BALLYMAC TAYLOR heads into Saturday’s £15,000 final of the famous competition as the fastest heat winner after regaining her own track record for the eight-bend trip at Oxford with another powerful effort in winning heat two of the Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy over 847m at the Cowley venue.

Mark Wallis’s runner was led early by Savana Heross (Diane Henry) and Capel Rose (Tony Gifkins) but was soon in full flow and, taking up the running on the second circuit, was always holding Aayamza Dancer to win by a length in 52.54sec (normal), the pair securing places in this weekend’s decider.

Ballymac Taylor’s winning time was no less than 36 spots inside her previous best for the trip – and just over two lengths inside Savana Jazz’s time set in heat one – and ensures the September 2021 daughter of Ballymac Anton and Ballymac Merkle will go off a warm order to claim Category One gold.

And while her litter sister and Irish entry Ballymac Katie (Liam Dowling) failed to make it through to the final from the same heat, Wallis’s runner will be joined by litter brother and kennelmate Garfiney Blaze after the Arc Cesarewitch had finished second in the opening heat behind a strong-running winner in Savana Jazz.

Diane Henry’s January 2021 daughter of Good News and Slippery Jade, a Golden Jacket semi-finalist, stepped up in trip to run a good second behind Ballymac Taylor in a prep race before swooping late to reel in long-time leader Garfiney Blaze in heat one of the TV Trophy to score by a length and three-quarters in 52.72sec.

The final two places in Saturday’s final went to Bubbly Inferno and Alright Patricia (David Lewis) after Paul Young’s bitch, a June 21 daughter of Good News out of Bubbly Firebird, finished best to edge out the local runner by a neck in 53.07sec – the winner following her success over 1,048m at Crayford on Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket afternoon.

Simon Pearson, Oxford’s racing manager, said he was looking forward to another top-class night at the track this coming Saturday after what proved to be a hugely popular St Patrick’s Day celebration at the venue for the heats.

“We had a bumper crowd in and our racegoers got into the spirit of St Patrick’s Day – and the action on the track on Saturday certainly helped!” he said.

“It was a great night’s racing all-round, with the marathon track record being broken twice in the first two heats, firstly by Savana Jazz, who took off rounding the last two bends to catch Garfiney Blaze, who can only improve himself, and then by Ballymac Taylor.

“Taylor went in what was a very hot heat, so it was probably no surprise to see the winning time – it was always going to be quick in such company – and she recaptured her old mark.

“Heat three saw a great finish with Bubbly Inferno getting up on the run-in to beat a home-trained runner in Dave Lewis’s Alright Patricia who has qualified for what promises to be a truly great TV Trophy in my opinion. Thanks go to our bookmakers for sponsoring such a great competition.”

Trap draw for Saturday’s Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy final: 1 Aayamza Dancer, 2 Ballymac Taylor, 3 Garfiney Blaze, 4 Bubbly Inferno (m), 5 Savana Jazz (m), 6 Alright Patricia (w).