Wallis lands a big-race double at Hove

Big-race double for Wallis

Mark Wallis and the MWD Partnership stole the show by landing both big finals at Hove in front of the Gone To The Dogs – live! cameras on Saturday night.

Despite having the odds-on favourite in both deciders, the Wallis-trained dogs still had to perform to land top-class races and they did just that.

Mongys Wild continued his dominance of the UK staying scene when justifying odds of 1/4 by four lengths in the Premier Greyhound Racing Regency over 695m.

The withdrawal of Garfiney Blaze in trap one left the coast clear for Romeo Empire to cut loose on the inside and he quickly opened a very healthy lead, with Mongys Wild settling in fourth early doors.

Patrick Janssens’ charge continued to blaze a trail on the second circuit but the writing looked on the wall when Mongys Wild made his move into second down the back straight and pressed the leader at the fifth bend.

Now in full flight, Mongys Wild (T3, below) took it up turning for home and powered clear on the run-in to claim the £20,000 first prize in an impressive 41.19 (+15).

(pictures Steve Nash)

Speaking to Jason Barrasford on Gone To The Dogs – Live!, Wallis said: “These finals are so hard to win, even though we were expected to.

“He actually got a bump of his kennelmate, Bombay Nutty, but his ‘sat nav’ is really good and he’s worked hard (to win).

“It was a fabulous performance. To do 41.19 from behind like that is so exciting and he’s such an exciting dog.”

That was his third Category One success of the year, a feat matched by his kennelmate Proper Heiress as the latter dominated from the front in the 515m Coral Sussex Cup earlier on the card.

The early exchanges were always going to be crucial in this £10,000 decider and after a fairly level break, it was Proper Heiress who showed the better early speed to get inside Slick Sentinel at the first bend and assume command.

The 4/9 favourite (T2, below) really stretched them out down the far side with a dazzling turn of foot and while Chelms Bear stayed on strongly to claim second place, he could only get within two and three-quarter lengths of the winner, who stopped the clock at a rapid 29.64.

Wallis said: “That was a terrific race. He trapped better and we knew Slick Sentinel would go up with him, but he (Proper Heiress) had that inside pitch which was vital. Chems Bear came after him again but he held it in the semi-final and, thankfully, he held it again tonight. 

“It was another great performance from a great dog.”

There were two other finals on a stellar card at the south coast venue and Shadow Storm bounced back from a surprise defeat in the heats to land the Coral Sussex Sprint Trophy decider over 285m.

Shadow Storm (6/5fav) and Ballinakill Liam put the pace to the race and it was the latter who turned in front out wide. However, the Richard Rees-trained winner had plenty of room on the rails and made full use of it, as he stormed up the home straight to deny that rival by half a length and score in 16.18.

The was a Paul Donovan one-two in the Coral 500 Standard Trophy final as kennelmates Hopes Kitty and So Cool fought it out in a cracking duel for the £750 first prize.

They paced up into the bend together and went stride for stride at the head of affairs all the way down the back straight, but it was So Cool who asserted at the third turn and stayed on strongly to cross the line three and three-quarter lengths clear of his kennel companion in 29.17 over 500m.

The evening kicked off with popular winner as King Memphis won first race since returning from a lengthy layoff.

Having exited the Sussex Cup in the semi-finals, Liz McNair’s charge made the most of a drop in class to lead up and pull three and three-quarter lengths clear of Moving Force to strike over 500m in 28.96.

Having won at Newcastle on Gone To The Dogs – live! nine days earlier, Salcres Belleza completed a quick-fire double in the Coral Finals Night Marathon over 955m.

Eternal Spirit blazed a trail from She Loves You but the winner’s superior stamina really kicked in on the final circuit and Peter Harnden’s charge surged into the lead at the seventh bend,

The 8/11 favourite went on to cross the line six lengths clear of the staying-on Ower Smasher in a winning time of 59.81.

Stamina also won the day in the PGR Regency Consolation as Belinda Green’s Swift Jarvis (9/4) came from last to first on his way to a four-and-three-quarter-length success over Lilys Bullet in 41.83.

Green completed a double on the night when Bossy Bullet sprang a 9/1 surprise with a three-and-three-quarter-length victory over Head For Home in the Churchfield Syd Happy Retirement At Stud over 500m.

There was also a double for Carl Gardiner, whose Droops String (T1, below) was a facile five-length winner at 2/7 over Bombshell Bullet in the Coral Finals Night 500 Puppies, while Clairkeith Liana caused a surprise when touching off Gucci Detail by three-quarters of a length to land the Droopys Clue Happy Retirement At Stud at 18/1 in 29.22 (+10).

Seamus Cahill gave the locals something to cheer about by taking the last two races of the evening, starting with 9/4 shot Missile One (T4, below), who made all in 29.02 (+10) over 500m by a length and a quarter from Gary The Arb.

Fellow Cahill inmate Harlequin Gambit belied odds of 7/1 when striking in the closing 500m maiden by a neck from the eye-catching Cartoonist in 30.03 (+10).

Upcoming Opens 

Sunday: Star Pelaw-Towcester

Monday: Nottingham

Friday: Romford-Sunderland