Skye strikes the first Oaks record blow but Kathleen goes quickest

Kathleen brings a storm to Dunstall Park

On a wet and windy night at Dunstall Park, it was Droopys Kathleen who shone brightest in the opening heats of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks. She has her name at the top of the tree with the current track record at the Wolverhampton venue, although there will be plenty of movement on that in time.

She was not as electric as she can be in the early stages but once she hit the front, Robert Gleeson's Irish raider was never going to be caught, stopping the clock in 27.87 on a track that was -20 at that stage. There is plenty to come off that given that it was her first race action since last November, fingers are firmly crossed that she can stay fit.

Strike It Skye had produced a 27.91 performance three races earlier. In a similar fashion to Kathleen, she didn't get herself immediately to the front but once she had, Mark Wallis's youngster skated away to score impressively. The pair were the only winners sub 28.20 from the 12 heats.

That third best run was produced by Droopys Eunice. The Essex Vase winner from back in January has not made the track all that often since but Maxine Locke's bitch is a star when she does, and once she had popped out in front, it was all over bar the shouting. She stopped the clock in 28.21.

Kevin Hutton was the only trainer to pick up a double in the heats. Two of the last three went his way, first with Droopys Doris who was a single spot slower than Droopys Eunice and then winning the final heat with Signet Nayla in 28.48. The former is now 9/15 in her young career while the latter was recently a Produce Stakes semi-finalist. 

The closest finish on the card saw Easy Molly grab the long odds-on favourite Paradise Sky right on the line. It was a photo that took a long time to announce but it was Diane Yeates's wide runner who eventually got the verdict. She was also one of the most popular winners on the night coming so soon after the passing of trainer Richard.

Monmore is only a few miles down the road and that track were well represented when it came to winners. Meenagh Minsk was one of the more interesting runners on the card and Nathan Hunt's newcomer made a winning UK debut. She boasts spectacular early pace, clocking the same 2.93 split as she had in her trial. 28.47 will need improving on to get seriously competitive but her gears to the first bend should see her on the bunny each time.

Kim Billingham-Hine picked up a winner courtesy of Beatties Razl. A bet365 Empress Stakes semi-finalist recently at Towcester, she reversed the form from that day with Ballymac Kinga who could only chase her home at a respectable distance after an early bump, the winner crossing the line in 28.29.

The final Monmore winner came from Aero Becks for Richie Taberner. She paced up well to comfortably lead the inside, another to duck under the three second barrier on her sectional. It brought up a hat-trick of wins for her following on from a pair of top grade victories, making it 20 wins from 41 starts in her career with a 28.33 clocking.

Kelvins Hat was another to bring up win number 20 on the night. The Hove raider has been in flying form through the summer for Seamus Cahill, with this her sixth win from her last seven starts. 28.36 was her winning time, a spot quicker than when beating Avongate Venus in a trial stake the week prior despite going back seven spots on her split.

Away and gone was the order of the day for Butlers Lane who won the fourth heat for Barry Denby. A 2.94 sectional saw her a long way clear in the early stages but both Gripwell Peg and Lilys Bullet were charging home at her as the line approached, just pulling out enough to score in 28.43. 

The opening heat of the night was the slowest on the clock, Makeit Mead producing 28.56. Runner-up to New Destiny in the Arena Racing Company Grand Prix at Sunderland back in April, she needed most of the 480m trip to get her head in front for Ray Hale but she didn't have a prior look so could step up on that next week.