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Kilwest Diva quickest in Oaks while Destiny is Romford champion

It was an excellent evening for the Kim Billingham-Hine kennel with the quickest Oaks qualifier at Dunstall Park and the Guys & Dolls winner at Romford.

Matt Newman

18 Oct 2025

19 spots covers all Oaks finalists

Next Friday's final of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks looks like it will be a competitive renewal with all six of the qualifiers from last night covered by a hair under two and a half lengths.

The quickest of those was Kilwest Diva for Kim Billingham-Hine on what would be a sensational night for the Monmore trainer. She has been building into the competition week by week, with her semi-final win comfortably her strongest effort to this point. She has a middle draw in the final but her early gears could be enough to lead up those inside her. Bridefort Lady chased her home for Nathan Hunt.

Fabulous Aria has not been trapping as well as she can so far at Dunstall Park, but her natural ability has seen her into the decider. The red jacket on her back is a big plus for the Patrick Janssens-trained bitch, beating Avongate Venus from that slot in her semi. Phil Milner's 2024 Empress Stakes winner is yet to get a completely clean run around in this competition, so remains a big player.

The other semi-final winner was Barry Denby's Butlers Lane. She has shown the best speed to the sectional of any of those in the final, doing enough early on last night to hold off Belinda Green's Raebella Bullet.

It was also the semis of the Category Two Arena Racing Company Scurry on the card where Pat Doocey's Longacres Lad was the pick of the times. He is yet to hit the lids in any of his races at the track but his silky smooth bend running saw him turn a four-length deficit going into the opening bend into a stunning performance to pick up the leader Jazzy George who qualified for Kevin Hutton.

Hutton probably has a stronger contender for outright glory with the defending champion, Rioja Oisin. The reigning Silver Salver winner was a finalist in the sprinter of the year category last year and would put one paw on the trophy this year with a win next week. King Jackson chased him home to give Doocey a pair in the final.

Bockos Buster won the other semi-final for Kevin Boon, three-quarters of a length too good for Richard Rees's Shadow Storm. The East Anglian Derby finalist has had no issues at all dropping back to sprinting, though a draw in stripes will ask a different question of him next week.

Hunt had a pair of winners on the undercard, Cunnigar Yousir kicking the night off with a 28.00 success before Droopys Flotilla picked up a staying contest. The other staying race went to Sean Parker's Droopys Flare with a superb run that left the excellent Vhagar trailing in her wake.

The quickest performance over 480m on the night was Pain Barrier, adding an early winner for Billingham-Hine. Pawsome Bullet took the other race over that trip for Green and it was left to Simon Deakin's Blazeaway Jorge to land the closing sprint.

New Destiny lands back-to-back Champion Stakes

In a race with a long history, New Destiny became just the third winner to go back-to-back in the Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes, following in the paw prints of Curley's Fancy (1934-35) and Sail Over (1990-91).

She had to work hard to run down her kennelmate Fabulous Sonique after contrasting breaks and early trouble saw her five lengths behind going past the line for the first time. The pair are both veterans, so a huge amount of credit has to go to those at home who have kept them sweet for this long, both still producing top quality runs.

Once New Destiny got herself into full stride, she mowed down her kennelmate with the ease of a bitch who has made the London Road venue the happiest of hunting grounds.

She was the middle leg of a treble for the Mark Wallis kennel, started by Newinn Deejay and concluded by Newinn Cloud. The pair were both semi-finalists in the Champion Stakes, finding life a little easier outside of Category One company.

Kim Billingham-Hine picked up the other major contest on the night with Newinn Souly. It was good to see the Guys & Dolls rescued from Crayford and the Category Two competition saw the Monmore raider hold off the local favourite Bacon Roll by a length in 24.15.

The only other trainer to pick up more than a single success on the card was Maxine Locke. Jayar Rogue kicked off the card with a 7/1 surprise for the kennel, before Whitewood Lenny added a second winner with a success in a 400m final.

Bombay Buck picked up a four-bend win for Paul Young in 24.05, a length and a half quicker than Nathan Hunt's Bretons Girl had produced earlier on in the card. A pair of 575m races went to Tony Taylor's Hi Land Miss and Sally Johnson's Rolo Rosie while the 750m contest went to Ballymac Nova for Pamela Cross.

Fabulous Sonique

Fabulous Sonique leads the Champion Stakes field past the stands on the first circuit Photo: © Steve Nash

New Destiny

New Destiny on the podium after winning the Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes Photo: © Steve Nash

Guys & Dolls

Dashaway Daisy (t3) leads early in the Guys & Dolls with winner Newinn Souly (t2) tracking her Photo: © Steve Nash

Newinn Souly

Presentation to connections of Newinn Souly after the Guys & Dolls Photo: © Steve Nash

Ballymac Nova wins the Mo Newman Marathon for Pamela Cross Photo: © Steve Nash

Whitewood Lenny

Rolo Rosie

Newinn Deejay

Stark with a Sunderland double

George Stark was the man to produce more than one winner at Sunderland. Surprise Blue is something of a handicap specialist at the track, the regular winner off scratch powered home to land his first success at this level to kick off the opens. The double was brought up when Millhill May added her own maiden success in an open to add to a smart strike rate in graded company.

Sunnyside Jayden has been one of the stories of the year for Ted Soppitt. Last night's sprint victory was his 16th of 2025. They have come at four different tracks, but it has been Sunderland where he has produced the majority of his winning efforts. 18 wins leads the way countrywide.

A rare marathon at the track went to Tom Heilbron's Clodcar Rosie. She was on the mark for the first time since the opening round of the 3 Steps To Victory back in June with the seventh win of her career, seeing out the 828m distance just well enough.

The quickest winner over 450m on the card was also the biggest surprise for the punters. Emers Bean produced a 12/1 victory for Dean Blackbird, a fifth win in her last seven starts. Other 450m races went to Michael Hurst's Salsa Dynamite and Cape Quest for Chantelle McNicholas.