KING MEMPHIS posted the fastest time of the night as he completed a littermate double for last year’s winning kennel in six official trial stakes for the RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar at Oxford on Friday.

Trained by Liz McNair, who sent out the brilliant Fromposttopillar to win the GBGB Category One event 12 months ago, King Memphis was soon handy off a decent exit in the third trial stakes and, catching fast-starting Long Fellow (Matt Dartnall) rounding the second bend, raced clear for a three-and-three-quarter lengths success.

The winning time for the December 2021 son of Droopys Sydney and Queen Beyonce was 26.65sec (normal), with Long Fellow, Droopys Hanover (Kevin Hutton) and Brinkleys Ginger (Patrick Browne) chasing him home. The first four in each trial stakes are invited to line-up in Friday’s heats of the £10,000 event.

The McNair double had been initiated by litter brother King Capaldi who overcame a slow start and crowding at the first bend before powering to the front down the back-straight for a two-length victory over Lush (Maxine Locke), Brentfordpenguin (Matt Dartnall) and Coppice Lottie (Kevin Hutton) in 27.09sec (normal).

Droopys Eddie bounced back from disappointment in the Coral Romford Puppy Cup when pacing up impressively into the first bend on his way to a one-and-a-quarter lengths win over Ballymac Rocky (Angie Kibble), Distant Playboy (Richard Baker) and Signet Batman (Kevin Hutton). The winning time for Maxine Locke’s dog was 27.04sec (normal).

The other trial stakes were won by Chris Hamblin’s highly rated Sir Oreo, who raced away for a three lengths-plus success in a fast 26.87sec (normal), Mark Wallis’s all-the-way winner Cat Island, who made all in 26.93sec (normal) from another McNair youngster in Droopys Crisp, and Jason Heath’s improving youngster Antigua Sun in 27.04sec (normal).

Jade Allen, Oxford’s assistant racing manager, said: “We had some good racing here on Friday with six exciting RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar Trial Stakes, which augurs well for the competition itself.

“Favourite backers had the best of it, with five of the six favourites winning, with a very smart 26.65sec from King Memphis standing out, followed by a 26.87sec from locally trained Sir Oreo – he only had two races prior to this. Both were impressive runs.

“Liz McNair sent five runners for the trial stakes, winning two and qualifying three others, so are clearly going for a second consecutive victory!

“We have a nice spread of dogs heading for Friday’s heats, including seven locally trained dogs from the kennels of Kevin Hutton, Matt Dartnall and Chris Hamblin.

“All of us here at Oxford are excited to see what’s to come and wish all the youngsters lining up in the RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar the best of luck for Friday’s heats.”