BOMBAY BIRCH heads a powerful team from Romford eyeing English Puppy Derby glory at Towcester on Sunday after posting the fastest clock in the weekend’s semi-finals at the Northamptonshire circuit.

Paul Young’s runner was soon handy in the third semi-final and raced away for a three and a half length success over trackmate Ballymac Lucia (Maxine Locke), posting 28.92sec (normal) for the 500m trip, a cracking effort and just four spots slower than Ballymac Kobe had posted in his standard-setting heat success seven days previously.

The latter, a May 23 littermate of Ballymac Lucia and also trained at Romford by Maxine Locke, made Sunday’s £10,000 final after keeping on well enough in ultimately a close call in the first semi-final won by King Jackson.

The Liz McNair-trained British-bred, a half-brother of last year’s winner and Derby finalist King Memphis, showed blinding speed to cut loose off the back of a 4.05sec sectional which had his rivals soon well stretched out in behind

Still in front rounding the last bends, King Jackson noticeably came back to his field but still had enough to cross the line a neck clear of the running-on pair of Ballymac Kobe and Newinn Cloud (Mark Wallis) in 29.28sec (normal) – the first two making the decider and giving the McNairs a chance to defend the title.

King Jackson was one of the runners in the no-race in the heats, so effectively Sunday was his UK debut. He now lines up as the least experienced of the finalists and will come forward as they all will, said Rab McNair, husband of the winning trainer.

“Jackson ran hard for a long way in the heats before the hare was stopped, but Sunday I suppose was his first race. We’ve given him plenty of time and he’s got lots of speed. He’s another Beyonce pup and we know how much Memphis likes it here at Towcester!

“It’d be nice to win it again – and maybe trap three will work for him. He’s got to come away like he did from six on Sunday and then we’ll see.

“It’s been a tough few weeks with (Queen) Joni and (Havana) Top Note both getting injuries and having to be retired, but the younger ones are coming through and it’d be great for the lads (KSS Syndicate) to win at Towcester again.”

Savana Woody was also paw-perfect from lid-rise as a 4.08sec sectional set up victory for Jason Ray’s Oxford hope in the second semi-final, giving part-owner Kevin Boothby, the Oxford and Towcester boss, a chance to keep the prize at home.

Soon clear and, crucially, getting first run on favourite Winscale Wonder (Roy Peckham), the March 2023 whelp came back his field on the run for home but held the running-on Monmore raider Do Gooder (Kim Billingham-Hine) by a head in 29.42sec (normal).

Trap draw for Sunday’s English Puppy Derby Final: 1 Ballymac Kobe, 2 Ballymac Lucia, 3 King Jackson (m), 4 Bombay Birch (m, 5 Do Gooder (m), 6 Savana Woody (m).