ANDREW MASCARENHAS, director of racing at Owlerton Stadium, is looking forward to Sunday’s semi-finals of the BresBet Steel City Cup after a series of top performances in the heats of the Category One event – by both greyhound and trainer!

“I think overall Tom Heilbron will be very happy with three heat winners and another qualifier, plus it was good to see other visiting trainers such as Kevin Hutton and Mark Wallis also on the winner’s podium in the heats. All three join a few Sheffield trainers also making it through to the semi finals,” he said.

Mascarenhas singled out the performances of Wicky Ned (pictured) and Links Maverick, in particular, for praise.

“I thought the two market leaders were both very impressive with Tom’s (Heilbron) kennel star Links Maverick producing a classy heat win from kennelmate Silverhill Ben who caught the eye finishing strongly after trouble.

“Gymcrack winner Wicky Ned showed no signs of recent race inactivity by clocking by far the fastest heat winning time which stands him in a good position to claim the £10,000 bonus on offer from BresBet for winning both competitions.

“I’d like to give a special mention to the maintenance team who had to deal with a collapsed pulley on Sunday which also resulted in a damaged hare rail. It meant for a mid-meeting delay but many thanks to them for getting us back safely racing.”

Heats one and two were able to be run before the delay with Tom Heilbron’s littermates Romeo Crusade and Romeo Cypher scoring a family double in heats one and two.

Romeo Crusade led early in the opening heat, albeit Acejukeboxpopper (John Mullins) closed all the way up the run-in, going down by a neck in 29.03sec (-10), before the always-handy Romeo Cypher himself produced a battling effort to edge Epic Gold (Sean Davy) and Droopys Extragud (Heather Dimmock) by half a length in a thrilling finish to heat two. The winning time was 29.07sec (-10).

Mark Wallis then struck with Gun Slinger in heat three in 29.22sec (-10), another close finish resulting in the winner catching longtime leader Acomb Felix by three-quarters of a length, before Links Maverick followed up his Romford match race win with a trap-to-line victory for the multiple Category One champion in heat four in 28.90sec (-10).

Union Rebel, runner-up in the recent BGBF Produce Stakes at Swindon, made all in heat five in a slick 28.82sec (-10), before Jimmy Fenwick’s Wicky Ned stole the show in the sixth and final heat.

Racing to a fast 4.05sec sectional on his return to the track – he had not been seen competitively since winning the Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat in July – the Newcastle raider powered clear for a six and a half lengths success over last year’s Premier Greyhound All England Cup champion Swift Silly in a rapid 28.49sec (-10).

Trap draw for Sunday’s BresBet Steel City Cup semi-finals:-

First semi-final: 1 Droopys Extragud, 2 Swift Silly, 3 Bombay The Joker, 4 Acejukeboxpopper, 5 Links Maverick, 6 Senehel Tedster (m).

Second semi-final: 1 Acomb Felix, 2 Romeo Crusade, 3 Seaview Sydney, 4 Romeo Cypher, 6 Farneys Willie (m), 6 Silverhill Ben (m).

Third semi-final: 1 Aero Treat, 2 Proper Heiress, 3 Gun Slinger, 4 Wicky Ned, 5 Union Rebel (m), 6 Epic Gold (m).