DROOPYS BIRD ensured her rivals saw red as the inside-boxed runner scooted clear from the third bend onwards to run amok in Saturday’s Jay & Kay Coach Tours Kent St Leger Final at Crayford – to land trainer Simon Harms a first GBGB Category One title.

The 714m feature shared top billing with the Ladbrokes Gold Collar on a night of four finals at the Kent venue – including The Hazard Syndicate Kent National Hurdle and Crayford Rose Bowl – and it was the Towcester bitch who took the eight-bend GBGB Category One competition with a cracking performance.

Ballymac Zoro (Terry Nevin) was first to show from lids-rise and led her field, but Droopys Bird was soon going well inside having turned second and, taking the inside line at the third bend, hit the front and was on her way to a £7,500 payday.

Drawing clear quickly, the October 2017 daughter of Droopys Roddick and Droopys Force crossed the line eight lengths clear of local star Beechgrove Bell (Tom Levers) and Ballydoyle Bee (Hayley Keightley), both of whom had troubled runs.

However, Droopys Bird produced a class performance up front to score in 45.51sec for owners the Lovely Jubbly syndicate and trainer Harms. A winner at Hove, Swindon and Towcester, the three-year-old had recently run in the Cesarewitch at Romford.

A delighted Harms said: “Bird was something of a long-term project as we always thought she’d make a decent stayer but lockdown came just after we stepped her up in trip, so we had to wait and see if she was as good as we hoped.

“But we were very confident she’d go well in the final after she couldn’t buy a clean run in either of her rounds but still showed real guts each week to qualify – and when she got the red jacket which she loves for the final I thought this could be our night.

“Maybe we could break our Cat 1 cherry – and she did! We’d come second with Mrs Roo in the Golden Jacket in 2018 behind Shotgun Bullet so hoped we could go one better.

“If I’m honest she isn’t really suited to the tighter tracks and loves the big gallops, so hopefully she can show us a bit more around a track which suits her.

“Going forward the [RPGTV] St Leger is the obvious choice but if we have runners at Nottingham on Derby final night then potentially she could run in the 730m invitation.

“I’m just delighted to have won the Kent St Leger for all the owners, which are myself, Dave Burgess and Ian Binge. They loved it, too!”

Danny Rayment, Crayford racing manager, said: “I’m delighted for Simon (Harms) winning his first Category One title with Droopys Bird in the Kent St Leger.

“He’d been patiently waiting in his van in heat and semi-final watching on his phone, while son Logan did the paddock work, so I said he could definitely come into the paddock this time to see the final if he wasn’t in the restaurant.

“I certainly couldn’t deny him the opportunity to see a first Cat One success!

“Equally, I’m disappointed for Tom Levers as Beechgrove Bell is another dog who deserves a big-race win, just as Desperado Dan was.

“Dan deserved to land a Cat One success after his near-miss at Romford last month. Patrick (Janssens) clearly targeted the Gold Collar as a competition to strengthen his grip on the Trainer of the Year race – and it clearly paid dividends.

“As expected Ricky Holloway dominated the Kent National Hurdle final with Roxholme Biscuit running out a comfortable winner in the end and Michelle Brown gained some compensation for her Kent St Leger disappointment in landing the Rose Bowl with Signature Callum getting the verdict by the narrowest of margins from gallant outsider Agincourt Eve.

“Performances of the night came from Aayamza Lexie and Smallmead in the consolation races. Both were quicker than the corresponding finals with Smallmead really advertising her claims for the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket early next year.”

Results: www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=366922&raceId=680414