COONOUGH CROW kick-started champion trainer Mark Wallis’s brand new ownership model with victory in the Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Final over 640m at Sunderland on Friday.

Wallis has teamed up with Mike Davis and Michelle Connolly to form the MWD Partnership and the first greyhound purchased for the new set-up duly delivered an early notable success in the famous six-bend Category One annual at the Wearside venue.

However, from lids-rise it was Skywalker Stan (Ted Soppitt) who set the early tempo, racing into a decent lead, but in behind the eventual winner began to make her move, along with the Tom Heilbron-trained pair of Links Top Gun and Darbys Delight.

Hitting the front down the far side, Coonough Crow got first run on her rivals and always looked set to land the £12,500 first prize thereafter, crossing the line a length and a quarter ahead of the staying-on Darbys Delight and Links Top Gun just behind in third.

The winning time for the October 2020 daughter of Eden the Kid and Coonough Dolly was 39.40sec (+20) and the victory delighted trainer Wallis, who said the two-year-old had improved since reaching the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket Final at Crayford in the weeks following her arrival at Imperial Kennels.

“That was almost a bonus,” said Wallis. “She was really still settling in but has come forward since and actually the trip at Sunderland played to her strengths – and the track itself was in great condition. Fair play to Arc, too, for getting the Grand Prix back to where it should be in terms of prize-money.

“We’ll travel for these major prizes. It’s what the MWD Partnership is about and why we’ve taken the decision to reduce numbers here at the kennel, but target the big competitions. It’s never easy to beat the Newcastle and Sunderland trainers on their own patch as such but it’s great for us that we’ve managed to do it on this occasion.

“And to win with the first runner we purchased for the MWD Partnership makes it especially sweet.

“It was a busy weekend with Minnie Bullet in the (Bet365) Hunt Cup final at Oxford and Crossfield Cora in the (KAB) Maiden Derby at Towcester. It meant a whirlwind trip to three tracks for Mike and Michelle but all the dogs ran well and came back in good form which is the main thing. Getting to these finals has been a good start for the MWD partnership.”

For his part, a delighted Mike Davis added: “We really didn’t expect to win a Category One competition so soon in the partnership, but I thought Crow ran excellent. Mark and his team brought her forward in her races and she peaked at Sunderland at the right time – in the final – which means it’s been an amazing training performance.

“Arc provided great hospitality at Sunderland, looking after the connections of all the finalists in the restaurant, and also provided a large framed photo of the respective finalists on each of the tables. It’s the little touches that make it feel special as an owner and Sunderland looked after us fantastically well.

“The breeder of Coonough Crow, Richard Cully from Kildare, was on to us straight away and is over the moon with the win. He can’t wait to get Crow back for breeding and to continue the line!

“It was massive road trip but a great one with finalists at Oxford and Towcester making for a great weekend. We love watching the dogs race and, if you’re lucky enough to win one of these major events, then it’s even better.”

Result: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=396226&raceId=931343