ANTIGUA LAVA was again fastest in Sunday’s semi-finals of the 1st Containers Marathon Trophy at Towcester, with the outcome of the two contests at the Northamptonshire circuit setting up one of the best eight-bend deciders of recent years later this week.

However, it was the improving Mark Wallis-trained stayer who set the standard once again when making all in the second semi, racing into a long lead (27.37sec sectional) before holding St Leger champion Space Jet (Matt Dartnall) and Greyhound of the Year Aayamza Royale (Mark Wallis) by a head and the same. The winning time for the 912m trip was 56.11sec (+60).

The first semi-final again saw a long lead set up, this time by the John Mullins-trained Burgess Elite who raced to an electric 27.25sec split before hot favourite Savana Volcano came with a withering run to grab the leader off the last bend. Diane Henry’s bitch went on to win by two and three-quarter lengths, with third place going to Droopys Jungle (Matt Dartnall). The winning time was 56.44sec (+60).

It means a superb marathon final has been set up for Towcester this Sunday, featuring GBGB Category One and Classic winners aplenty – much to the delight of the track’s management, with consultant Nathan Corden among those excited by the prospect of the very best marathon performers strutting their stuff at the venue.

He said: “It’s got to be one of the best marathon races to have graced the sand for years.

“It’s not often you have a Greyhound of the Year, a St Leger winner and a Dorando Marathon winner in the field – and they’re not even the fastest so far! That honour goes to Antigua Lava, of course, who lines up as one of two Mark Wallis-trained runners in the final given Mark’s also represented by Aayamza Royale, the reigning Greyhound of the Year.

“Indeed, special mention must go to Aayamza Royale’s connections given Mitch Brenner, a leading member of the owning syndicate, is actually sponsoring the race through his company 1st Containers.

“Matt Dartnall has matched Mark Wallis’s achievement by also getting two runners through to the final courtesy of his St Leger winner Space Jet and Droopys Jungle, while there is obviously huge support here at Towcester for Savana Volcano. She’s owned by the boss (Kevin Boothby), but also has a great fan club at the track given she’s already won two major eight-bend competitions here.

“And mention of Savana Volcano leads me to congratulate breeder Pat Dalton and the great achievement of his super brood Volcano who has three in the final – littermates Antigua Lava and Space Jet, plus their older half-sister Savana Volcano.

“Incidentally, fair play also to the connections of Burgess Elite, the only dog in the race. The battle for early supremacy between him Antigua Lava looks intriguing. Either way, and however the race unfolds, it’s a must-see for all greyhound fans and we would encourage them all to come to Towcester and see the big final live on Sunday when once again we’ll have top-class racing and a host of supporting opens.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=378502&raceId=783587

Form and trap draw for Sunday’s 1st Containers Marathon Trophy Final: https://towcester-racecourse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/912.pdf