QUEEN DOLLY marched into next week’s final of the BGBF British Breeders Stakes at Nottingham with another superb – and fast – exhibition of front-running in the first semi-final of the GBGB Category One competition on Monday.

The Liz McNair-trained, KSS Syndicate-owned runner had posted the joint-fastest time for a bitch over 500m at Nottingham in last week’s heats and almost repeated the dose in the semi-finals of the British-bred event.

The January 2018 daughter of Leamaneigh Turbo and Queen Asia paced up and, clearing her rivals before the bend, was soon in command to win by four and a half lengths from Screen Dancer (Kevin Hutton) in 29.28sec (+30), just one spot slower than seven days previously.

As in last week’s heats, the McNair team notched a double as Queen Dolly’s litter-brother King Louis struck in the second semi, also pacing up well to lead off the first bend before drawing clear to win by three and three-quarter lengths from Signet Hawk (Luke Morrison) in 29.61sec (+30).

The Kevin Ferguson-bred, owned and trained Acomb Lillian then joined the aforementioned winners as an unbeaten runner through to Monday’s £6,500 final when soon in front in the third semi.

The August 2018 daughter of Hiya Butt and Acomb Ruby held the staying-on Amka Rofe (Robert Smith) in 29.72sec (+30).

Liz Mort, the BGBF chair, said: “What a great race – and meeting – we have in store on Monday and I’m delighted to see as many bitches in the BGBF British Breeders Stakes Final as dogs.

“In fact, we have some excellent bitches which long-term for breeding is always a plus – and in Queen Dolly we – or rather Liz, Rab and Brendan (Keogh) – clearly have an  outstanding bitch judged on the times she’s clocking. If she’s on form next week, it will take a dog with wings to overtake her!

“The quality of the races all the way through this competition has been of a very high standard and the team at Nottingham should be congratulated for their organisation.

“The finalists in both the BGBF British Breeders Stakes and BGBF British Bred Midlands Sprint Trophy thoroughly deserve to be there and would hold their own in any company.

“The sprint heats were excellent and it was particularly good to see one of David Firmager’s posting the fastest time.

“Fabulous Skylar, trained by John Mullins and bred by David, is from a litter by Confident Rankin out of Fabulous Report. The dam had another litter this year by Chenzhou Boy so they’ll also be interesting to watch.

“Obviously after their successful racing careers, it will be great to see the likes of Fabulous Skylar, Queen Dolly and Acomb Lillian in the breeding paddocks, boosting British breeding for years to come!

“It remains a tough year, of course, but we’re proud at the BGBF of the strides we’ve made in the circumstances.

“Our main funding has always come via the BGRF, but we’ve also had enormously valuable funding from SIS over the past three years, without which we just wouldn’t have been able to run the spread of competitions that we’ve done!

“Thanks to their continued support we’re now able to announce a brand new initiative – which will enable us to support and reward British breeding at all levels.

“Up to now we’ve concentrated on our open-race competitions and sponsorship, which remain hugely important, but we’re aware that by doing this we have missed out a large proportion of British-bred dogs running at all tracks across the UK.

“So, for the first time, we are launching a series of graded events – one at each track – to support graded dogs, their breeders, trainers and owners. And, again for the first time, trainers of the winning greyhounds, as well as their breeders, will receive a financial reward.

“Details of this new series of competitions and events have gone out to the tracks today and we hope they’ll be well received!”

Nottingham’s Nathan Corden, who will be overseeing his last major meeting before leaving Colwick Park next week, said: “It was very much all about Queen Dolly in the semis. She followed up last week’s superb time, the joint fastest by a bitch ever here at Nottingham, by clocking the second fastest time – just one spot slower!

“That’s incredible consistency but also shows fantastic pace and Liz and Rab’s bitch looks the one to beat in the final, although well done to both and the KSS Syndicate with two finalists. It’s an event they won back in 2015 with Eden The Kid, who has proved a massive success at stud – especially with British-bred litters.

“It promises to be a great final night card, especially given we’ve got a brand new BGBF sprint  competition here. The heats produced some exciting and close finishes – and on behalf of the track and British breeders I’d like to say thanks to Liz Mort and the BGBF for their continued support in putting on British-bred events at Nottingham.

“Trainers should note we have not just British-bred supporting opens on the night, but also trial stakes for next month’s RPGTV National Sprint, which is fantastic.”

Results: www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=367844&raceId=688943

Trap draw and form for Monday’s final: www.bagsracing.com/assets/23-november—nottingham-adv.pdf