Hutton and Young take the honours at Dunstall Park

Photo from Dunstall Park

Dunstall braces for Hutton and Young

There were a few surprises on Dunstall Park's six-race card to celebrate the centenary of greyhound racing. One such was Venetian Mick who got the better of Vhagar in the stayers for Kevin Hutton. He just showed enough pace on the short run to the opening turn to sneak up the inside of Kilwest Beauty who had smashed out. From there the recent Arc Stayers Cup third never looked like coming back.

Hutton's Signet Nayla was a comfortable winner of the British-Bred contest. She went round front rank, and showed the best middle pace to get herself well clear. A Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks semi-finalist last year, this track suits her well, with a return for that bitches competition surely in the back of the mind of connections. 

Paul Young also picked up a double, including a win in the marathon for the new star on the scene, Droopys Rated. With track records at Towcester and Central Park already safely under his belt, he was successful in the first 925m contest held at the track to set that record as well. A perfect 5/5 over eight bends, he is not short of speed either and a return here for the St Leger would create plenty of interest.

The opening race on the card was a tasty looking puppy contest which went to Young's Gav Nificent. He pinged out in front, turning on the shoulder of Magical Jason who was stepping up in trip for the first time. He failed to stay and the winner gave himself first crack after his smart trap exit. 

Mark Wallis was out of luck with Vhagar in the stayers but his Derby semi-finalist Strike It Skye rounded out the card with the quickest time of the 480m races. The other five races all went to runners from the outside three traps, so perhaps she deserves to have this run marked up a touch from the red jacket, though we are all aware of just how good she is. 

There were a few raised eyebrows when Maxine Locke's Turnthemagicon was accepted into the sprint on the card but the son of Ballymac Cashout was sent off joint favourite on the off and showed his class. 15.60 on a slightly slow track is comfortably the best time of the year so far, running for just the second time since February. 

Romford treble for Hunt

Nathan Hunt was the man to follow at Romford, rounding out a treble of winners with Mad For Cash in the finale. She was drawn wider than is absolutely ideal in four but it looked a race without too much pace pressure on her inside and she cleared them comfortably. The speed came from her outside with a lightning split from Bushpark Cathel but she had his measure after a lap.

Meenagh Minsk showed smart form in Ireland and looked a bitch to follow as she made the semis of the Oaks last autumn in her first three races for Hunt. Wins have been harder to come by since that time, a gap of 14 starts since her first round win since scoring in an open ahead of last night. She put that right, and hopefully can build on this.

The first open of the night went to Hunt's Anglesey Prime who paced up well but then had to dig deep to pick up Romantic Romeo who had shown the best middle pace, all the while he was trying to hold off Jims Buddy who was snapping at his heels on the inside. It was a first win since January and one that was brought about by sheer tenacity. 

Paul Young had a double on the night, kicked off with a flying run from Bombay Buck. He had lost the winning touch a little of late but he looked to have been handed a gilt-edged opportunity to get his head back in front with a vacant trap inside of him and he took the chance with both hands. Producing a smart split, he was quickly in control. 

The double came up in the very next race from Funky Adz who was the biggest priced winner of the night at 16/1. His pace to the turn paid dividends, avoiding the bumping that befell the favourite Brindle Bully. David Mullins's wide runner had a torrid run through, just failing to pick up the winner by half a length.

It is an excellent run of form that Headford Sarah finds herself on at present for Maxine Locke. Her only defeat in her last five starts came in the final of the Coral Guys & Dolls, doing well last night to ride a bump on the run to the opening turn. She turned in a challenging position and unleashed the best middle pace to pick up the lead heading into the third bend.

John Mullins had an early winner on the night courtesy of King Jarvis. A D1 winner at both Central Park and Yarmouth, he had no issues with an easy four bends. Pacing up well to the bend, he used his size to make sure that he had sufficient room before kicking away form the second bend. 

There was a six-bend success for Sharon Saberton's Rossa Vita. She had been sent off odds-on a week back on her first run at the track since January but had been narrowly denied. With that under her belt, she popped out in front and set sail for home a long way out, running he rivals ragged to score by seven lengths. 

If the market was to be believed, there should've been a Hunt four-timer but Dave Lee's Drombeg Doro paid no heed to prices, turning over Hunt's odds-on favourite Cascabel, scoring himself at 7/1. He had the cleaner run around of the pair, picking up the lead as the field turned for home the first time.

Heilbron and Soppitt take Sunderland opens

Just two opens at Sunderland, both over 450, with the quicker of the pair won by Tom Heilbron's Romeo Dutch. Comfortably the quickest to find his stride, he had things in safe keeping from a long way from home. Kennelmate Romeo Victor closed him down to three-quarters of a length come the line but 

Velvet George also went from the front in his success for Ted Soppitt. There was a bit of trouble behind him which he was able to avoid with that early pace, eventually coming home three and a half lengths clear. 450m is probably as far as he wants to go for now, with the natural speed of a sprinter but he is only a November 24 whelp, so has plenty of time to strengthen up.