COOLADERRY DUST was once again fastest as Nathan Hunt’s dog produced a high-class performance to win the first semi-final of the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Regency at Hove on Saturday.

On a night the 695m annual shared the stage with the semi-finals of the Coral Sussex Cup, it the Coronation Cup runner-up who took the six-bend plaudits with an authoritative display to seal his place in the Category One decider won so gloriously 12 months ago by the much-missed Space Jet.

Well away in a red-hot semi, Cooladerry Dust was soon handy outside as Queen Georgia (Liz McNair) set the pace inside and challenged for the lead early on the second circuit, the November 2021 son of Good News and Glenduff Callie ranging upsides at the third turn and clear off the fourth.

Thereafter, he was away for a two-and-a-quarter length success in 41.48sec (+15), leaving a close race for second in which a photo-finish was needed to confirm the running-on Haka Carlo (Jason Heath) had edged both Coonough Crow and Queen Georgia to secure his place in Saturday’s decider.

A delighted winning trainer Hunt said: “Dusty’s a very fast dog who’s always shown ability in trials but the penny has really dropped now, probably since running in the Coronation Cup at Romford when making the final. He’s also found his trapping boots and the short run to the bend certainly helps him hold a pitch.

“We seeded him middle at Romford but he then won well from trap six in the semi-finals. You’d then say a middle draw in the final probably went against him so we changed him to wide and it’s kept him away from any bother so far.

“This distance is as far as he wants to go but the long straights give him a chance to really open up. His owners are all based up north but will be making the long trip down on Saturday. Five of them make up the owning syndicate and they’re all very experienced dog men who are enjoying the ride so far.”

The Paul Young-trained Bubbly Scorcher was another impressive winner in the second semi-final as the June 2021 son of Good News and Bubbly Firebird unleashed superb middle pace to strike the front approaching the third bend for a two and three-quarter lengths success over fast-finishing Ballymac Taylor in 41.73sec (+15).

It means the Mark Wallis-trained runner-up has a chance to emulate Space Jet’s feat last year of winning the Dorando Marathon and Regency.

The third semi-final went to Belinda Green’s local favourite Baywatch Bullet who followed up her runaway heat victory with another facile success, leading early inside before racing away for a three and a quarter lengths success over Lightfoot Falcon (Seamus Cahill) in 41.59sec (+15).

Trap draw for Saturday’s finals: https://assets.cj1.in/imminent-otter/production/assets/results/Brighton-Hove/form-guides/Sat-27th-July-Form-Adv.pdf