Poppy sets the early standard in the Premier Greyhound Racing Classic

Sunderland proves perfect for Poppy again

Slingshot Poppy has found Sunderland a happy hunting ground though her career. The sole blip was in the semis of this competition last year when she was bumped from pillar to post, and she has drawn the hottest of the three semis this time around as well. Brian Fairbairn's star is 10/11 at the venue, with her early pace seeing her away and gone as is regularly the case. She will need all of that straight line speed with some very quick types against her next Friday.

Tom Heilbron picked up the next quickest winner with Glengar Phantom who made it a perfect 3/3 since joining the kennel. The BOYLE Sports Irish Derby semi-finalist has taken no time to settle into his new surroundings and has used his early pace to make an eye-catching start to life this side of the Irish Sea. Away and gone was the order of the day here, winning with plenty in hand. 

It had been a little over two months since Brickhill Tamika was last seen in race action for Stuart Tighe but that didn't appear to be any issue for him, producing a flying 4.92 split from the innermost draw to take his heat by the scruff of the neck early on. He boasts some solid sprint form and this early gears over 450m are a huge help to him. He has red again next week but the tougher task of leading up Slingshot Poppy. 

Jimmy Fenwick picked up a winner but not with the greyhound that most thought that he would. Ballymac Shontae used his draw on the outside to his advantage, sweeping around his rivals around the opening couple of bends. His kenenlmate Woltemade was sent off the 1/5 favourite and although he was off his game, he made it safely into the semis. 

There was a heat winner for Savva Roberts will Millhill May adding to her win from last week. She was nothing like as electric on the split as she had been seven days prior but it was enough to lead up early on before having to battle her way back to the front late in the piece. It was win number 20 for her career, 19 of them at this venue.

Tipperary Cup winner Indian Mist was making his English debut for David Wilkinson and he made it a memorable one, coming out on top late in the day to pick up the long-time leader. He is going to have to up his game in the semis but his Irish form suggests he can do exactly that. Sadly there was an injury to the 2025 finalist Bockos Buster in the contest.

Young continues Romford domination with a five-timer

Another Romford open race meeting and another slew of winners for Paul Young as he continues to try and chase down Maxine Locke at the head of the title race. 

Puntos Opinion was the pick of the Young winners, making it 2/2 since he lost his puppy status. He is starting to come of age now, a semi-finalist in the Coral Romford Puppy Cup and the winner of three of his last seven starts, he clocked a smart 23.88, a new career best produced from a smart burst of early pace. 

Over six bends there was a win for Coral Champion Stakes finalist Bubbly Holly who was another to come away running. She has long been a smart trapper but has sometimes found others pacing up better to the turn. Yesterday she went around in front and from that position, she was never going to be caught, running riot by seven lengths. 

The contest won by Bluey Bullet was one of the finishes of the night. He had been led to the opening bend by his kennelmate Bubbly Amber but swept around her outside to kick clear. She was closing him back down with every stride as the line came, with Ballymac Suntan rattling home on the inside. The three passed the line together. 

There was plenty of trouble at the opening bend of the six-bend contest won by Droopys Sometime who managed to avoid all of the issues from his draw in stripes. He had missed a huge chunk of the year after picking up there Hove contests back in the spring, wining for the first time since April, having shown plenty of sparkle in two runs back prior to this success. 

One winner that punters would have expected Young to get on the card was Scooby Amethyst who was sent off at 1/4 to add to her impressive winning run. The 'wrong' bitch turned behind her though as Young's Rapido Roisin gave chase, picking up her kenenlmate at the fourth bend. The winner stays 500m at Hove and has been building her confidence of late with some graded successes.

The Martyn Wiley kennel continue in excellent form, a pair of winners making it five from their last nine open race runners. Inclement Shelby got hit hard with a triple upgrade for an A7 debut win, taking a while to find his feet again but now that he has, this was a third straight victory for him, looking at home in maiden company, scoring from the front. 

Not Now Alan has been in decent heart of late for Wiley and he took the scalp of the Doncaster Puppy Derby champion Cluain Denis who was back on home soil and down in trip. He had picked up his first open race success last week and the more naturally speedy type got first run on the market leader around the outside. 

It's hard to keep thinking of things to say for Piemans Goalie who added another success to his long list of them for David Mullins. After Droopys Nijinsky putting up win 50 on Thursday at Valley, this was victory number 40 for this veteran, pacing up to pick up the lead going into the opening bend. He has been an outstanding performer for connections. 

A sprint on the card went the way off Craig Morris's Rockmount Kellie. This was only the third time that she has been seen in race action since getting knocked out in the semis of the Guys & Dolls back on July 3, though all three of those runs have seen her home in front, winning opens on five different track this year. 

At the other end of the distance spectrum, the 750m contest went to Innfield Fifi for Richie Taberner. Two of her three prior wins to this came over the 942m distance at Towcester so this is short enough for her but with a good pace set early by Zenith Ottoman, she was able to work her way into the race, picking up the lead at the sixth bend before stretching way. 

A 3.72 spit sent Highway Bobby on his way to victory for Katie O'Flaherty. He had won his heat of this maiden competition last week in good style and stepped up on that form a little more here with a seven-length romp in the final. When he times his exit right, he is a tidy performer around here. 

The other open on the night was a 575m contest which went the way of Kevin Proctor's Front Amara. She picked up the running at the fifth bend to grab her first open race success and her first win at any level away from her home track of Harlow.