Void race takes gloss off a top-class night at Nottingham

A flying start to the National Sprint, but . . .

Romeo Steel set the 305m track record at Nottingham back in March, clocking 17.32 a week after a 17.38 run. Last night Ballinakill Liam produced the third quickest time of the year, stopping the clock in 17.41, the quickest winner in the opening round of the Arena Racing Company National Sprint. 

However, it was all for nothing as the race - heat six of the Category Two two-bender - was subsequently declared void with traps three and four running from the wrong boxes. It ended what had been an excellent night on a sour note. 

Newcastle trainer Tom Heilbron conceded his kennelstaff were in part to blame for the error and has since withdrawn the two greyhounds involved - Lightfoot Jamie, who ran out of trap four instead of trap three, and Madabout Peck, who ran from trap three instead of four. Heilbron's decision and honest assessment of the situation has been widely applauded.

Nottingham later confirmed that Richie Taberner had also taken out Aero Drama which meant that Ballinakill Liam, Droopys Will and Sevenofdiamonds went into the hat for the semi-final re-draw.

Like Ballinakill Liam, Roanna Mamba is another who has been notching up wins like they are going out of fashion. He landed a seventh on the spin for Michelle Brown and is finishing his year in serious style. It was one of the clashes of the night as he saw off the Heilbron-trained Bower Sheeran by a short head.

Brown was the only trainer to pick up more than a single winner on the night. Pro Parker had emerged victorious in the heat before Roanna Mamba in 17.82. He is an old pro at the game these days, in double figures for open race wins this year after tallies at Doncaster and at his favourite stomping ground of Romford.

After breaking the 255m track record on his last visit, Newinn Bachelor added a smart 17.56 success over 305m. Kim Billingham-Hine has the son of Coolavanny Hoffa on great terms with himself at present, picking up a fourth win on the bounce and his eighth from his last 11 starts. 

The surprise of the round came with the defeat of the other joint favourite in the ante-post market, Shadow Storm. Toddys Wolf laid down a couple of clues about his talent at Sunderland, chasing home his Heilbron-trained kennelmate Bower Sheeran in the final of the Arena Racing Company Shootout. He clocked 21.01 over 400y at Dundalk at just 19 months old, and clearly has a huge amount of natural speed.

Bockos Buster took the other heat for Kevin Boon. He has made a string of big finals in the second half of the year and took a big step towards another with a 17.79 success. He missed the break a bit but paced up well and drove the bend hard around a bit of trouble on his inside to book his place in the semis. 

Craig Morris got the opens started with March On Luna after Barry Denby had swept the three graded contests. Luna was a Puppy Cup finalist at Romford before exiting the Oaks in the second round after finding trouble. Just 12 starts into her career, there is surely better to come from her in 2026.

Hopes Ompaloompa added another win to an excellent 2025 to close out the card with a victory for Esther Driver. He was a very short price to land his seventh open at the track this year from 13 runs but justified his cramped odds in style.

The other open on the card went to Nathan Hunt's Kilara Kopeck. It was just the fourth start of his life, winning for the second time after a Monmore top grade affair. His dam is from the family of Brinkleys Poet, Kilara Lion et al, so he is another who looks one to keep on the right side of next year.