CALLMESTEVE was the middle leg of a John Mullins treble on Greyhound Derby Final night as the Alan Ballard and Barry Sadler-trained star produced a strong-running effort to land the Gain Nutrition Feed Challenge Cup Final at Towcester on Saturday.

The £5,000-to-the-winner GBGB Category Two competition was a five-runner affair given defending champion Kishlawn Shakira (David Mullins) had been withdrawn in-season, but Callmesteve and Bellmore Sally always dominated the betting and the market rivals ultimately had the 712m decider between them.

Slapdash Tommy (Nathan Hunt) led from the traps but was soon being pressed by Jimmy Fenwick’s Golden Jacket champion on his outside and the eventual winner, who recovered from first-bend crowding to rail into a challenging position. The pair hit the third bend together, with Callmesteve using the inside line to go on.

Bellmore Sally challenged again off the final turn, but the Mullins runner held his form to score by a length and three-quarters in 43.01sec (normal) – a victory which followed Knocknaseed Gem’s dead-heat with Havana Class in the RPGTV Notebook Watling Sprint Trophy Final. The kennel would also later claim the Derby Plate with Chelms Switch.

Callmesteve’s part-owner Barry Sadler was on hand to collect the trophy and was delighted with the performance of the January 2020 son of Out Of Range ASB and Adamant Reba, who has proven a really versatile sort for connections having raced over four, six and eight bends – and who won a Derby heat at Towcester.

Sadler said: “That was wonderful and I couldn’t be more happier – it’s just a shame Alan (Ballard) couldn’t be here because of family commitments.

“Towcester has done a great job tonight – the hospitality in the box has been tremendous and John (Mullins) has done an unbelievable job, too. When Bellmore Sally was so close I was scared! But Steve’s a really good sort and has shown so much class and a great will to win. I think the plan is the Regency at Hove then maybe Shelbourne Park later in the year, but we’ll see what John thinks.”

Bombardier was the other 712m winner on the night as Mark Wallis’s dog landed the Star Sports Betting Shop Champions Trophy for owners Nic and Amanda Jeal.

The July 2019 son of Ballymac Matt and Ballymac Efirgiee bounced back from a missed break in the Kent St Leger final at Crayford to notch a double at Monmore over 630m and now completed the hat-trick when quickly assuming command inside and racing away to score by almost nine lengths from Russian Sammy (David Elcock) in 43.55sec.

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=386449&raceId=851878