ROMFORD created some sort of record on Friday with no less than four GBGB Category One competitions on the card with the Coral Champion Stakes and Coral Romford Puppy Cup finals, heats of the Coral Cesarewitch – and respective finals for the Coral Guys and Dolls over 400m.

A unique competition in the GBGB Calendar which separates dogs and bitches until next week’s final, Holdem Lauren had set the standard in last week’s Guys and Dolls heats with a fastest-of-the-night victory and followed up with another brilliant show of early pace and front running as Carol Weatherall’s bitch won the Dolls final to land a five-timer.

The September 2018 daughter of Droopys Cain and Quicksilverjemma arrived at Romford in great form having won the puppy competition on Ladbrokes Gold Cup Final night at Monmore – and now eyes another big-race success for Weatherall and owners Dave Kay and Matt Barrett after leading at the bend on her way to way to victory.

Edging towards the rail on the run-up, the youngster cleared her rivals at the turn and went on to land the spoils by one and a quarter lengths from Roxholme Irene (Nathan Hunt) and Jesses Sister (Mark Wallis), the trio qualifying for next week’s £7,500-to-the-winner final. The winner’s time was 23.86sec.

Kay said: “We were slightly concerned about trap three – she’d won a few races but had been beaten three times from the middle. She does love the rail and managed to get across on Friday, but getting trap one in the final is a big help. We’ve backed her ante-post, for the Dolls final, and I’m sure we’ll go in again on Friday!

“We bought Lauren on the advice of Darren (Holmes, assistant trainer). Matt and I always hoped to have a decent bitch as I think you have an automatic affection for bitches.

“She had her first race in February and, to be honest, we were a tad disappointed. She seemed to put little effort in, but Darren said the bottomless going wouldn’t have helped her much – and he was absolutely right. We went back the next week having drawn trap one and the ground was a lot better – and she won at 10-1.

“Obviously lockdown kicked in then and, as was the case with pups everywhere, she lost those vital runs when she’d have learned the game as a youngster. But she began to really thrive during the pups event at Monmore and won it undefeated, which was brilliant.

“Darren, in his podium interview for RPGTV, mentioned how hard it was for trainers with pups who’d missed out on their development runs and especially for bitches as there’s not many bitches races around. So I think she’s just improved with the runs, but as ever it’s all about her returning safe and sound.

“Carol’s recently become a Sheffield trainer, which means myself and Matt have almost gone full circle – as has Lauren. We had dogs at Sheffield with Lisa Stephenson, including Olivers Twist who won the Champion Hurdle on Derby Final night as well as the Irish Grand National.

“We also helped set up the Owlerton Greyhound Owners Association (OGOA) with the late John Gilburn, so it’ll  be good to have some runners again at the track. Lauren’s dam Quicksilverjemma also raced at Sheffield and happened to be trained by Lisa, so there’s plenty of links there too!”

The Jane Craske-trained Adamant Taurus continued a great start to his own UK career when winning the Guys final as the Yarmouth raider showed an equally impressive turn of early pace to lead at the first bend and race away from his rivals, winning by three and a quarter lengths in a slightly faster 23.85sec.

The son of Taylors Sky and Adamant Gem has now won four of his five starts, kicking off with a Yarmouth A1 debut win, before heading to Romford to begin his Guys and Dolls preparation. He has now won three of his four starts at the Essex venue and joins fellow ‘Guys’ Ballymac Micko (Jim Reynolds) and Melodys Secret (Spencer Mavrias) in next week’s decider.

Trap draw and form for Friday’s final: www.romfordgreyhoundstadium.co.uk/result/racecardform/2020/09/25racecardform1.pdf