WARZONE TOM added his name to an impressive roll of honour when extending his unbeaten record at the track to five with a brilliant performance to claim the Ladbrokes Gold Collar over 540m at Crayford on Saturday.

The £10,000-to-the-winner Category One annual looked a match right from the start as the John Mullins-trained Gymstar Elusive led into the bend and set his sights on a trap to line victory. However connections of the Champion Stakes runner-up knew it would be a long way home once favourite Warzone Tom, trained by Liz McNair for the KSS Syndicate, rode a first-bend bump to turn second.

Ultimately, the August 2019 son of Good News and Bogger Bonnie was to prove too strong as he closed on Gymstar Elusive and challenged at the penultimate bend before going on to win from that rival by three and a quarter lengths in 33.58sec (normal). The Keith Robins-trained Glenvale Tony stayed on well to finish a half-a-length back in third.

A delighted Rab McNair, husband of the winning trainer, said: “It’s great to have won another Cat One. We’ve had a few chances this year so it’s brilliant to nail one – especially with this dog who always give his all and just has improved and improved. He’s got great balance because he’s not had a clear run in the final again but gathers himself up and goes again – and needed to today.

“I knew John’s (Mullins) dog would make things hard for him if starting like he can and Tom had a battle on his hands but he’s really strong and we’re coming back here next year for the (Ladbrokes) Golden Jacket over the 714m.

“I’m delighted for Liz and the boss, too. Brendan (Keogh) is away on a belated birthday present for his wife, but he’ll love it that we’ve won – especially with Tom. Right from the start he’s shown lots of pace but he stays well, too, and that strength has helped him at Crayford. He was in real trouble in the heats when he slipped and was then struck into but he doesn’t know when he’s beaten. We’re over the moon.”

Crayford racing manager Danny Rayment, overseeing the seventh running of one of the sport’s traditional Classics at the Kent venue, said: “Well done to Rab and Liz (McNair), Brendan (Keogh), Simon (Senyk) and the team – they’ve deserved this, but what a race!

“Gymstar Elusive really made a race of it and that’s some achievement to finish second in the Champion Stakes and the Gold Collar – hopefully a big one for them is not far away. But Warzone Tom has been exceptional here. That’s five wins on the spins and they’ve hardly been straightforward wins – he’s had to work hard but has shown so much class and he’s up with the some of the best Gold Collar winners.

“It’s an event I’ll always have a particular soft spot for given I started my career in greyhound racing at Catford and when it looked to have been forgotten I made a bid to stage it – and thankfully the Gold Collar is very much at home here now at Crayford.

“To have a card with four finals and two Cat Ones – the Ladbrokes Gold Collar and Ladbrokes Cesarewitch – has been great and the Saturday morning open-race cards have worked well and we’ll be doing the same for the (Ladbrokes) Golden Jacket.

“And I’m really looking forward to hopefully seeing Warzone Tom stepping up in trip for the Jacket. Be fascinating to see how he gets on with the likes of Salacres Pippy and Blueberry Bullet possibly stepping down.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=379731&raceId=794118