Tiffield Tarquin is quickest in the Coral Essex Vase

Tarquin goes fastest in the Essex Vase

Friday was a tough night at Romford for many punters but those who kept the faith in the favourites were finally rewarded in the final race on the card as Tiffield Tarquin produced the run of the round to kick off the Coral Essex Vase.

Roy Peckham's wide runner bolted up, in control after just a few strides and never looking back to hand out a six and a half length beating in 34.94. He has proven well suited to this 575m test, making the final of the Champion Stakes back in October.

The winner of the Champion Stakes was New Destiny but she was unable to cope with Jason Heath's Burrows Charm in the opening heat after an uncharacteristically slow break. The pair both had to make their ground from the back of the field to qualify, with the winner clocking 35.48.

Gary The Arb broke the track record on his final start before the opening round but Belinda Green's charge was drawn directly outside Antigua Eagle who was stepping back up in trip having recently joined Glenn Foot from Kevin Hutton. A very smart four-bend performer who has the early to lead up Cat One dogs over that trip, the result was never in doubt once Gary The Arb was slow to stride.

Qualification for the semis was all that really mattered last night which was done by the Mark Wallis big guns, but perhaps more than just one winner would have been expected, and probably not that of Newinn Deejay over some of his shorter-priced kennelmates. He came from a little off the early pace to land heat three in 35.69.

We said last week that Silverhill Adam would need to sharpen up his trapping to be a serious contender but it was another slow getaway last night, for all that he qualified. Out The Blue was an impressive winner of the heat from the front for Maxine Locke in 35.30.

The other heat on the night went to Paul Burr's Bacon Frazzles who took the scalp of Fabulous Sonique. She out trapped the Wallis runner but found herself behind at the bend, checking up and slipping back to fourth. Halfway down the back she still looked an unlikely winner but she gradually ground the leader down by half a length in 35.40. Sadly the winner has already been taken out of the semis as lame.

Zenith Legend sets the Silver Maiden standard

Zenith Legend entered the Silver Maiden with a single win to his credit, an A3 dead-heat success back in July. He did not look the most obvious runner in the competition to produce the run of the first round, but he did so for David Mullins. A place looked on the cards again after a hefty bump at the opening bend but he showed great tenacity to run down Stormy Pat.

Jason Heath picked up the first half of a double with Seomra Hachi, clocking 24.12 in his all-the-way win in heat three. The Hove raider has hit a great patch of form having won an A4 at his home track on October 22.

A similar comment applies to Laughil Dave for Dave Lee who has taken off in the last few months. Go back to October and he was racing in an A10 at the track on his debut for the kennel, winning eight of his 13 starts now for Lee, breaking his open maiden duck in fine style.

The Katie O'Flaherty team enjoyed an exceptional end to 2025, winning with 11 of their last 20 open runners of the year. Dinner Charlie picked up the first of 2026 with his 24.30 opening round success.

Breffni Una picked up heat five for Jamie Kingsley, her first win for the kennel on her 10th start. She had been pitched into the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks before the BetGoodwin Maiden Series at Oxford, making the semis in the latter. 

Heat one was won by Debbie Hurlock's Rebel Elizabeth. She showed the best pace to the bend and was never for catching, notching up a win at the first time of asking for the kennel in 24.47.

Gypsy makes it 2/2 over eight bends

Greenwell Gypsy sprung a 12/1 surprise on her first try over a marathon trip in December at Newcastle but she was sent off odds-on on the second go at Sunderland last night. The result was exactly the same, a fluent win and the potential to stamp her authority on the marathon scene this year forJohn Flaherty.

Flaherty doubled up on the card with Naochra who picked up a 450m win in 26.96. He got a perfect tow into things from Ballymac Deboss and picked up that rival on the run-in to land a first win since Nottingham in October.

There was also a double on the card for Ted Soppitt. Sunnyside Jayden and Toddys Wolf produced a great battle in a sprint final, the former just getting the job done for Soppitt. Sunnyside Cairo picked up the second leg of a double, also in a sprint contest, in a time 27 spots slower than Jayden.

Tom Heilbron picked up a win with Unanimous Leon who produced an identical 26.96 run to Naochra. Crafty Kido won for Savva Roberts and Simpson Sniper landed the first open of the evening for Raymond Hale.