Proper stunning in Eclipse final
PROPER HEIRESS turned in a staggering performance to land the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse final at Nottingham on Monday.
His 15-length romp prompted Peter Robinson, Nottingham’s joint-racing manager, to exclaim “bloody hell” as he watched from the stewards’ box as the Mark Wallis-trained star set a new track record of 28.95sec (going +30) for the 500m trip.
It was the first sub-29-second win over the course, five spots inside March On Freddie’s 29.00sec mark set during 2024’s Puppy Classic.
“The further the race went, the more he drew clear of the others,” said Robinson. His colleague Jason Smith agreed, “Awesome, pure speed”.
Nervousness about unseeded Proper Heiress’s draw in trap five had seen him drift to 8-11 favourite from an initial 4-9, but he broke well and his speed propelled him clear. Elusivenomore turned second before Kilmore Dancer, Wallis’s other runner, plugged on to grab the runner-up spot for a kennel one-two.
The remainder bunched early and first-bend trouble saw Pain Barrier tumble over the outside barrier, where kennelmate Droopys Poker, trained by Kim Billingham-Hine was badly impeded.
Pain Barrier had picked himself up and gallantly carried on a distance behind. He was reported fine but will now enjoy a deserved rest. “I’d expect him to be a bit stiff in the morning,” said Tom Faulkner, assistant to Billingham-Hine.
It was a fifth Category One in 12 months for Proper Heiress, known as ‘Harry’ at home. Starting off as 2-1 ante-post favourite, he dominated the Category One, as had Newinn Syd for the same connections in 2023. It was Wallis’s fourth Eclipse win
The trainer said: “It’s been a great year for Harry, also reaching the Irish Derby final, but of all his runs tonight’s was the most scintillatingly brutal performance. With Mongys Wild too we’re in the happy position of having two contenders for Greyhound of the Year. Harry now runs in the Olympic heats at Hove on Saturday and will attempt to defend that title. After that, don’t expect to see much of him as he’ll then be laid out for next year’s Derby at Towcester.”
Mike Davis, his delighted owner and now Towcester promoter, admitted he had been anxious beforehand about the draw and said: “Wow. I doubt I’ll ever have one like Harry again. He’s been on the go all year, kept sound and has been superbly handled by Mark and his team.
“Greyhounds like him fuel my passion for greyhound racing and hopefully Harry and Ned [Mongys Wild] can inspire others and grow the audience for our sport - it’s what we want to achieve at Towcester.”
Garry Nash, MD of PGR, made the presentation of the impressively large cup. He said: “What a winner,” he said, “It was a performance that took your breath away.”
There was also a track record in the £1,000 255m dash final with Newinn Bachelor (4-9F) taking charge at the first bend on the way to a 14.83sec effort – beating Skate On’s 2014 mark – for owners Gary Burston, Lee Wragg and James Hine.
Faulkner said: “He has massive pace and is on fire. We’ll now trial him over 305m here and then go for the National Sprint [starts Monday week].”
Heats of a 305m event also went to favourites with Born Racer (4-7f) for Carol Weatherall (17.61sec) and Michelle Brown’s Roanna Mamba (8-13f) in 17.83sec.
Outa The Clouds (evens, 29.54sec) looked the part when rocketing out in the 500m puppy race for Mike Burton. His sectional time of 4.94sec was the fastest of the night.
Burton said: “We had needed patience for him to settle in but he’s now more than done that - his Puppy Collar win at Oxford was my first Cat One as a trainer.
“He’ll now have a break, but there are some nice competitions coming up at Monmore in the New Year and we’ll then seek some experience for him at Towcester ahead of the Derby.”
Esther Driver’s No Better Feelin (6-1) has given his connections a great year and the Derby semi-finalist will have another go at the premier Classic in 2026 after overturning odds-on Zenith Tanju, who ran fifth in Towcester final when known as Sole Mio.
No Better Feeling, owned by Dave and Diane Wood, asserted at halfway to clock 29.19sec.
Loxleys Forest (13-8F) blasted to a 41.41sec win over 680m for a ‘disguised’ Jason Gray - he is going unshaven through ‘Movember’, the initiative that promotes men’s health.
“He’s run well in a good four-bend company all year for his proud owners, Robin Hood Racing [Sam Wheeler],” said Gray. “We’re looking at Newcastle’s All England Cup for him, but a 640m on final night there is another option.”
Curraghmorechamp (5-1) made all from trap four to take the £1,000 480m final in 28.52sec. Peter Holland, the winning trainer, said: “This is a dead railer who needs trap one, but once he got in front he stays well.”
Rogue Duo unfortunately broke down on the second bend here with a fractured hock.
There was a 9-1 surprise in the concluding four-runner 480m maiden when Ian Walker’s Rapido Steve got first run on 1-5 jolly Kilara Kopeck, holding him by a neck in 28.75sec.
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