MINNIE BULLET set the standard in the heats of the Bet365 Hunt Cup at Oxford on Friday as the £10,000-to-the-winner event over 650m kicked off with four first-round heats after the qualifying round seven days previously.

Mark Wallis’s runner, fourth in the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket at Crayford in February, had been beaten into third seven days previously but made no mistake on this occasion as the January 2021 daughter of Good News and Moanduff Daisy produced a fine show of front-running to score by three and a quarter lengths in 39.79sec (normal) from kennelmate Muxton Lottie for a Wallis one-two, ahead of Havana Top Note (Liz McNair) in third.

Wallis later struck with Meenamoynamona in heat four as her fine form at Oxford continued as the October 2020 daughter of Ballymac Matt and Ballymac Meena, a fast winner of her qualifying round heat, burst clear again on the run to the bend before drawing steadily clear to cross the line five and a half lengths clear of Wota Swell Party (Kevin Hutton) and third-placed Romeo Blade (Vicki Lea). The winning time was 40.52sec (-30).

A happy winning trainer said of his team in the GBGB Category One competition at the Cowley track: “They all ran well and it’s always great to be involved in these major competitions. It was the same at Perry Barr on Trainers Judgement Night and taking the runners up to Sunderland for the (Arc) Grand Prix. It’s what this kennel is all about and what we’ll be about in the future – just more so.

“There’s a few changes going on here but we’re very excited by what’s ahead,” added Wallis before discussing his Oxford runners.

“Minnie Bullet did us proud at Crayford and just came up against a great winner on the day in Bellmore Sally, but whenever she’s got the chance to dominate it takes a good one to beat her – and it’s the same with Meenamoynamona. She’s come on again in recent weeks and hopefully there’s even more to come. We’re also happy to have Muxton Lottie in the semis at Oxford, too, and she always gets herself into the mix.”

Liz McNair also completed a double in the heats as St Leger champion Havana Lover finished best to land a high-quality heat one, before kennelmate King Ezra struck off the front in heat four.

First up was Havana Lover as the August 2020 daughter of Laughil Blake and Love Honey was led by Crokers Brandy (Paul Sallis) before unleashing a strong effort from halfway to hit the front at the foot of the back straight second time before coming away to win by three and a quarter lengths from Low Pressure (Belinda Green) and Crokers Brandy. The winning time was 39.94sec (normal).

King Ezra then completed a double for the McNair team as the home-bred, a January 2021 son of King Sheeran and King Danni, made no mistake from lids-rise to soon be in charge before crossing the line three lengths clear of Barley Locket (Matt Dartnall) and Night Time Danny (Stephen Rayner) in 40.14sec (normal).

Trap draw and form for Friday’s semi-finals:-

First semi: 1 Havana Top Note, 2 Romeo Blade, 3 Minnie Bullet, 4 Wota Swell Party, 5 Night Time Danny, 6 Barley Locket (w).

Second semi: 1 Low Pressure, 2 King Ezra, 3 Crokers Brandy, 4 Muxton Lottie, 5 Meenamoynamona (w), 6 Havana Lover (w).