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The Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final- Preview

The Final of The Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final worth £7,500 to the winner takes place at Sunderland this evening at 9.14pm. We preview the big race but first we hear the thoughts of Kevin Hutton and Emma Buckley

Author
Graham Banks
27 Jun 2025
The Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final- Preview

The Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final- Preview

The Final of The Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy Final worth £7,500 to the winner takes place at Sunderland this evening at 9.14pm. We preview the big race but first we hear the thoughts of Kevin Hutton and Emma Buckley on Jacktavern Chief and favourite, Slingshot Poppy

Kevin Hutton :"Jacktavern Chief is beginning to get to grips with the Sunderland circuit and he ran out a near 5 length winner of his Puppy Cup semi-final on Friday evening. Despite being crowded on the run-up and both the first and third bends, he improved his clock nicely to 26.93 and gives the impression there’s a big run in him when everything comes together. Hopefully that comes in next week’s final!" 


Emma Buckley:" "Saffron" is in great form. She's come out of her races in good shape and for a puppy, she's handled the travelling really well. She's taken to the track considering she never got a look round before the opening heats as she was tied up in the Produce Stakes here in Clonmel. She's taken to the track well and was very impressive in the first round. She missed the kick in the Semi and i got a bit worried for her because she's more a front running type, but she was brave at the second bend and had to work hard to get herself to the front. It's nice to see she's versatile and can do it both ways though".


"She needs to come away in the Final. She has two good early pacers on her inside and there is only one spot on the clock between her and Kevin's dog so it should make for a brilliant race!"


"James and I bred her and she's been reared, schooled and trained here at home so it's special to see her turn into a good tracker who is competing at the top level. I hope she runs a good race for her news owners Craig and the Slingshot Syndicate"

Sunnyside Jayden: Best Price 12/1 Unibet, Ladbrokes, Coral, BoyleSports

 Trainer Ted Soppitt fields two runners in this Final, and of the two, Sunnyside Jayden could be the more fancied runner, and current odds of 12/1 could prove quite tempting for some.


 Having made all the running in his head, Sunnyside Jayden produced an explosive break in his Semi Final, a lightning 4.78, and was able to build up a lead of a length and a half into the second bend.


He was then headed by race winner Slingshot Poppy down the back, but showed good tenacity as Slingshot Poppy couldn’t build on her length advantage. In fact, he was only picked up late for second by Greenwell Tyson and even then had to hold off the unwanted attention Steadyon Marlene to qualify, recording 27.04 in doing so.


If he can break in the same fashion as he did in his Semi Final, then 12/1 could prove to be a spot of value as an each way proposition, or with forecasts and tricasts, especially if the strong running Greenwell Tyson and Jacktavern Chief were to get held up at any stage. 


Sunnyside Gurkha: Best Price 16/1 PricedUp.Bet

The second runner from the Ted Soppitt kennel to line up in this Final and on paper, looks to have it all to do on the clock.


However, his run in the Semi Final in just his second start was promising. Without breaking in the same fashion as his kennelmate Sunnyside Jayden, Sunnyside Gurkha still showed decent early pace into the first bend where he overcame a slight bump with Witton Williams to hit the front and built up a lead of a length. 


At the third bend though, he became the proverbial meat in the sandwich between the rallying Witton Williams and Jacktavern Chief, causing him to drop back to third. It would have been easy enough to down tools at this point, but he battled back well to finish runner up, recording 27.31 in doing so.


16/1 is probably a fair price and may tempt a few people in for an each way or forecast/tricast selection. It could be worth noting that on May 5th at Enniscorthy, Sunnyside Gurkha finished a length and a half behind Slingshot Poppy, which shows his potential, and it wouldn’t be a surprise If he were to be involved at some stage


Slingshot Poppy- Best Price 11/8 PricedUp.Bet

Pat Buckley’s October 23 whelp is the youngest of the six Finalists and having made the journey across the Irish Sea, is likely to head to the traps as the favourite to land this £7,500 winners prize having won both Heat and Semi Final.


On both occasions she showed good early pace to score. In her Heat, she made all the running in 26.93 from Greenwell Tyson by a length and a half, but in the Semi Final, just a short head separated the pair as Slingshot Poppy again came out on top in 26.94 but she had to work for that victory as Sunnyside Jayden tore off into an early lead.


She looks to be a worthy favourtite on the back of those runs, and the two times recorded are the quickest of the competition. There’s just a feeling though that she could prove to be vulnerable in the later stages and if she were to hit the front here, followers should be looking behind to see just how far away Greenwell Tyson and Jacktavern Chief are. 


Can she win? Of course. Will she win? I don’t know. If she breaks well and can lead early, then she could prove tough to reel in, but if one of those strong runners can turn handy, then I think it could be game on


Witton Versace: Best Price 33/1 PricedUp.Bet

Having been sent off at 12/1 and 20/1 for both Heat and Semi Final, Jill Sutherst’s runner has done extremely well just to qualify for this Final and lines up as the 33/1 outsider.


Witton Versace has finished third on both occasions to qualify but this race could prove to be a step too far. She isn’t blessed with a huge amount of early pace so will struggle to lead this field, and there are stronger at the finish, so again, may struggle to come from behind a few of these. 


Her last victory was actually here in a graded contest back in April although her best time came in a trial later on that month when recording a 27.22 but that time though still puts her a good four lengths behind the main protagonists here.


Where as you could make a case for a couple of the outsiders, it’s hard to do so on this occasion, but you never know in Greyhound Racing, and she is sure to be trying her heart out.


Greenwell Tyson: Best Price 13/2 PricedUp.Bet

One of the strongest runners in this field and having finished runner up to Slingshot Poppy in both Heat and Semi Final, trainer John Flaherty will be hopeful his son of Droopys Tulip will be able to go one place better here.


Greenwell Tyson has improved on the clock in both races since an initial trial, and if he were to continue that trend again here, then it could be enough to see him landing the prize. He was beaten a length and three quarters in the Heats but was only denied by a short head in the Semi Final, just failing to reel Slingshot Poppy in at the finish, staying on powerfully on both occasions.


This draw in Trap Five looks as though it could suit him as well as in both previous starts, he has moved in on the run up from the striped jacket and with Slingshot Poppy likely to be at the head of affairs early, if he can avoid Witton Verscae early, then he could have plenty of room down the back to be in contention late.


13/2 looks to be a decent price considering that Slingshot Poppy is 11/8, with just a short head separating the pair last time out. Being a strong runner, he will need that luck rounding the bends and if he runs into traffic, there could be too much ground to recover, but if the gaps can open for him, it’s hard to see him finishing out of the first three.


Jacktavern Chief: Best Price 9/4 Ladbrokes & Coral

Kevin Hutton makes the long journey up to Sunderland with Jacktavern Chief, and it looks as though he has every chance of making it a worthwhile trip.


Like Greenwell Tyson, Jacktavern Chief has improved on the clock with each visit at the track following his initial trial and on the back of an impressive display in his Semi Final, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him landing the spoils.


Having finished runner up to Witton Williams in his Heat, Jacktavern Chief produced an impressive performance to land his Semi Final. Having been crowded on the run up and rounding the first bend by Witton Williams, he was able to head off down the back straight a couple of lengths behind the leaders in third. Having shown good pace down the back, he was to overcome another bump from Witton Williams when taking up the lead, but drew clear from that point to record a four and three quarter length victory in 26.93.


He looks to have the best of the draw with  Greenwell Tyson likely to be cutting in slightly on the run up, so ought to be able to gain a clear passage, and if that’s the case, then he could prove tough to hold off in the later stages

 

Verdict:

It looks to be an intriguing Final and most of the field look to have various claims of landing the £7,500 winners prize. The unbeaten Slingshot Poppy is likely to go off favourite and if she is able to build up an early lead, then she could take plenty of catching. But she was headed in the early stages by Sunnyside Jayden in the Semi Finals and a similar scenario could occur here which may set things up for one of the strong runners. Greenwell Tyson has been a good runner up on both occasions behind Slingshot Poppy and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reversing that form. However, JACKTAVERN CHIEF will get the vote. Kevin Hutton’s runner looks to have a favourable draw in the striped jacket and could get first run on Greenwell Tyson. If clearing him, he can set his sights on the likely two pacesetters and if close enough rounding the third bend, then he could reel them in approaching the last bend

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