Holland takes Oaks glory with Tina and Rees takes the Scurry with Lake

Picture from Dunstall Park X feed

Dunstall glory for Holland and Rees

Four entries, two finalists and the winner in Ballydoyle Tina. A strong return for the all-conquering Graham Holland kennel from the 2026 running of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks. There was a strong suspicion given her Irish form that she had a much better break in her and trust the Holland camp to find it when she required it the most. 

Her best sectional  in the three previous rounds had been a 3.05, finding 11 spots on that to put herself in pole position early on in the contest. Brian Fairbairn's Slingshot Poppy gave it her all from the front, showing her trademark early zip, but the winner would have been one of two in the contest that her connections would not have wanted to see turn clean behind their front-runner. 

A huge amount of credit needs to go to Poppy for holding off the winner for as long as she did, Holland's runner finally getting on top in the last few strides of the contest to score by a neck. Signet Nayla used her draw as the sole seeded runner to come home in third for Kevin Hutton withMark Wallis's Strike It Skye in fourth, who never looked like getting involved.

While Ballydoyle Tina produced her best break in the competition, her younger kennelmate Fahrenheit Jess picked the worst possible moment to produce her only missed one. Her race was done within a couple of strides but this was only her seventh career start and her  star will shine bright into 2027, still showing remarkable pace to the bend. Richie Taberner's Holding Hollie rounded out the race, lucky to stay on her feet at the opening turn.

Richard Rees took the final of the Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup with Avarua Lake. There was a minor supporting competition at Hove on Regency final night where the winner was drawn inside of his kennelmate Shadow Storm and beat him, with the same happening here.

The defending champion lost little in defeat in coming home second, just unable to hold off the rival to his left hand side who took the inner line at the opening bend to win his contest. Newinn Souly gave a bold showing for Kim Billingham-Hine, flashing out in front and setting the speed to the opening bend. 

There is still little doubt that Kevin Hutton's Magical Jason is one of the most exciting sprint prospects in the country but he showed again here that he is vulnerable when he misses the break at the top level. He got hampered at the opening turn but there will be other days for him. Both Mark Wallis's Ballinakill Liam and Michelle Brown's Roanna Mamba missed the break and could never get involved. 

The undercard saw four winers for Maxine Locke led by Headford Fiona who produced a winning run in a sprint contest that was a couple of spots quicker than the Scurry final was won in. A semi-finalist in the Oaks, she has some serious gears, winning seven of her last 11 starts, coming home here six lengths to the good. 

Newinn Jolie took a 660m contest, though not without having to fight off all of her rivals at one stage or another. Challenged by Resonate early, she was headed by Beatties Lena at the fourth bend before Quill Quids and Carrick Scholsey lined up to have their chances late on. She kept digging in off the front to land her first win since a St Leger trial stake at this track in late August. 

Less than a length and a half covered the first four home in another staying contest with Newinn Aero doing his best work late to come over the top of his rivals. He ran wide at the second bend, was pushed wide at the third but stayed on stoutly to pick things up down the outside with his other rivals all scrapping on the rails. 

The fourth winner for Locke was Fantasy Abbie. She took a puppy contest to kick off the opens on the night, pacing up past her rivals into the opening bend before running the turns brilliantly well to open up down the back. It was only her second start for Locke, finding plenty of trouble over Romford's 400m on her debut. 

There was also a treble on the night for the Taberner kennel with Produce Stakes winner Countess Penny landing some consolation for her exit in the semis of the Oaks. She timed her break to perfection, clocking a 2.95 split as part of her pillar to post success by more than five lengths. 

Holding Blaze was responsible for the top 480m time on the evening, stopping the watch at 28.05. He had missed the break in the final of the BetGoodwin Steel City Cup final at Sheffield last weekend but timed his exit much better here, getting himself into the lead with a minimum of fuss from the striped jacket. 

It was an effort from off the pace that saw Holding Aero score for Taberner, grabbing the lead late in the day as the two who had gone on in the early stages started to back peddle. A semi-finalist in the Steel City Cup as well as the Arc Birmingham Cup at this track, this was his third win from his last four outings. 

There was a marathon match race to close out the card which went the way of John Flaherty's Greenwell Gypsy. She had been led up early by her opponent, Taberner's Innfield Fifi, but she took up the running down the back on the first occasion and ran away by eight and three-quarter lengths. 

Cornelius Condon was responsible for the other open race winner on the card with Burberry Girl. She is an inconsistent starter but she has shown in her wins at her home track of Towcester that when she comes away, she is a smart type. In front at the bend here, she made a bit of room for herself on the inside and made the best of her way home. 

Cece goes fastest in Doncaster Puppy Derby

Michelle Brown's Romford Puppy Cup winner Carrigoon Cece was the quickest of the three semi-final winners of the Doncaster Puppy Derby. She has some very smart early gears for 450m which got her away and gone from her rivals, scoring in a time two lengths quicker than the second quickest winner. In fact, it was Aero Molly, proving Richie Taberner with another Category One finalist, who was second fastest on the night, a length and a half behind her. 

Shado Earth had impressed in the heats for David Mullins and he booked his spot in the decider with another bold, front-running display. He was having to dig deep on the run for home when he was challenged by Cluain Denis for Gemma Evans who finished his race off well to take the other qualifying spot. 

The opening semi-final had seen a victory for Tom Heilbron with My Twilight Zone swooping late in a thrilling contest to get his head in front very late in the day. The early speed had been set by Cockneys Zachery who was joined on the line by Heilbron's Demon Hunter for second with Heilbron's runner getting the ticket to the final. 

Heilbron had a double on the evening with Fabulous Rosario scoring in the final race of the night. Another of Heilbron's in Toddys Texas had set the early fractions and that allowed the winner to track and pounce when the time was right in a four-runner contest.

There was also a double for Barry Denby with Ballintubberstar picking up a staying contest once more. It was a third 661m win at this track on the bounce for the Select Stayers third and a seventh win in 12 starts overall over the distance for her. 

Bellmore Whiskey was the second leg of the Denby double, coming up in the very next race. He was away and gone in his contest while his kennelmate had been a late closer. He had a decent battle with David Fradgley's Look Smart who had led into the opening bend and then challenged again from the three-quarters mark all the way to the line. 

It was good to see a return to winning ways for Rose Draper's Audience who had lit up Doncaster in the spring, picking up five wins on the bounce. This was his first success since early-May, showing his trademark speed to the opening bend. Runner-up here the last two weeks, he might be set to go on another spree.

The Other Myra had been pitched in deep on her English debut, sent to Dunstall Park by Phil Milner for the first round of the Oaks. She had won two of her three starts at Kilkenny in decent times and went off just 6/1 in a heat that contained the likes of Allright Talent, Countess Penny and Vahbelle. Her 27.97 success here was rock-solid given conditions. 

Samantha Lapidge was out of luck with Cockneys Zachery but Ballyhimikin Aki had given the kennel a winner earlier on the card. He was a decent scorer on his debut at the end of September after his £5,300 purchase from the sales. He went out in the opening round of the Puppy Derby here last week but gained some measure of compensation. 

There was a winner for Sean Parker as Magical Harper came home well to land a race that saw a pair of short heads cover the first three home and a length back to the fourth who had set the early fractions in the race. She'd won four in a row here in August, with this her first success since. 

Jimmy Gaskin picked up a success with Gotacrushonyou who made all of the running in a 450m contest. She won a D2 at the end of September before A2 and A1 victories over 483m prior to this open win bringing up a hat-trick. She boasts plenty of early pace and is clearly adaptable with regards to distance.  

The other open on the card was a sprint which went the way of Sally Clark's Tickets King. It was his third win in his last six visits to the track, clearly enjoying the opportunity to open the stride up a little more compared to his home base of Harlow. He popped out in front and was not for catching. 

Central Park doubles for Young and Brabon

Trying to chase down Maxine Locke in the trainer's title race will be hard work for Paul Young but he picked up a pair of winners at Central Park. Underground Arlo had a decent battle with Locke's Highview Levi in the final contest of the card, finally getting on top once and for all on the run-in after the pup had gone past him at the third bend. 

Bubbly Everest had kicked off the double for Young with a sprint success. All of his previous wins had come in graded company at his home track of Romford, getting off the mark in open race company at the 14th time of asking. It was his first start at this venue, trapping well and having things well under control early on.

Dan Brabon also took a double on the card with Ivy Hill Ariel getting the job done on start number eight for the local trainer. She had been found a winnable opportunity and sporting her trapping boots, she got herself to the front early on in the piece and never looked back. 

It was Swift Youth who gave Brabon the second leg of the double, taking a staying contest. He absolutely ripped the field apart to the line the first time around, having a lead of more than five lengths at the split. That had been whittled down to three the second time around but he had already done the damage.  

The top performance on the clock came from Amazing Chief for Gemma Evans, stopping the timer at 29.16 on a track that was rated -40. The March 25 whelp was making his race debut and left having made a serious impression. He was only evenly away but he showed plenty of speed to the turn, drove the opening bend hard and cleared away down the back. He looks a pup to keep on the right side of.

A hat-trick of wins was brought up for George Andreas's Kitmins Kate, who once more showed by far the best early pace to the opening bend to have her race safely in the bag early on. She clocked a 2.97 split last week on normal going, 3.02 this week on a much slower track. That speed to the bend is going to provide her with plenty more success. 

The shortest-priced winner on the card was Rushmoor Hazel for Patrick Janssens. She had been hampered by slow exits and trouble in the first four starts of her career, and while this was not entirely trouble free, she was able to get herself to the front at the opening turn for the first time and that made all the difference.

There was plenty of trouble at the opening bend of the race won by Danas Star but Kerry Schimmefennig's charge was already out in the lead at that point after a slick break, cutting across to slam the door in the face of his rivals at the bend. He was the final open race winner trained by Dave Puddy before his passing, so this will have been another emotional one for the kennel. 

Julie Luckhurst got on the scoresheet courtesy of Ballydoyle Megan, sweeping around the outside of the opening couple of bends to get herself to the front and go clear. She took a decent scalp here in Sperrin Mist, making it three wins on the bounce following a D1 and an A1.

Another sprint on the card went the way of Nick Carter's Cronody Zuma, a sixth open race win of the year for him. On days like yesterday when he times his break well, he is a decent sprinter around here, beating a couple of decent sorts in the process. 

Hunt takes two at Monmore

Nathan Hunt grabbed two of the six opens on offer at Monmore with Whyaye Mister leading the way. He got himself to the front at the opening bend to take his third win from his last four starts, finishing a short head second in the other one to Dunstall winner Holding Aero.  

Son Of Balder followed up in the very next contest, taking a six-bend race on just his second start for the kennel. He had won twice over 668m at Waterford in limited racing for Delores Ruth, shaping as if a stiffer track and/or further than the 630m at Monmore is going to be what he needs. He picked up the running here in the final strides to score by half a length.

The quickest of the 480m winners on the night was Dave Lee's Untold Dinero. The Produce Stakes finalist picked up a slick win at this track two starts back before missing his break last week. He was back to his smart-starting best to reverse the form from seven days back with a couple who had finished in front of him. 

Pat Doocey had the winner of the sprint open with Longacres Danny. Three of the five runners had their heads in front at one stage of the race, Newinn Bachelor led up but Longacres Danny paced up better to the turn but then got trodden on which allowed Sadele to take up the lead from the widest draw before Danny got back to the front on the run to the line. 

There was a second staying contest on the night with Bandit Paddy taking home the prize for Kim Billingham-Hine. He has rediscovered his trapping boots of late, producing another smart split as he had when winning over track and trip two starts back. Once in front, he just kept pouring on the pressure. 

The other open on the card went to Bogger Bob who got off the mark at the third time of asking for Craig Marston. The Irish Select Stakes winner had twice been behind The Other Kodi at Nottingham, and there is no disgrace in following that track specialist home around there. He put the race to bed here in tidy fashion with his middle pace.

Morris battle at Yarmouth goes to Who Dares Wins

Who Dares Wins only had three rivals to face in his open contest last night for Craig Morris, but his biggest danger was his own kennelmate Flashing Fender. The punters made the veteran winner just favourite but there was three lengths between them come the line as the victor stayed on far too powerfully

The April 25 litter by King Capaldi out of Havana Lover have been taking Yarmouth by storm. John Mullins had a pair of winners last night including King Mendes picking up his first open race win off the back of an A3 triumph. His litter brother King Aaron won an A1 later on in the night, with five of the seven in the litter already race winners and in some serious times. 

A sprint open on the card went the way of Irene Barnard's Tyrone Snatch. He was last in the early strides but timed his challenge to perfection to get his head in front right on the line to pick up his kennelmate Jenesaisquoi who had won a sprint open himself on East Anglian Derby final night.