TOM HEILBRON, trainer of last year’s winner Freedom Alibi, began his campaign for back-to-back wins in the Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby with a hat-trick in the 480m heats at Newcastle on Thursday.

Sending out the winners of three of the six heats of the GBGB Category One event at the Byker venue, Heilbron set his stall out to follow up his big-race success 12 months ago – albeit is well aware there is a long way to go in the youngsters’ annual.

White Clover (pictured) set the ball running for the local handler when overcoming an early bump before leading into the turn. The April 2021 son of Droopys Sydney and Quicksilverjemma then raced away to win by two and a half lengths from Moanteen Lennox (Angela Harrison) and Lightfoot Ali (Jimmy Fenwick) in 28.70sec (normal).

Links Maverick completed a brilliant five-timer in heat two as a fast start and best-of-the-night 4.54sec sectional, set up a one and three-quarter lengths success over Team News (Carol Weatherall) and Keefill Peppa (Phil Milner). The winning time posted by the May 2021 son of Grangeview Ten and Havana Lottie was 28.67sec, the fastest of the session.

The Heilbron treble was completed by Links Top Gun in the sixth and final heat as the April 2021 son of Eden The Kid and Mean Beauty matched strides early with BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup winner Watchall Sid (Carl Jackson) before edging ahead off the second bend. He went on win by two lengths from Ice Got Rhythm (Jimmy Fenwick) and Watchall Sid in 29.03sec.

A delighted Heilbron said: “It was a great night for the kennel, to say the least. I’d have taken three qualifiers, let alone three winners, so that was tremendous for us.

“I was worried about the track running slow as it’s been all week and, in my opinion, it was definitely slower than they gave – which I thought underplayed what Maverick did. Even before the fact he definitely doesn’t want red, he’s still done a 4.54 sectional off a bad break for him.

“I’ve watched it back a few times as I thought he also hit the rail slightly round the bend, so I’d like to think we have a few more lengths in him. If he boxes well next week he should lead and I think you’ll see a massive performance from him. He’s as good a dog I’ve ever put a lead on, but thankfully doesn’t feel the pressure of the bookmakers’ prices – because I certainly do!

“White Clover is coming forward all the time and learning on the job really as he was off a long time with a hock injury as a pup. I’ve put some weight back on him because, although he looks the size of a horse, I think it was against him when I took some off him. I think the improvement he showed can continue – he was probably a run short of where I’d want him.

“Seemingly that would be the case for all three of mine with the lost meetings two weeks ago. Clover tied up coming home, especially. He just needs to keep breaking consistently.

“Top Gun very much looked the part when he first came over and won a really good A2 in 28.76sec (+10) but since then he’s been missing the boxes. We worked on him all week to get him out and hopefully we found the key to him now – he sees out every yard of this trip and I think he’s drawn for a really good run in the semis, fingers crossed.

“Generally the draw has been kind to us and hopefully we can get them through to the final, but I couldn’t be happier with the way we’ve started our title defence.”

Heat three of the Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby went to the Alex Hopkins-trained Kilara Scottie (Ballymac Best-Kilara Jessie, March 2021), who made all impressively to win by one and three-quarter lengths from Swift Regina (Phil Barlow) and Killieford Goram (Neil Black) in 28.85sec.

Ted Soppitt launched his campaign for another Northern Puppy Derby success by sending out Skywalker Isak (Droopys Sydney-Calzaghe Jan, May 2021) to make all from Blooming Rodney (Angela Harrison) and Fearsome Quest (John Marriott) by five lengths in 28.84sec.

Heat five was won by Carl Jackson’s Watchall Annie (Droopys Sydney-Watchall Winnie), a litter sister of Watchall Sid, who drew clear down the back to race away to win by seven and a half lengths from Untold Zloty (Carol Weatherall) and Ambervale Duke (Graham Stark) in 29.09sec.

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=393656&raceId=910661

Trap draw for Thursday’s semi-finals:-

First semi: 1 Keefill Peppa, 2 Links Top Gun, 3 Fearsome Quest (m), 4 Killieford Goram (m), 5 Moanteen Lennox (m), 6 Swift Regina (w).

Second semi: 1 Skywalker Isak, 2 Ice Got Rhythm, 3 Ambervale Duke (m), 4 White Clover (m), 5 Team News (m), 6 Watchhall Sid (w).

Third semi: 1 Kilara Scottie, 2 Links Maverick, 3 Watchhall Annie (m), 4 Blooming Rodney (m), 5 Untold Zloty (m), 6 Lightfoot Ali (w).