NOTTINGHAM is building up to a major double-header on Monday with the semi-finals of both the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger and Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup – with a new track record over 730m the highlight of this week’s heats.

Mongys Wild obliterated the previous best for the extended six-bend trip at Colwick Park when coming through a sensational battle with Sheffield’s Droopys Flare (Sean Parker) in their head-to-head in one of four heats of the stayers’ Classic which shared the stage with four heats of the Birmingham Cup.

Both Category One events have temporarily switched from now-closed Perry Barr before heading back to the Midlands at Dunstall Park in 2026.

Mongys Wild, already winner of the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket and Time TV Trophy, improved his outstanding UK record to 17 wins from 19 starts when coming through on the run for home to score by three-quarters of a length from longtime leader Droopys Flare in 43.82sec (+60) in heat three of the St Leger.

The winning time clipped a whopping 29 spots off the previous best held by Fabulous Heka and Romantic Rambo.

Other St Leger heats were won by Patrick Janssens’ aforementioned Fabulous Heka (44.00sec +60), Kim Billingham-Hine’s Beatties Electra (44.68sec +60) and Dave Fradgley’s Daring Moaner (44.82sec +60).

Mike Burton’s Droopys Aladdin, who set a new track record for the 480m trip recently, was fastest in the heats of the Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup.

Completing a double for the Valley trainer after the heat two success of Droopys Suprstar (28.24sec +50), Droopys Aladdin made all in heat four in 28.03sec (+50).

The other Birmingham Cup heats went to Robert Short’s Cul Na Braithre (28.66sec +50) and Craig Morris’s Arc Select Stakes third Chelms Bear (28.28sec +50).

Arc’s regional manager David Evans said: “Nottingham is very proud to be staging both the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger and Arc Birmingham Cup this year.

“These are two major competitions in the greyhound calendar and will be heading to Dunstall Park next year, with two very classy winners on the roll of honour however the semi-finals and final pan out.

“The St Leger and Birmingham Cup both had really impressive heat winners and good performances in defeat, none more so than Droopys Flare who played her part in a great race with Mongys Wild.

“Both were well under the previous track record which underlines what a great race it was.

“For Nottingham it continues to be a really busy but great period with National Greyhound Week and our Bank Holiday special of the Arc Select Stakes, Select Stayers and Arc Puppy Classic.

“And, of course, we’ve still got the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse to come later in the year.”