FOREST GOLD made it back-to-back wins in the famous competition for Kevin Hutton when winning a thrilling BresBet Steel City Cup Final at a packed Sheffield on Saturday.

The Derby quarter-finalist and Birmingham Cup fifth lined up as one of three Hutton-trained finalists in the 500m GBGB Category One annual bidding to follow up the kennel’s victory with Headford Ranger last year – and when the Towcester handler’s Signet Ace paced up to lead into the first bend, the 10-11 favourite looked in control and on his way to the £8,000 prize.

However, kennelmate Forest Gold turned behind the Select Stakes champion and kept up the pressure on the leader, closing approaching the final bend and hitting the front off the turn to cross the line a half a length clear of the staying-on Stuart Buckland-trained Cascade King in 28.71sec (-20) with Signet Ace a close-up third.

A September 2018 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Forest Dot, the three-year-old is owned by Darren Loveys and Mark Hart, with Loveys and his wife Janine making the trip north from their Dorset home to join Hutton and kennelhand Marc Studer at the presentation.

Hutton said: “You’d have to say he (Forest Gold) deserved this. He’s quite an underrated greyhound in many ways, always gives his best and is running really well at the moment and that proved the difference in the way he picked up Signet Ace.

“It was great to have three finalists, but I suppose doesn’t mean a huge amount if you don’t go and win it! You always need luck, but actually Forest Gold was a really deserving winner of the Steel City Cup and it’s great to win the competition again – especially with a dog who’s by our own Dorotas Wildcat and Marc’s (Studer) Forest Dot.”

Andrew Mascarenhas, director of racing at Owlerton Stadium, said: “Congratulations to all our winners on Saturday, but especially the winners of our three finals – Rookys Girl for Kim Gooding in the BresBet British Bred Maiden Trophy, Tashade for Paul Sallis in the Brinkleys Poet At Stud Young Guns and, of course, Forest Gold in the BresBet Steel City Cup.

“We all knew Kevin (Hutton) had a huge chance once qualifying Forest Gold, Signet Ace and Headford Flash and it was almost the perfect race for him! For much of the final he looked set for a one-two and I think most of us assumed that Signet Ace was on his way to another major competition win. But credit Forest Gold who’s at the top of his form at the moment and reeled him in.

“I’d also like to credit Stuart Buckland on the performance on his Cascade King. He’s not had too much racing in the UK but looks a really nice type and finished well to split the Hutton pair at the line – and was finishing faster than anything. There was almost nothing between the front three at the line and it was a great race in front of a very decent Saturday night crowd we had here.

“The restaurant was full and connections of the finalists were well looked after there, plus sponsors BresBet had use of the OEC boxes overlooking the track. There was a great atmosphere all round and plenty of greyhound fans and faces here – and for much of the early part of the evening in particular our visitors from Newcastle were loving it. Angela Harrison winning our first four open races was something else!

“Thanks to our sponsors Nic and Amanda Jeal (Brinkleys Poet At Stud Young Guns) and, of course, to BresBet (BresBet Steel City Cup Final, BresBet British Bred Maiden Trophy). These fantastic sponsorships made for a tremendous open-race night here at Owlerton Stadium and we look forward for more of the same when we stage the British Bred Derby here next month.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=378828&raceId=786506