Flare class underlined by another staying exhibition

DROOPYS FLARE rammed home her superiority over six bends in the opening round of this year’s Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger at Dunstall Park on Saturday.

Sean Parker’s Regency champion, who finished runner-up in the St Leger when it was staged at Nottingham last year, looked at ease back over the 715m trip in Wolverhampton – where she holds the track record.

On a track rated 35 spots slow, multiple big-race winner Vhagar led early in the third of four opening round qualifiers. However, Parker’s star, who was sent off the 2-11 favourite, took charge at the fourth turn before turning on the style and clearing away.

Over five lengths quicker on the clock than anything on the night, the staying supremo clocked 43.10sec.

“I’m delighted with where we are with Droopys Flare,” said Parker yesterday. “It’s been a few weeks since the Regency and her fitness can only improve.

“The further she progresses in this competition I believe the fitter she’ll get and the better she’ll be.

“We’re not taking anything for granted – you can’t in this game – but we know she’s special and there certainly isn’t another one like her coming down the road again any time soon for me!

“She’s full of beans this morning and we’ll just take each race as it comes with her and hopefully she can do the business.

“I won’t look beyond this competition but it would be great to enjoy her over the autumn and I wouldn’t rule out another crack at the Winter Racing Festival at Shelbourne Park in November.”

Next quickest was Jimmy Fenwick’s recent Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic third Zenith Pasha in the second qualifier.

The lightly raced January 2024 whelp took up the running at the third bend from early leader Resonate, and went on to score by just under two lengths from Kevin Hutton’s bitch in 43.53sec.

Hutton had better fortune in the opening heat as his Venetian Mick made all to lead home kennelmate Tooreen Rose by a length in 43.78sec.

The other qualifier was a muddling affair where stamina came to the fore, with Paul Young’s Droopys Rhona beating the staying-on marathon star Greenwell Gypsy by half a length in 43.99sec.

The £12,500 Arc Birmingham Cup kicked off alongside the staying Classic with six first-round heats.

It was Fenwick’s ante-post jolly and triple Category One winner Woltemade who set the standard with a sublime front-running display in heat five.

He stormed to the front early and came home in 28.20sec, almost four lengths clear of Droopys Alldeway.

Central Park’s Maxine Locke kicked off the action with the first two winners. Her Gold Cup third Headford Cian (28.58sec) pounced late in the opener before kennelmate Headford Dane (28.52sec) broke smartly and dominated throughout in heat two.

Hutton, who won the Birmingham Cup when it was last staged at Perry Barr in 2024 with Rioja Bungle, was also on the scoreboard over 480m with his powerful Kranky Drake, who asserted late in heat three and clocked 28.56sec.

Leading fancies Ballymac Blanco and Droopys Poker both fell at the opening bend here but did complete the course.

Monmore handler Richie Taberner has his kennel in fine form and his 12-1 shot Holding Aero powered past leader Elusivenomore at the third in the final qualifier before going to win by a length in 28.54sec.

The draw for both competitions will be made today and broadcast live on Dunstall Park social media.

Super Scooby returns to Central Park with a win

SCOOBY THE LADY returned to competitive action ahead of a probable Kent Derby campaign with a win at Central Park on Saturday.

The Richard Rees-trained Kent Plate champion battled hard to rub out Dave Lee’s Brunch Pal late on, scoring by just under a length in 29.21sec for the 491m.

Local handler George Andreas notched a double, sending out maiden sprint winner Insane Mariela (16.72sec) over 277m and his Im Afraid Not (40.99sec), who reeled in long odds-on favourite Foxwood Christy in a novice stayers contest over 664m.

At Monmore, Timmys Hunter won the first of two finals, with Pat Curtin’s talented stayer digging deep to land the Ladbrokes.com Dual Distance final as he dropped down to 480m from last week’s 630m heats.

Curtin’s wide broke well and led, but was challenged at halfway by Richie Taberner’s Aero Pepinillo. However, he fended him off to cross the line just under a length clear in 28.53sec.

Taberner landed three of the five opens at the Wolverhampton venue, including the 480m maiden final with his promising Moanteen Hatton in 28.33sec.

His Aero Luther (15.45sec) took a sprint contest over 264m and kennelmate Adelinesfirstdog (28.41sec) completed the treble by winning the first of two heats of the Ladbrokes.com 480m Trophy.

The other went to the Chris Jones-trained Ballymac Odin (28.79sec), but the race was marred by Dave Page’s long odds-on favourite Wise Tournament breaking down while leading.

Rose Draper picked up a double at Doncaster courtesy of Thurlesbeg Lexy (29.46sec) and Rockmount Bob (27.27sec) over 483m and 450m respectively, while at Star Pelaw, Rick Holloway bagged both 435m hurdle contests.

Razldazl Barkley (26.19sec) and win machine Micky Tribute (25.94sec) took the spoils, the latter registering his 12th straight success.

Liberty breaks free to set the Produce standard

ROMEO LIBERTY set the standard in the second round of the 80th Two-Year-Old Produce Stakes at Towcester on a good day for his trainer Tom Heilbron, writes Paul Brown.

He left last week’s modest opening effort behind him after showing a smart turn of early speed to outpace fast-starting As Happy As Bryn to the bend in heat two. He was always holding his rival and came home two lengths clear in 28.92sec for the 500m trip.

Keefill Walker did a tremendous amount of running to come from behind to win his first-round heat, but this time Phil Milner’s pup burst from the boxes to lead odds-on jolly Harton Whirlwind in the final qualifier.

Rose Draper’s dog tried hard to get to his rival, but the October 24 whelp was not stopping up front and galloped all the way to the line to win by a length and a half in 28.98sec.

Singalong Cherry justified odds-on favouritism in heat one but made hard work of it.

Pat Buckley’s bitch struggled to get past early leader Countess Penny, but her strength up the run-in proved decisive and she scored by half a length in 29.16sec.

Power also won the day for Ballycian Boy as John Flaherty’s dog left it late to reel in Heilbron’s Romeo Astron on the run-in by a neck in 29.19sec.

Unanimous Leo kicked off the Heilbron hat-trick with a best-of-day romp in the opening round of the Northamptonshire Sprint over 270m.

A fast start saw the issue effectively settled by the opening bend and he crossed the line just over three lengths clear in 15.68sec.

Magical Jason was just two spots slower as he landed heat three for Kevin Hutton, while Headford Fiona dominated heat two for Maxine Locke with a 15.75sec success.

Toddys Wolf sent Heilbron home a happy man, also clocking 15.75sec in the final heat.

In trials before racing, Patrick Janssens’ 2025 Derby winner Droopys Plunge showed he is coming back to form after injury with a smart 28.85sec trial over the 500m trip on going rated as 20 spots slow.

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