Warrior slays his Puppy Classic rivals with record run

ANNADOWN WARRIOR turned in a dazzling display to land his first Category One title in a new track-record time for Nottingham’s 500m in Monday’s £12,500 Arc Puppy Classic final.. 

Maxine Locke’s dog had been knocking on the big-race door with runner-up slots in the Juvenile Classic and Puppy Trophy and absolutely barged it down with a 28.93sec blast.

The son of Grangeview Ten pinged out to clock a rapid 4.85sec sectional and his only real pursuer was Irish raider Daleroad Magic.

Pat Guilfoyle’s youngster ran a stormer to get on the heels of the leader going around the final turns, but the leader was not stopping and marched on up the home straight to win by almost two lengths from his gallant rival, taking two spots off the track record set by Proper Heiress during last year’s Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse.

Guilfoyle’s other finalist, 16-1 shot Magical Marty, outran his odds to take third, while the winner’s litter-brother Annadown Shadow finished fourth after an early barging match with Scooby Mustang that ended the hopes of both by the first bend.

Jack Russell, head of the JR Racing Syndicate that owns the winner, was delighted by his pup’s performance.

“He is a fantastic greyhound,” he said. “He’s brilliant at home and on the track. If he breaks well he’s hard to pass and the track record was the icing on the cake.

“If we can avoid injury he has a great season ahead, unlike his [other] brother Chip has an injury at the moment and will be off for a while.”

On the undercard, there was plenty of success for the local handlers.

Locke’s night began in inauspicious style when her Turnthemagicon, sent off the 4-9 favourite, again lost his race at the boxes in the final of the Nottingham-greyhounds.co.uk Sprint Trophy. Instead, it was Jason Gray’s No Dreamers who bolted out to lead round.

Turnthemagicon again showed his all-round pace to close all the way off the second bend, but the line came in time for the 12-1 shot who got home by a short head in 17.76sec (+20) for the 305m trip.

The trainer doubled up with Kellies Emerald also showing the opposition a clean pair of heels over 500m in 29.63sec, while Peter Holland landed the Nottingham-greyhounds.co.uk Standard Trophy final albeit not in the manner expected.

His Tetra Eco was a heavily backed 6-4 favourite, but put himself on the back foot with a missed break. He still rushed up to poach a first-bend lead, but Holland’s Jet Stream Jane proved strongest coming home, getting past for a three-parts margin in 30.24sec.

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