Sweet 16 for Wallis as Vhagar lands the bet365 Challenge Cup

Photos courtesy of Tony Brealey

Vhagar ends spectacular year with a 16th Category One winner for Mark Wallis

Vhagar's bet365 Challenge Cup win was the 16th Category One final success for the Mark Wallis kennel this year. Even by the high standards of that team, it is a haul that will have exceeded even their most outlandish expectations for the year ahead of the first action of 2025.

Those who question why we love greyhound racing will have found the answer in this final as Romeo Empire laid it all on the line, keeping Vhagar honest throughout the contest. Patrick Janssens's star has been an incredibly consistent performer and lost absolutely nothing in defeat. 

Vhagar was in no mood to be denied and after an almighty tussle between the pair of them, the orange jacket got on top late in the day. Newinn Cloud made it a one-three for Wallis, with Resonate, Ballymac Madgie and Eagles Respect rounding out the field. 

It was an excellent afternoon for the Kevin Hutton team, landing six winners from the 14 opens on the day. The pick of those was Rebel Alaska who ran away with the final of the BetGoodwin Maiden Series over 450m. It was only the fourth start of his career, so there should be better to come from the half-brother to 2024 bet365 English Puppy Derby winner Bombay Birch as well as the likes of Bombay Nutty.

Hutton landed one of the heats of the bet365 Puppy Oaks with Baroness Velvet. She made the final of the Empress Stakes at Towcester back in September, so she already has experience against more seasoned rivals than the puppies she takes on in this competition. 

It was Bonus Bullet for Belinda Green who was the quickest of the heat winners in 26.70. It was a striking debut run and she is surely another very smart one in a kennel who brought up their maiden century of open race winners with this success. Green would add another heat with Bikini Bullet late on in the afternoon as well as picking up the marathon race on the card with Swift Jarvis. 

Soapy Suds was the third and final heat winner to dip under 27 seconds on the day. Debbie Calvert's litter-sister to Rebel Alaska was another to make her race debut yesterday afternoon. 

Maxine Locke got on the scoresheet with Headford Lily in what had looked a smart heat. She powered home late on to pick up the win with by ever increasing margin as she bolted clear up the straight. Droopys Tiffany won the other heat for Ricky Holloway. It was only the second win in 12 starts for the £12,000 Romford Sales purchase but it is already a third Category One semi-final appearance for her. 

Elsewhere on the undercard, the other four winners for the Hutton kennel were Dreamin Francis, Venetian Mick, Coppice Ferry and Signet Bucko. The second of those backed up his win in the BetGoodwin Maiden Stayers, taking on a stronger field but still coming out three-quarters of a length to the good. Pyro Man landed the other open on the card for Shaun Gresham.

Vhagar and Romeo Empire go head-to-head 

Connections of Rebel Alaska after winning the BetGoodwin Maiden Series final 

Memphis is quickest in the BGBF British Bred Derby semis

There were some shocks at Towcester during their afternoon card, though King Memphis making another Category One final for Liz McNair was certainly not one of them. He had a massive 39 spots in hand over either of the other two semi-final winners, and that was despite not getting the cleanest of runs around himself. Romeo Ability chased him home to land a spot in the decider for Patrick Janssens. 

Janssens' Romeo Alliance was turned over at odds on in the first leg, Venetian Will adding to an excellent day for the Kevin Hutton team just holding off the late charge from Richie Taberner's Aero Borris to take out the opening semi. We said it last week but Venetian Will has limited miles on the clock compared to most of these so he needs plenty of respect next week.

The middle semi-final was a shock for punters as local runner Spiridon Zelus crossed the line in front for Heather Dimmock at 12/1. You have to be in it to win it as they say and the striped jacket on his back afforded him plenty of room to operate when things got tight inside of him. He made the final of the BGBF TruFrame Champion Stakes on Derby final night, so he knows when to up his game. Coppice Lottie took the other spot in the final.

Born Racer was disappointing when knocked out of the opening round of the National Sprint last week but he was simply electric in landing a sprint contest in a flying 15.57 for Carol Weatherall. He was right at the top of the sprinting tree in Ireland, winning the Fair Warrior in 2024 and the Cork Supersprint this year. 

There was a winner for Janssens with Fabulous Aria, though perhaps other runners would have been the main aim of the afternoon. Epic Rebel scored for Phil Milner, a kennel in a similar situation with his two classy British Bred Derby semi-finalists both finding trouble in their respective races. 

Carol Grasso has a nice recruit in Happy Jet. A Boylesports Irish Derby semi-finalist for Pat Buckley, he was off the mark at the second time of asking at Towcester, clocking a solid 29.16. Alright Irene landed a staying contest for David Lewis, Tax Evader won for Laura Pruhs and Aero Pumpkin landed a knockout blow to his opponents for Taberner, the March 24 puppy winning on his race debut.

Soppitt brace at Sheffield

Skywalker Schar and Sunnyside Ted landed a double on the afternoon at Owlerton for Ted Soppitt. The latter in particular has looked a very nice recruit to the sprinting ranks, winning for the third time in five career starts. With respect to his dam, Queen Jay Lo was not one of the better offspring of Skate On but that damline has produced time and time again, and it looks to have done so once more.

Catunda Maura completed a hat-trick for Stephen Naylor in a 480m contest. She has won six of her last nine starts, with two of those in the top 10 times of the year alongside the likes of Wicky Ned, Chelms Bear and Kilmore Dancer.

The best race on the card was probably the 500m contest won by Robert Holt's Tricky Wiggles. His victory came in a field that contained Emmybell Boy, Romeos Cobra and Force as well as Acomb Irene and Carrick Fergie.

Paul Prior landed a sprint contest with Colliers Buckholz, Colin Handford a 500m race with Chart Topper and David Fradgley won the stayers race but not with the one that the punters expected with 20/1 chance Stonepark Abba coming home in front. 

Star Pelaw treble for Tom Heilbron

Glengar Lisa led the way for Team Heilbron at Star Pelaw last night, clocking a smart 36-dead to nail long-time leader Killieford Goram right on the line. The tight confines of this track suit them both well, the pair producing a pulsating finish after the runner-up had taken the lead within the first few strides. 

It was a double for the Glengar prefix as Peppa followed up in the next race, also over 590m, albeit in a slower time. The treble was rounded out with Links Mcgillis who added a sprint open to her two handicap wins at home track Newcastle. Part of a June 24 litter by former kennel star Links Maverick, the success will have meant that little bit more. 

It wouldn't be a night with open races on the card at Star Pelaw without a winner for Glenn Foot. Moanteen Pudding logged a solid 25.76 to take her career record to 6/19.

There were two big surprises for punters with 16/1 and 20/1 winners. Fantastic Dear landed a sprint in 14.56 for Graham Strike but the biggest priced winner was Lisnagowan for Scott Storie, adding to a decent spell that had seen him land A7, A5 and A4 ahead of this open.