DRUIDS SAY GO bounced back to winning form in the heats to raise hopes of a unique Perry Barr double ahead of Saturday’s semi-finals of the Arena Racing Company Laurels.

Already winner of last year’s Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks at the Birmingham track – the last running of the bitches’ Classic at the Midlands venue before the operation moves to Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton, later this year – Patrick Janssens’ bitch has now set her sights on winning the last Laurels at the same track.

Beaten on Premier Greyhound Racing Trainers’ Judgement Night back at Perry Barr recently, the Yarmouth Derby champion dominated the early exchanges this time.

Lining up in heat five as the 8-11 favourite, Druids Say Go timed it right from lid-rise to post a fastest-of-the-night 3.37sec sectional on her way to a head success over Millbank Boiler (Gemma Evans), with the latter running another cracking Perry Barr race in defeat. The winner’s time was a slick 28.07sec (-10).

Winning trainer Patrick Janssens said: “She’s a top bitch and one of the best I’ve ever had,  but they’re still not machines. Things just didn’t go right for her on Judgement Night.

“I know she’d won from trap five the previous week but it was a better race overall on Judgement Night and she just couldn’t get a grip on it, but Saturday was more like it.

“She had a month off after winning a Towcester sprint, so while she ran well first time back, they can bounce, and maybe that was the case. I’m happy where we’re at with her and know there’s more to come – hopefully in the semis and, fingers crossed, the final.”

Fastest in the Laurels heats was the Roy Peckham-trained Tiffield Tarquin who got the better of Unanimous Leon (Tom Heilbron) in the opening heat.

On his first start away from Towcester, the always-handy December 22 whelp came again on the run for home for a half-length success over the Newcastle raider in 27.94sec (normal).

Churchfield Syd was next up in heat two as Richard Rees’s Category One-winning star was also always handy off the front before holding off Hilton Wolf (Pat Doocey) in a driving finish, the Hove raider scoring a short-head success in 28.27sec (-10).

The John Mullins-trained Aayamza Sydney laid claim to another major competition when winning heat three as the Gold Collar champion and multiple Category One finalist, including in last year’s Birmingham Cup over C&D, soon dominated for a four and a half lengths success over Whitewood Lenny (Maxine Locke) in 28.26sec (-10).

Tom Heilbron’s Untold Ruble made all in heat four, the Angel of The North winner coming home two and a half lengths clear of Armagh Daithi (Mark Wallis) in 28.27sec (-10), while Romford raider Bacon Roll made it two-from-two at Perry Barr in the space of a week when scoring a narrow victory in heat six for Paul Burr in 28.36sec (normal) .

Leading into the turn and onwards, the May 22 daughter of Droopys Sydney held on from the running-on Antigua Kestrel (Kevin Hutton) in 28.36sec (-10).

Trap draw for Saturday’s semi-finals:

First semi-final: 1 Druids Say Go, 2 Romeo Kingpin, 3 Millbank Boiler, 4 Coppice Trophy, 5 Hilton Wolf (m), 6 Tiffield Tarquin (w).

Second semi-final: 1 Untold Ruble, 2 Southfield Poppy, 3 Antigua Kestrel, 4 Armagh Daithi (m), 5 Brinkleys Louis (w), 6 Churchfield Syd (w).

Third semi-final: 1 Aayamza Sydney, 2 Wrighty, 3 Unanimous Leon, 4 Droopys Prefect (m), 5 Bacon Roll (m), 6 Whitewood Lenny (w).