TINTREACH JET edged out favourite Havana Class to claim gold for trainer Paul Donovan  in Monday’s Arc Silver Salver Final at Central Park on Monday.

The GBGB Category Two feature, not run in 2021 due to Covid restrictions, returned to the schedule with a three-round format and shared the stage with the Arc Springbok – both events rescheduled to successive Monday mornings due to trackside lighting issues at the Kent venue.

Lining up from trap six in the £5,000 final, Tintreach Jet flew from the boxes and put pressure on his rivals, including Havana Class, and, while Liz McNair’s dog showed superb pace to draw alongside his rival up the home-straight, a short-head separated the pair at the line, the locally trained runner securing the spoils.

Trained by Donovan for owner Stephen Taylor, the June 2019 son of Droopys Jet and Ballyrobin Venus improved his impressive record to 15 wins from 33 starts and reversed semi-final form with Havana Class in lifting the 265m feature. The winning time was 16.09sec. The Jim Reynolds-trained Luck Box Blue finished third.

Tintreach Jet adds his name to a famous roll of honour for a longstanding sprint event which was first run at Southend in 1933 and formerly known as the Thames Silver Salver before becoming the Kent Silver Salver in 2002 when switched to Central Park. It had been run at Canterbury prior to that.

Rob Killingbeck, Central Park’s racing manager, said: “Congratulations to connections of Tintreach Jet and it was great to see a local one-two in the Silver Salver, albeit hard lines to Liz and Rab and the team because Havana Class race a stormer in defeat.

“Everyone knows the issue we had with the track lightning, so it was very much a quick rescheduling to ensure these big races could still ho ahead. Both have produced great races and performances – and well done to the winners of what were two £5,000-to-the-winenr competitions here on Monday.

“Ricky (Holloway) always looked like he held the strongest hand in the Springbok but even so Lenson Doolin was really impressive. He hardly put a paw wrong, his jumping was sound, and we know he brought plenty of class from the flat to the table.

“It’s an event which Ricky has enjoyed great success in both as an owner and a trainer and we know how much he enjoys hurdles racing. We do to and it’s why year in, year out, plenty of work goes into the Springbok with trials and trial stakes.

“Hopefully it acts a spur to trainers to try their flat racers over the sticks.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=383633&raceId=829398