DROOPYS GARDEN will line up in Friday’s semi-finals of the Bet365 Challenge Cup at Oxford as the fastest second-round heat winner after Maxine Locke’s runner made all in a red-hot third quarter-final which saw the elimination of new track record holder Savana Ruinart and St Leger champion Havana Lover.

Well away, the June 2019 daughter of Laughil Bolt and Droopys Sylvia took full advantage as favourite Savana Ruinart and market rival Havana Lover were crowded out after slow starts, which paved the way for the Romford tracker to shoot clear.

Keeping up the gallop, Droopys Garden crossed the line two and a half lengths clear of Chelms Chris (John Mullins) and Gizmo Smasher (Laurence Tuffin) in 40.88sec (-90) for the 650m distance of the GBGB Category One competition at the Cowley venue.

The victory delighted winning trainer Maxine Locke, who said: “I’m just delighted with her. She had a season at the end of June but came back in really good form, running well at Romford, and then finishing third in the (Premier Greyhound Racing) Champion Stakes.

“We then took her on the road at Harlow. She won well there and then this competition became the target. I gave her a race at Oxford to give her a look and she stayed on well (behind Muxton Lottie) and the she’s won the first two rounds. The track and trip just play to her strengths and she’s a real star of the kennel.

“She’s owned by Steve Knight, who’s been an owner of ours for many years, Ray Webber and Mick Fisher, plus my dad, who got her from Murt Leahy. She was actually quite a cheap bitch that was bought for Romford really but has just come forward.

“It’s really good for everyone involved in kennel. I have a great team here and, now I’ve got two kids, I couldn’t keep going without them behind me!”

New favourite for the Bet365 Challenge Cup is Antigua Sugar (Mark Wallis) despite her defeat at the paws of Chelms Cub in the fourth quarter-final as Jason Heath’s Stadium Bookmakers Hunt Cup winner edged out his chief rival by the minimum margin after the pair dominated from the outset to produce a thrilling contest.

Racing to a fastest-of-the-session 15.53sec split, Antigua Sugar held the advantage for almost all the six-bend journey before Chelms Cub launched a winning challenge off the last bend to score in 41.07sec (-90). Wota Swell Park (Kevin Hutton) was third here.

Muxton Lottie kicked off the second round with an all-the-way victory in heat one as the Mark Wallis-trained May 2020 daughter of Eden The Kid and Swift Paradox soon led inside on her way to a two and a quarter lengths clear of staying-on Russmur Queen (Matt Dartnall) and Liquid Lunch (Tom Levers) in 40.98sec (-90).

The John Mullins-trained youngster Silverspring Ria landed a maiden victory at the fourteenth attempt as a fast start set up another trap-to-line victory in the second quarter-final. Soon clear, the March 2021 daughter of Pestana and Cracked Lady led home Work The Head (Richard Yeates) by three and a quarter lengths in 41.03sec (-90).

Bubbly Cristal (Paul Young) qualified in third here to secure her place in Friday’s semis.

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=391986&raceId=896564