DUNSTALL PARK racing manager Martin Seal admitted to being hugely impressed by the performance of Irish sensation Droopys Kathleen in last week’s first round but believes there is “still all to play for” as the track at Wolverhampton Racecourse gets ready to stage the second round of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks on Friday.

Greyhound racing’s newest venue kicked off the bitches’ Classic in tough conditions with the remnants of Storm Amy swirling around, but the class still shone through with the track record broken on three occasions – lastly by the Robert Gleeson-trained Irish Puppy Oaks heroine and Shelbourne 525yd track record holder.

“It was a really pleasing first round of the PGR Oaks,” said Seal. “The vast majority of the heats were competitive affairs, with every trap having at least one winner.

“As expected, the 480m track record went a few times. First Droopys Eunice, then Strike It Skye and finally Droopys Kathleen holding that distinction for a period of time. All three are quality campaigners and are a credit to connections.

“Track staff, trainers and kennelhands performed heroics to brave stormy conditions and the running surface held up well during the almost continuous rain, the bowser being sent round throughout the meeting in addition to the natural watering.

“This scenario is already a common one to the track team, and going allowance changes have been minimal since racing commenced last month.

“Going forward, there is still all to play for in the Classic, and the draw for the second round has thrown up some cracking clashes and interesting propositions for some of the leading contenders, especially.”

Ireland’s Droopys Kathleen has drawn trap four in heat four on Friday after starring in last week’s first round. 

Lining up in heat 11, the May 23 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Dancer surged into the lead on the inside rounding the first turn and went away for a five-length win in 27.87sec (-20) which eclipsed the earlier times posted by Mark Wallis’s youngster Strike It Skye (27.91sec -10) and Maxine Locke’s Droopys Eunice (28.21sec -10).

Kevin Hutton notched a first round Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks double courtesy of Droopys Doris (28.22sec -20) and Signet Nayla (28.48sec -10) in heats ten and 12 respectively. 

Other Oaks heats were won by the Ray Hale-trained Make It Mead (28.56sec -10), the Monmore trio of Richie Taberner’s Aero Becks (28.33sec -10), Kim Billingham-Hine’s Beatties Razl (28.29sec) and Nathan Hunt’s Meenagh Minsk (28.47sec), Barry Denby’s Nottingham tracker Butlers Lane (28.43sec), Seamus Cahill’s Kelvins Hat (28.36sec) and Diane Yeates’s Easy Molly (28.38sec -10).

Trap draw for Friday’s PGR Oaks second round: https://www.dunstallpark-greyhounds.co.uk/racing/race-cards-and-results