effect to also avoid the trouble in the contest with an 8/1 victory. He missed his break a little bit but powered up the inside of his rivals into the opening bend to grab the race by the scruff of the neck.

Glenn Foot also had a double on the card, led by the excellent Witton Gucci who was a slick winner over six bends. The Stewards Cup finalist, in the theme of the night, got away and gone which saw her miss all of the trouble which occurred behind her as she raced clear to score by eight and three-quarter lengths. 

Another to get her head in front from a very early stage for Foot was Mary Gee. She produced an absolutely flying 5.33 split to pick up her fifth win from her last six starts. Each of those successes she has used those serious early gears to get herself in front almost immediately which suits her perfectly. 

Vixons Cocktail was a very short priced winner of a sprint contest for George Walker. She was another who was very quickly in control of her rivals, clearing right away by almost five lengths.   

John Watson had the other winner on the card with Meenagh Milan who took a little longer to get on top than the majority of the other winners from the opens but he appreciated the return to four bends having run over the sprint trip in four of his last five starts at this track. 

Dixie lands sole Monmore offering

A short head and a neck separated the first three home in the only open that was on the Monmore card with Ballymac Dixie just coming out on top for David Page from Whyaye Mister. She had walked out in her heat when being Untold Dinero who had been sent off favourite for the final. Dubliners Flyer had set the early pace with the winner and second both coming from a little further off the pace.