LOCALLY-trained runners give Newcastle a strong hand in its bid to wrest the famous trophy back to the Byker venue in tomorrow’s £20,000 final of the Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup.

Won last year by Jason Gray’s Nottingham raider Mickys Barrett, the home challenge are long odds-on to land a fifth victory in the last seven years of a competition first contested for back in 1938 – with Harry Burton’s Jonny Whiskers heading into the 480m decider as the quickest semi-final winner.

Already winner of the Arc Classic at Sunderland – Burton’s first Category One success – a second major success is not beyond the realms of possibility after the May 2021 son of the Skywalker Logan and Cudkevinbewrong produced a brilliant exhibition of front-running off a fast start to make all.

Crossing the line six lengths in front of Antigua Express (Nathan Hunt) in 28.60sec (-20), the latter lines up as the sole southern-based runner against a team of Newcastle and Sunderland-based runners in Thursday’s decider in the north-east.

Bogger Rambo kicked off the semi-finals with an authoritative victory for Tom Heilbron as the September 2021 whelp, another son of Skywalker Logan out of Bogger Sunny, burst clear on the dash to the bend and was always in front of Sunderland Classic runner-up Pape Di Oro (Savva Roberts), winning by almost four lengths in 28.76sec (-20).

The victory delighted Newcastle handler Heilbron, who said: “It was a good night all round, given we’ve also managed to get Innfield Rex and Kopa through to the puppy final and Marlfield Diaz in the Standard, but Rambo must be our best hope in the All England.

“It’s a great competition and dad (Kevin) was lucky enough to win it as an owner with Newinn Yolo in 2014 with Pat Rosney. I’d love to win it as trainer in my own right, albeit know what a high-quality final it is. It’s a great way to end the year.”

In winning his semi-final, Bogger Rambo was making it three from three in the UK since making the switch from Ireland where he ran-up in the Tipperary Cup at Thurles, reached the third round of the Cork Laurels and won a stakes at Clonmel.

Ray Hale’s Swift Silly followed up his fastest-of-the-first round victory with another brilliant display in the third semi-final as the improving April 21 daughter of Pestana and Swift Magnetic was soon in command on her way to a near-six lengths success over Sunderland tracker Witton Venus in 28.67sec (-20).

The runner-up will line up as a British-bred finalist for north-east handler Jill Sutherst.

Trap draw for Thursday’s finals: https://www.newcastle-greyhounds.co.uk/racing/results/