CENTRAL PARK racing manager Rob Killingbeck said Proper Heiress’s track record run in Saturday’s heats of the Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby not just kick-started another high-quality renewal of the Category One at the Sittingbourne venue but underlined what a star of the track Mark Wallis’s reigning Greyhound of the Year is.

“He’s unreal and clearly loves it here!” said Killingbeck of the 2025 Arc Kent Plate winner and 2026 runner-up in the same event.

“I thought he actually ran really well here off the back of a spell off in the Kent Plate earlier this year. At the time I think everyone was surprised when Scooby The Lady beat him, but remember she broke the track record in the final and has proved herself top notch since – and ran well herself again here on Saturday.

“But you have to say hats off to Mark Wallis and his team. Proper Heiress is now a four-year-old but you wouldn’t think it the way he won on Saturday.

“For family reasons I wasn’t here for the heats, but tuned in to see the races – and obviously Heiress was the most impressive. And like everyone connected with what is a brilliant competition, I’m looking to being back at the track for the semi-finals.”

Killingbeck has singled out the first semi-final on Saturday as the pick of the three semis from which the finalists of a red-hot £20,000-to-the-winner will come from.

“Just the first two go through so we know there’ll be some disappointed connections but I think Heiress’s team will be happy enough in the third semi, but that first semi-final really does stand out given there’s real quality across the board including Paul Young’s two heat winners – Underground Gold and Ballymac Stud – plus last year’s runner-up Texas Jack.

“And even that second semi-final is cracking, with Annadown Warrior up against Scooby The Lady, the former track record holder now, plus another of Paul Young’s in Ballymac Charbel. He made a real impression on what was his first start in the UK.”

However, the biggest impression on Saturday night was made by Proper Heiress as Mark Wallis’s champion made all in 28.30sec (normal) for the 491m, taking ten spots off Scooby The Lady’s best time set in the Kent Plate final in March.

Paul Young notched a superb hat-trick in the heats with Ballymac Charbel (28.69), Underground Gold (28.87sec) and Ballymac Stud (28.60sec), while the remaining heats went to Dave Lee’s Brunch Pal (28.56sec) and Maxine Locke’s Puppy Classic winner Annadown Warrior (28.60sec).