DALCASH BEHOLD (Pictured with Chris Clark & June Hughes of Henlow Stadium) continued trainer Kevin Hutton’s fine run of form at the Bedfordshire track when making all in Sunday’s Henlow Maiden Derby Final.
With Argentina having won the Puppy Derby for the Derby-winning handler at Henlow last year, hopes were high at Hutton’s Oxfordshire kennels that either one of his two finalists could prevail with Dalcash Behold joined in the line-up by Bull Run Bandit.
Ultimately, the Hutton pair finished a superb first and third, with the Mike and Alison Bandurak-owned Dalcash Behold making all and never headed over the 460m trip as he crossed the line two and a half lengths clear of the staying-on Savana Bolt (Diane Henry).
The latter, who denied Hutton a one-two in the £5,000-to-the-winner decider when catching Bull Ran Bandit, is owned by Henlow promoter Kevin Boothby, who congratulated winning connections after Dalcash Behold’s 28.11sec (-30) success for the 460m.
“It was a cracking run and a great final,” he said. “The winner won on merit and Kevin remains a great supporter of what we’re doing here. I know he’s building up to the Derby again and this shows the kennel is in great heart for Nottingham.
“I was delighted with Savana Bolt. The 460m is short of his best but he’s been staying on really well and we’ll have some fun with him. That was only his third start for us, and he was pretty lightly-raced in Ireland, so there’s plenty to look forward to.
“Sunday was a good meeting. We also had the heats of the BGBF Scurry and there were some good performances. We’ve got the semi-final this weekend and another major final here – with the £4,000-to-the-winner Scurry – on Sunday, May 19.”
For his part, Henlow Maiden Derby-winning trainer, Kevin Hutton, said: “We always love supporting Henlow. It’s a proper dog track, they’ve very welcoming, and they really do wonders for the open-race scene too.
“I’m delighted for Dalcash’s owners – the Banduraks – who are lovely people and love their dogs. We had the competition mapped out for him so it’s always nice when it works out – and he produced the goods when it mattered most.
“He broke much better today and got the run of the race, but we always knew there was better to come from him there. He’d run behind two good sorts in the heats and semis, without quite getting things absolutely right. He did in the final.