The Arc Kent Plate looks a mouthwatering starter ahead of the Derby

Arc Kent Plate receives a strong entry

Central Park received just two shy of the requisite 36 entries for the upcoming Arena Racing Company Kent Plate - and, as expected, the entry includes defending champion Proper Heiress. 

The newly crowned Greyhound of the Year lines up for Mark Wallis in heat three of the £12,500 Category One annual which will be run over 491m across the next three Saturdays in what will be his seasonal bow for the champion trainer and his owners the MWD Partnership. 

With the Star Sports & Orchestrate English Greyhound Derby outlined as Proper Heiress's main target, connections will be hoping his less busy campaign in 2026 will see the three-and-a-half year old arrive fresh at Towcester, where he won last year's Juvenile Championship. 

Proper Heiress, knocked out in the second round of the Derby having previously also won the Winter Derby and Kent Plate, is joined by kennelmates Bruce Bay, this year's Winter Derby winner, strong-running Rackethall Brute and Silverhill Adam in the entry, the latter impressing in his prep trial. 

Patrick Janssens also launches a strong challenge for the Central Park showpiece with Slick Sentinel and Droopys Graph lining up in heats two and four respectively, while other notable entries include last year's Monmore Puppy Derby and Gold Cup winner Headford Dane for Maxine Locke, Tony Dean's unbeaten-in-the-UK Upper Horgan, and Jason Heath's Droopys Deploy, like Proper Heiress, an Irish Derby finalist last year. 

Rob Killingbeck, Central Park racing manager, said: "It's a strong entry which we expected given the strength of the trial stakes and Saturday's card is top class largely because of the Arc Kent Plate. However, we also have the Arc Novice Stayers Trophy Final in which both Zenith Legend and Front Polo stepped up in trip impressively to win their heats."