BOCKOS DOOMIE retains favouritism for the Coral Sussex Cup at Hove after stretching his unbeaten record at the south coast track to ten with a hard-won victory in heat four of the 515m annual on Saturday.

The Patrick Janssens-trained runner missed the break and crowded at the first bend before unleashing a trademark back-straight surge to pass pace-setting Nans Major (Samantha West) at the third bend before winning by one and a half lengths from that rival in 30.26sec.

The winning trainer said: “He fell out of the boxes but paced up well. He was held up round the first two bends but showed his class and won well – just the time wasn’t there unlike last week when he was able to boss it. But we’re in the next round.”

Fastest of the night was Liz McNair’s King Sheeran as he produced a magnificent all-the-way victory in heat three, bouncing back from defeat behind Bockos Doomie the previous week, as he won by eight and three-quarter lengths in 29.72sec.

Winner of the Olympic at the track at the backend of 2019 on his way to being named British-bred Greyhound of the Year, heat three winner King Sheeran will be joined in Saturday’s semi-finals by litter brothers King Lennon and King Dylan.

King Lennon initiated a McNair double in heat two with a powerful run through the field after a slow start to collar Aim For Glory (Seamus Cahill) close home and stretch a length and a three-quarter lengths clear by the line in 30.03sec.

Later the McNair treble bid was denied by a rock-solid front-running performance from the Tony Collett-trained Tommy Panther in heat six as the two-year-old held King Dylan to the wire for a Central Park one-two. The winning time was 29.92sec.

“When I saw my pal Tony (Collett) was on the open-race road again I knew we’d have a battle on our hands with Tommys Panther – he’s a really nice dog off the front,” said Rab McNair. “I just wonder if Tony’s brought his camp-bed. He’s travelled a bit tonight!”

Of the winning pair of King Lennon and King Sheeran, the husband of the Kent-based trainer added: “Lennon can start slowly at times but this stiff 515m plays to his strengths and you always hope he pick them off.

“Sheeran was just champion tonight and he’s come back well fro the break. He won a Central Park A1 really well and things didn’t quite work for him here last week, but he got his draw tonight and that was the difference. What can you say about him?”

Matt Dartnall’s Sussex Cup challenge kicked off with a cracking effort from Distant Village as the trap six runner paced up to improved his own Hove record to ten wins with a two-length victory over Fight The Power (Carol Weatherall) in 30.09sec.

In-form Nathan Hunt continued his fine run with a superb show from Winetavern Curly in heat five as he powered clear to win by three and three-quarter lengths from Sparta Master (Sharon Thompson), who stayed on well after trouble. The winning time was 30.11sec.

Trap draw for Saturday’s semi-finals:-

First semi: 1 Killeacle Gus, 2 Bockos Doomie, 3 King Lennon, 4 Forest Alan (m), 5 Winetavern Curly (w), 6 Da Honey Man (w).

Second semi: 1 Dinner Omonia, 2 Nans Major, 3 Tommys Panther (m), 4
Sparta Master (m), 5 Troy Firebird (w), 6 Distant Village (w).

Third semi: 1 Fight The Power, 2 King Dylan, 3 Aim For Glory (m), 4 Droopys Addition (m), 5 King Sheeran (w), 6 Drahbeg Dash (w).