CLUAIN DENIS became the first winner of the Doncaster Puppy Derby when saving the best for last in the £10,000 showpiece over 450m on Saturday.

Trained by Romford trainer Gemma Evans for a team of owners including Steve Artiss, Richie O’Dwyer, Mitchell Silver and Poppy Evans, Gemma’s daughter, the February 2025 son of Pestana and Carefree Tipp was soon handy outside off a slick break and powered away down the back for a three and three-quarter lengths victory over Newcastle My Twilight Zone (Tom Heilbron).

The winning time for the 16-1 chance was 27.21sec (normal) and Stephen Gray, racing office official at the South Yorkshire venue, congratulated connections after their victory on a night where fireworks in the local certain proved an issue.

“Unfortunately it was a night affected by bangs and blasts of fireworks intermittently,” he said, “but clearly it had no effect on Cluain Denis. He went to traps as one of the two outsiders, both at 16-1, but he soon proved that his starting odds were pure folly!

“He, amongst a couple of others, took my eye on first sighting of him in the heats. Then his semi-final run behind David Mullins’s Shado Earth was a big step up and, while trap five after from two inside draws prior to the final could have been be problematic, a fast start soon had him in front, and he stayed there.

“He clocked a superb time of 27.21sec, coming close to the 450m clock here, an outstanding performance. Congratulations to Gemma (Evans), her kennelstaff, and the winning owners. A fantastic achievement.

“On behalf of the sponsors SIS, the Watson family, and all the members of staff here, we hope this was a competition proving of its status and inauguration in the GBGB Calendar, and we look forward to establishing this as one, if not the leading, UK puppy event for future years to come.”

 

Photo: Doncaster Stadium & Gemma Evans