ANDREW MASCARENHAS, director of racing at Sheffield’s Owlerton Stadium, said the focus was very much on the Time 3 Steps to Victory in June after another superb running of the Gymcrack which concluded with an “unexpected result”.

The £17,500-to-the-winner Bet St George-backed Category One for pups saw the Susan Watson-trained Droopys Typical secure a first Category One title for the Doncaster handler at odds of 22-1.

Mascarenhas said: “It was certainly an unexpected result given Droopys Typical was beaten in the semi-finals but she had shown real improvement in her runs here at Sheffield.

“That was probably her getting used to the traps here. The traps as Doncaster are curved but ours are flat-fronted and, third time up in the final, she’s come up trumps. Well done to the Watson family for producing her so well to win what is a major £17,500-to-the-winner puppy competition – and thanks go to the sponsors once again for that.

“I thought overall it was another really good competition this year with some promising pups for the future on show. Hopefully a few might well return here for the 3 Steps in June or the Steel City Cup here in October.”

With less than a length on the clock covering the three semi-final winners, the destination of this year’s Bet St George Gymcrack always looked a puzzle so it was perhaps no surprise an upset was landed in a trappy 500m contest.

However, fast into stride, Droopys Typical soon had her rivals under pressure.

Racing to a 4.21sec sectional, the Doncaster tracker paced up from her midfield pitch and hit the bend in front.

Cutting the bend, and closing the door on the challenging Copney Queen (Jimmy Fenwick)  at this point, Droopys Typical was on her way to success, keeping up the pace all the way to the winning line, keeping Newcastle raider Copney Queen at bay to score by a length in 28.51sec (+30) for the 500m trip, with Arc Northern Puppy Derby winner Woltemade (Jimmy Fenwick) back in third.