Record-breaking Poppy stands tall at Towcester

Rayment highlights Poppy and Flare as Sunday stars

SLINGSHOT POPPY was the star of the show at Towcester on Sunday as Brian Fairbairn's bitch smashed the 270m track record in her heat of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Stakes.

On an afternoon the likes of major winners Vhagar, Droopys Flare and Shadow Storm all starred in their respective heats of competitions supporting the Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. English Greyhound Derby festival, it was the Scottish bitch who grabbed the headlines when blitzing to victory in heat four of the sprint event.

Soon clear off a fast start, last year's Sunderland Puppy Trophy winner landed a four-timer as she raced to a three and a quarter lengths win over Pavilion Team in 15.16, well inside Aero Sacundai's previous best of 15.35 for the two bends at the Northamptonshire venue.

"There's been changes here to the track and times have been quicker overall, but unlike the 500m traps which have changed, the sprint traps are the old, existing ones," said Towcester racing manager Danny Rayment. 

"When you factor that in, that's some run! But she's such a beautifully balanced bitch with very fast short four-bend lines and was quickly in top gear - look at some of the times she's clocked elsewhere, too. Even so it looks a time which might stand for a while!"

Rayment said it was one of the best all-round meetings he has overseen in his first Derby festival as RM with heats of the BGBF TruFrame Champion Stakes, The Greatbet Challenge Trophy and Time Greyhound Nutrition Stakes.

"It was a fantastic card with a number of classy performances, with Droopys Flare the other standout win for me, but Slingshot Poppy takes the plaudits."

Rayment reminds all that the semi-finals of Sunday's events will take place on Saturday, alongside the semi-finals of the greyhound trader.com Stakes, PricedUp.Bet Derby Plate and the Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. English Greyhound Derby for one of the best meetings this year.

Heats of the BGBF TruFrame Champion Stakes over 500m went to Kevin Hutton's pair of Venetian Will (29.26) and Jazzy Design (29.18), Kelly Hodson's Romeo Force (28.94) and Patrick Janssens' Fabulous Aria (28.72).

Heats of the The Greatbet Challenge Trophy over 712m went to Kevin Hutton's Toureen Rose (42.71), Mark Wallis's Vhagar (42.66), Sean Parker's Droopys Flare (42.58) and Seamus Cahill's Unthinkable (43.35).

Heats of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Stakes over 270m went to Paul Young's Lesleys Buddy (15.76), Richard Rees's defending champion Shadow Storm (15.60), Kevin Boon's Bockos Buster (15.45) and Brian Fairbairn's record-breaking Slingshot Poppy (15.16).

Trap draw for Saturday's semi-finals:-

BGBF TruFrame Champion Stakes:

First semi: 1 Romeo Force, 2 Salacres Amara, 3 Anglesey Milo, 4 Ballyboss Hack, 5 Jazzy Design, 6 Inca Lewie (m).

Second semi: 1 Eagles Respect, 2 Venetian Will, 3 Zappa, 4 Tre Cool, 5 Fabulous Aria, 6 Signet Nayla (m). 

The Greatbet Challenge Trophy:

First semi: 1 Toureen Rose, 2 Fabulous Heka, 3 Droopys Flare, 4 Bluejig Outlaw (m), 5 The Other Winx (m), 6 Fabulous Rakiya (m). 

Second semi: 1 Unthinkable, 2 Chasing Larry, 3 Underground Navy, 4 Newinn Cloud (m), 5 Vhagar (m), 6 Malcolm Bosh (m).

Time Greyhound Nutrition Stakes:

First semi: 1 Born Racer, 2 Headford Wayne, 3 Lesleys Buddy, 4 Toddys Wolf (m), 5 Headford Cian (m), 6 Bockos Buster (m).

Second semi: 1 Droopys Will, 2 Shadow Storm, 3 Bubbly Crusader (m), 4 Slingshot Poppy (m), 5 Pavilion Team (m), 6 Crossfield Enzo (w).