Saturday Night open report- All the action, including noteable trials, from around the UK

Saturday Night open report- All the action, including noteable trials, from around the UK

Doncaster

Double Donny delight for Janssens as Romeo’s land big race success

Doncaster’s biggest race meeting of the year was dominated by Patrick Janssens as his runners Romeo Tomcat and Romeo Empire landed the £8,000 to the winner Yorkshire Derby and the £3,000 to the winner BGBF British Bred St Leger on Saturday evening

Having won both heat and semi final in impressive fashion, Romeo Tomcat was sent off as the 4/7F, which in this field, indicated just how well he had won previously.

He didn’t have things all his own way however as when the traps opened, a slow exit saw him coming out of the traps in fifth position, but a terrific burst of early pace saw him in contention for the lead at the opening bend. 

It was there where he barged his way past Phil Milner’s front running Keefill Goose, who in turn, bumped into Jacktavern Chief and Slick Sentinel as all four greyhounds were in line rounding the opening bend, and having got the better of things, Romeo Tomcat hit the front. A length lead out of the second bend turned into two when rounding the third bend, which grew further again off the last bend, as Romeo Tomcat (below) drew clear at the finish, scoring by three and three quarter lengths in a time of 29.10 (+10) ahead of Nathan Hunt’s Scooby The Boss, who had stayed on well back in second.

That victory landed the double for Janssens, who has been on target less than twenty minutes earlier as Romeo Empire ran out a comfortable winner of the BGBF British Bred St Leger over 661m.

The competition was run as a one off race as it failed to attract enough runners but Romeo Empire would have been tough to beat even if there had been enough runners. Sent off as 1/8F, Romeo Empire (below)was never in any danger at all, hitting the front rounding the opening bends, and despite drifting off wide at the second bend, he pulled clear to record a five and three quarter length victory from Phil Milner’s Snowfall back in second.

Elsewhere on the card, there were doubles for local trainers Jimmy Gaskin and Susan Watson.

Ballymac Levi (6/1) came from off the pace to land the other final on the card, the £750 to the winner Doncaster 450 Maiden Competition as he drew clear in the later stages to record a four length victory from Portman Blue in 27.76 seconds (+10) to land his double, as just over half an hour earlier, Gripwell Peg (15/8F) made it three wins in her last five starts when leading out of the second bend to stop the clock in 27.50 (+10) for a two and three quarter length victory 

Watson’s double on the card came courtesy of Cushie’s Arnie and Mick. Arnie (7/4F) was a good winner over the 275m distance, pinging the lids and making all the running for a two and a quarter length victory in 16.78 (+5), while Mick (6/1) led round the opening bends to hold off the strong running Our Big Bill for a half length victory, recording a time of 29.76 (+10) for the 483m course.

Stonepark Hoffa has been in excellent form of late and the Savva Roberts trained runner made it nine victories in his last eleven starts in two bend contests with another all the way success, recording a decent 16.70 (+5) for a two length victory with Yahoo Megan back in second.

Other winners over the 275m trip were Manx Saskia (3/1), who made all the running for new Doncaster trainer Samantha Lapidge in 17.20 (+5), and Mugsy (1/3F), who scored for another local trainer Shaun Birks in 17.04 (+5)

Greenwell Crazy (100/30)  had kicked off proceedings for the evening with an all the way success for John Flaherty when running out a length and a quarter winner over the 483m trip in a time of 29.40 (+10), while Phil Milner’s Epic Rebel (8/13F) came from off the pace to lose his maiden tag with a three quarter of a length victory over the 450m distance in a time of 27.92 (+10)

Photo Credit: @donnydogs X Account

Dunstall Park

Open Racing was staged at Dunstall Park for the first time on Saturday night since the opening of the Wolverhampton based track, and it saw doubles on the card for Monmore trainer Kim Billingham-Hine and Towcester trainer Heather Dimmock

Beatties Razl (3/1) was the first of the winners for Billingham-Hine, battling well to get the better of her kennelmate Beatties Lyra for a short head victory in 28.55 (-10), while the double was completed later on in the card over the 660m course as Sugar Candice (6/5F) ran out a wide margin seven length winner in a track record time of 39.91 (-15) again, beating kennelmate Skylars Vision with an all the way success. 

That track record lasted just over half an hour as Dimmock's Droopys Mikado (10/11F) was an all the way winner to record a five length victory, setting new figures of 39.60 (-15). That was the second leg of the double for Dimmock, as Droopys Stat (1/2F) was another impressive all the way winner on the card, stopping the clock in 28.45 (-10) for a five and three quarter length victory, making it three wins from his last four starts.

Kevin Hutton's Jazzy George (EvsF) got proceedings underway for the evening when setting a track record over the 270m distance, recording a three and three quarter length victory in 15.59, with the remaining sprint contest later on in the card going the way of Carol Weatherall's Born Racer (4/1), who led off the second bend and was able to hold off the late challenge of Longacres Lad by a short head in a time of 15.84 (-5)

The rest of the action on the card was staged over the 480m distance, the quickest of those contests going the way of local trainer Jak Knape and his runner Drumdoit Finn (5/1), who trapped well and made all the running for a three and a half length victory in 28.35 (-10). 

Phil Milner's Droopys Glam (5/1) was just a whisker behind on the clock as she too ran out an all the way winner for a two and a quarter length victory in 28.36 (-10), while Ruth Lambe's Da Mighty Man ( 9/4) was another who fared well on the clock, recording a time of 28.39 (-10) as he took the finale by three and a quarter lengths

Also winning over the 480m distance was the in-form Kelvins Hat (5/1), with the Seamus Cahill runner making it five wins in her last six starts when getting the better of Phil Milner's Avongate Venus by three quarter of a length in 28.47 (-10), and Julie Bateson's Kilwest Freddie, (11/4) leading off the last bend to hold off the strong finish of Kiltealy by a neck in 28.57.

In trials before racing, Dave Lee's El Tornillo recorded a decent looking 28.19 over the 480m distance, with Kevin Hutton's Start The Engine also moving well, recording 28.49.

Of the sprint trials, Coppice Ronnie produced the quickest time as Kevin Hutton's runner stopped the clock in 15.69

Central Park

Seven opens featured on Central Park's thirteen race card and three of those went the way of Hove trainer Richard Rees.

It proved to be a good forty minutes for Rees as he won three races in a row, with all three winners going off as favourite

Zenith Sultan (5/4F) was the first of those winners, when coming from off the pace to get the better of the front running Tiermana Ziggy in a time of 29.21 for a length and a half success, while Deadly Disco (4/5F) was a narrow margin winner over the six bend 664m contest, getting the better of Marvellous Mabel and Aphantasia in a bunch finish, stopping the clock in 40.42

The hat-trick was landed in the following contest courtesy of Texas Jack (6/4F), who was a good winner of a Kent Derby Trial Stakes, making all the running for a four and three quarter length victory in 28.88 for the 491m trip. 

Other winners over that distance were Snowdon Louis (15/8F), who overcame trouble in running to score by a length in 29.44 for Julie Luckhurst, Blackstone Ten (7/4F), who pinged the lids and made all the running for a two and a half length victory for Spencer Mavrias in 29.23, while the finale went the way of Bob Pattinson's Headford Toby (6/4), who took advantage of first bend crowding to hold off the attentions of Barnfield Piper by a head in 29.69

The remaining open on the card was over the six bend distance over 664m, and it went the way of Nick Carter's Bregogue Rachel (11/1), who caused an upset when coming from way off the pace to reel in Bullseye Bill and Im Afraid Not, with just half a length separating the first three, in a time of 41.38

With the Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby starting at the track next Saturday, a few likely contenders had a spin round the track in trials before racing, with Headford Dane, the Ladbrokes Gold Cup and PGR Puppy Derby winner producing a sensational 28.53 for the 491m course, a time which would put him in second in the fastest time of the year standings over course and distance

Oxford

Just the two opens on the fourteen race card which took place over the six bend 650m course and over the four bend distance of 450m

The first of the opens over the 650m distance was a messy affair, with the runners in the three outside traps, Salthill Sydney, Alright Irene and Brigadir Brindle all taking a tumble round the opening bends. Fortunately, all three greyhounds got up and completed the course

As for the race itself, it went the way of Swindon trainer Angie Kibble, who had a one two in the race as 6/4JF Ballymac Mags got the better of kennelmate Ballymac Loca

It was Ballymac Mags who emerged from the first bend trouble with the lead of a couple of lengths and looked set for a comfortable victory, but that lead only lasted until the fifth bend as Ballymac Lola loomed up alongside and briefly hit the front, but Ballymac Mags battled back off the last bend to take up the lead, holding on for a neck success in 39.88

The four bend maiden contest saw the Dave Mullins trained Zenith Jimbombom (7/2) battling well to get the better of the Chris Hamblin trained Wonka to lose his maiden tag. Kevin Hutton’s Untold Ripple led in the early stages and looked to have built up an early lead, but Wonka and Zenith Jimbombom gave chase, and when the leader and Wonka had a slight coming together on the run in, it gave Zenith Jimbombom the chance to pass, which he took, scoring by half a length in 27.06

Yarmouth

 Four opens took place on Yarmouth's ten race card over three different distances

Lissan Light (8/1) caused a bit of an upset in the 277m sprint contest for trainer Erica Samuels, trapping well and making all the running to score by a neck in a time of 16.36 (+5) with Two Slips Jigs back in second, with 11/8F Grouchos King a length back in third.

The two four bend contests over the 462m distance went the way of Trumpers Bobcat (5/2) and Ontherun Zara (6/4F). Trumpers Bobcat was an all the way winner for Kevin Cobbold, defeating Who Dares Wins by a length in 27.51, and Ontherun Zara repeated those tactics for Jason Bloomfield in the next race, stopping the clock in 27.67 for a two and a half length victory.

The remaining contest over 659m saw Bogger Cash (11/10F) getting back to winning ways for Mark Newberry, overcoming trouble in running on a couple of occasions to get his head in front on the run for home for a three quarter of a length victory from Outdoor Cracker in 40.67