DUNSTALL PARK racing manager Martin Seal is looking forward to Saturday’s semi-finals of two major events as the track at Wolverhampton Racecourse continues a busy July.

On Saturday four heats of the BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup over 480m, a Category One, were staged alongside four heats of the Arena Racing Company Stayers Cup over 660m, a new Category Two event, and the semi-finals of both this weekend will see places up for grabs for finals’ night on Saturday, July 18.

Six days later – on Friday, July 24 – the sport’s newest venue will stage the special 100 Years On Track centenary celebrations and gala six-race card, each worth £1926.

“It’s certainly a busy time but it’s always good to stage quality cards and this Saturday for the semis will be more of the same,” said Seal.

“It’s a pleasure to take on the mantle of staging the BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup, a unique competition that needs to be preserved to offer both opportunity and reward to British breeders.

“There were some taking performances in the heats, and those of Keefill Sequoia, Ballycian Boy and Harton Whirlwind can be marked up, given the cards they were dealt in running.

“There appears to be a touch more early pace in the first semi-final, but Sean Parker’s Keefill Sequoia is no one-trick-pony, and could give likely favourite Romeo Astron a real race.

“Rose Draper’s handsome Harton Whirlwind appears desperate for the red jacket, and may again have to muscle his way into contention accordingly, but has the physique to achieve that task in the second semi-final.”

Fastest in the heats of the BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup was heat three winner Romeo Astron, trained by Tom Heilbron, who produced a superb show of all-round pace to lead home Bonville Kane (Maxine Locke) by six and three-quarter lengths with the Newcastle raider clocking 28.68sec (-10) for the one-lap tip

The other British-bred heats were won by John Flaherty’s Ballycian Boy (28.88sec -10), Dave Lee’s Untold Dinero (29.00sec -10) and Richie Taberner’s Aero Noduff (28.80sec).

Fastest in the heats of the Arena Racing Company Stayers Cup was the impressive Maxine Locke-trained Bluejig Outlaw who powered through past halfway for a five and a quarter length win from Venetian Mick (Kevin Hutton) in 39.63sec (-15).

The other six-bend heats were won by Angie Kibble’s Malcolm Bosh (40.26sec -15), John Flaherty’s Greenwell Gypsy (40.22sec -15) and Richie Taberner’s Aero Boris (40.04sec -15).