COONOUGH CROW (pictured) emulated kennelmate Minnie Bullet’s feat 12 months previously when clocking the fastest heat time as the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket kicked off over 714m at Crayford on Saturday.

With Minnie Bullet also on the card – incidentally setting the fastest time in the heats of the Peter Bussey Memorial Trophy – Coonough Crow initiated a treble on the day for Mark Wallis and a double in the Golden Jacket heats for the Imperial Kennels handler, although it is another Wallis-trained runner whom Crayford racing manager Danny Rayment feels remains the one to beat in the famous competition.

He said: “I think New Destiny arguably enhanced her reputation on Saturday with a battling effort in defeat behind Bubbly Scorcher and can see why she’s still favourite, but it’s a great competition again with many, many chances heading into the semis on Saturday.”

Rayment singled out Bellmore Sally for special mention given the winner of the last two runnings of the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket reached the semi-finals after a game display behind Haka Carlo and an historic third title is still a possibility for Jimmy Fenwick’s now senior performer.

Rayment added: “I’d really love to see Bellmore Sally make the final again but she’s obviously not been helped by being in the red-hot third semi-final.

“It’s the first two through and she’s against a couple of heat winners in Queen Pink and Ballymac Taylor, as well as New Destiny, but we know how much Sally loves Crayford. She’s won two Golden Jackets and a TV Trophy here – plus run a close second in the (Jay & Kay Coach Tours) Kent St Leger, so if any greyhound can do so at her age she might!”

Coonough Crow heads into Saturday’s semi-finals as best on the Golden Jacket clock after winning heat four for Mark Wallis as last year’s (Arc) Grand Prix winner produced a battling but ultimately impressive performance to lead home Dazl Rolex in 44.99sec (+40), completing a first-round double for her trainer after Ballymac Taylor had come from last to first to win heat one in 45.39sec as the (Arc) Cesarewitch runner-up overhauled Tuona Bella (Paul Donavan) close home for a half-length success.

The Nathan Hunt-trained Haka Carlo later made it a littermate double as Ballymac Taylor’s brother showed plenty of class himself with a heat two victory, pacing up to lead off the second bend and going on to score readily in 45.10sec (+40) from reigning champion Bellmore Sally (Jimmy Fenwick) and Bet365 Challenge Cup winner Havana Top Note – the latter securing his place as one of three semi-finalists for Liz McNair, who matched Mark Wallis’s feat with a Golden Jacket heat double.

McNair’s Queen Pink made all the running in heat five to score in 45.26sec (+40) from Breton Molly (Patrick Janssens) and Bubbly Inferno (Paul Young), before the kennel’s Havana Lover, the 2022 St Leger champion, landed the sixth and final heat narrowly from Droopys Flotilla (Nathan Hunt) in 45.57sec (+40).

Bubbly Inferno’s brother Bubbly Scorcher will also line up in Saturday’ semis after a cracking effort in winning heat two, reeling in pace-setting Low Pressure (Belinda Green) down the back second time for a two-and-a-quarter length success over the rallying New Destiny (Mark Wallis) and Homestead Anna (Michelle Brown). The winning time was 45.17sec (+40).

Trap draw for Saturday’s semi-finals: https://assets.cj1.in/imminent-otter/production/assets/results/Crayford/form-guides/Premier-Greyhound-Racing-Golden-Jacket-Peter-Bussey-Memorial-Semis-Form.pdf