CENTRAL PARK kicked off the new GBGB Category One year with heats of the Arena Racing Company Cesarewitch over 708m on New Year’s Day.

 

The famous competition has switched from Crayford and Farneys Chloe, owned and trained by Kevin Boon, set the standard with a fastest-of-the-session 44.96sec (-70) in heat one with an impressive trap-to-line victory.

 

The May 2020 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Moanteen Beauty raced to a 16.56sec split on her way to a two-and-a-half-length victory over Jason Heath’s George Curtis and Ballyregan Bob Memorial winner Clongeel Ozzie.

 

The latter, looking to continue a fine recent run for the Hove trainer, safely qualified for Sunday’s semi-finals ahead of Milton Pepe (Ian Langford) in third.

 

The Pat Doocey-trained Longacres Bullet struck in heat two, another slick start paving the way for the July 2019 son of Vulturi and Ballymac Belle to score by two and a quarter lengths from Slaneyside Harvy (Seamus Cahill) and local hope Borna Wine (Tony Collett).

 

The winning time here was 45.41sec (-70).

 

Borna Wine’s kennelmate Jurassic Rose justified favouritism in heat three as Tony Collett’s August 2019 daughter of Out Of Range ASB and Got The Edge paced up well on her way to a four-length trap-to-line success in 44.99sec (-70).

 

Oakfield Magic (Ian Langford) and Close The Sky (Paul Young) chased the winner home.

 

Last year’s Queen Mother Cup champion Slapdash Tommy returned to winning ways in heat four as Nathan Hunt’s always-handy April 2020 son of Ballymac Eske and Designer came again to edge Cochise (Richard Rees) by a short-head in 45.09sec (-70).

 

Third here was Luna Jezabelle (Keith Robins).

 

Rob Killingbeck, Central Park racing manager, said: “It’s a pleasure to have the Cesarewitch here at Central Park. It’s one of the great races in greyhound racing history – one of the original Classics – with an impressive roll of honour.

 

“We are staging the competition across three Sunday afternoon as per our new TRP schedule and patrons certainly enjoyed the afternoon open-race action.

 

“It’s always good to see Kevin Boon here and his Farneys Chloe was quickest on the clock and has her sights set on the title am sure. However, the overall quality was very good and you sense there’s more to come from Jason Heath’s Clongeel Ozzie.

 

“He won the big race at Hove recently and Jason is having a good time of it just now. Well done also to our own Tony Collett. He sent out Jurassic Rose to win her heat but also qualified Borna Wine from the previous heat.

 

“We’re set fair for the semi-finals this Sunday afternoon, with supporting opens scheduled, too.”

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=392621&raceId=901771

 

Trap draw for Sunday’s semi-finals: https://www.centralparkstadium.co.uk/assets/uploaded/files/documents/sunday-8th-january-form.pdf