Outa The Clouds takes the KAB Puppy Collar

Mike Burton wins the KAB Puppy Collar at Oxford

The KAB Puppy Collar Final at Oxford on Sunday always had a wide-open feel to it. Indeed, just two and a quarter points separated favourite from outsider in the £10,000 decider.

However, a tight-knit race in the market proved to be less so on the track as Outa The Clouds poached an early lead on the inside and never looked like giving it up. He was the youngest of the pups in the final, giving Valley’s Mike Burton and owners the Severn Racing Club the Category One win.

Scooby Diamond chased him home for Nathan Hunt, backing up her Coral Romford Puppy Cup win with another excellent major final effort. Ollie The Ox filled out the frame for Kevin Hutton. Paul Young’s Bluey Bullet and Maxine Locke's Jacktavern Don completed the race.

Aero Najem was unfortunately for connections of Richie Taberner’s bitch an earlier non-runner.

A delighted winning trainer Mike Burton said: “What a great day for us all and fair play to Oxford for staging it.

“We were really well received and the track was in great condition - and it just made for a great day with a few of us there.

“Our fellow took a while to come to hand, to be perfectly honest,” said Burton after his Dunphys-bred son of Droopys Flytline posted 26.69sec in winning the 450m feature.

“We’ve had him for ages it’s felt like and he’d been working really well at home, coming to us in great condition, of course,

“I just gave him trials and solos to get him to where I wanted him and in the last six weeks or so felt he was coming to hand really nicely.

“He had to battle to get through in the heats after getting bumped, so I knew we now had a nice pup on our hands and then he’s gone off the front in the semis and then in the final. Fantastic for us all and I’m delighted for the owners. There’s about 12 of them, a mix of friends and family, and we’re having lots of fun. That’s the way it should be.

“We’ll have a look maybe at Towcester now for the Puppy Derby there, but we’ll chat things through. We’ll enjoy this for now.”

There was a pair of open class winners on the undercard for Hutton with Signet Nayla producing the quickest 450m time of the afternoon and Zinedine Zedog adding a sprint success. The latter was one of four heats of a maiden sprint competition, just the quickest by a single spot over Barrie Backhurst's Cutabovetherest. Backhurst won a second heat with Savana Yahoo.

Heat four of the sprint competition went to the Rachel Hill-trained Cloughtaney Chaz who was the second half of a sprint double for the kennel started by Maggie's Dream. Getup Me Izzy was a smart winner for Carol Weatherall, clocking 26.59. She is a perfect 3/3 since arriving from Ireland, following up D2 and D1 wins at Towcester.

Three staying events on the card saw Salthill Sydney quickest for Ron Peckover. He picked up his ninth win in 20 starts over the 650m trip. June Harvey's Ower Cracker and Richie Taberner's Aero Chubby landed the other two.

Coral Gold Collar Double for Janssens

Romeo Tomcat is one of the hottest performers in the country at present, winning his 10th straight contest. His 28.70 Coral Gold Collar semi-final success was four spots off his opening round romp but was almost five lengths quicker than any other semi-final runner was able to produce. The winner of 18 of his 30 starts, another Cat One win is going to give him plenty of consideration when it comes to the Standard Performer of the Year award. Kevin Hutton's Antigua Kestrel chased him home.

Patrick Janssens had won the opening semi-final with Slick Sentinel who benefitted from Paul Young's Noellie squeezing up the inside runners. He had to dig deep to hold off that rival to land the win with Proper Heiress and Droopys Plunge unable to make it into another decider. Take nothing away from the winner though, making his third Cat One final of the year as well as a Derby semi.

There was a surprise in the last semi-final with Carl Gardiner's Droopys String popping out to make all at 18/1. He looked sure to be picked up by Headford Dane as they hit the third bend but the front-runner put his head down and kept pulling with Mark Wallis's Rackethall Brute coming from miles back to grab the second qualifying spot. 

Elsewhere on the Hove card there was a further winner for Janssens with Slick Skylark in one of three heats of a dual distance trophy. Moving Force was the fastest of them for Seamus Cahill with Ballymac Axel picking up the middle heat for Maxine Locke. Yourself won the final race on the card to give Locke a double on the afternoon.

Venetian Will kicked off the opens with a success on just his second start for Kevin Hutton. Ballinakill Liam landed a 285m contest for the second week in a row for Mark Wallis, with Belinda Green landing the other open on the card with Bikini Bullet.

Cobra strikes late at Sheffield

Three invitational contests at Sheffield on Sunday started with a win for Kelly Hodson's Romeo Cobra. He needed every inch of the 480m to pick up longtime leader Ballymac Lawless right on the line. While Rose Draper was out of luck with the runner-up there, she picked up the sprint contest with Ballintee Roxy who continued her unbeaten start to sprinting. 

The most interesting of the three races on paper was the 500m contest but with the two market leaders getting knocked over at the opening bend, the way was left clear for Emmybell Boy, who had shown the best early pace to take an early lead, to land the win for Lisa Stephenson. 

Upcoming Opens

Monday: Nottingham

Tuesday: Swindon

Friday: Romford