HAWKFIELD OZARK completed a mixed night for Patrick Janssens with victory in the second semi-final of the Arena Racing Company Laurels at Perry Barr on Saturday.

The trainer’s Coolavanny Shado has been subsequently been withdrawn from the GBGB Category One annual after finishing third in the first semi-final – he now misses the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby – but the performance of Hawkfield Ozark gave the Towcester handler a chance of another successful night at Perry Barr.

Recent winner of the Trainers Judgement Night at the same venue, Janssens will be hoping Hawkfield Ozark, who finished second in the concluding leg to seal the title for his trainer, can go one better in the weekend’s £12,500-to-the-winner decider.

Quickly into stride in the second semi, the January 2020 son of Laughil Blake and Brownstown Tango was soon in command, crucially getting first run on main rivals Swift Iconic (John Mullins) and Arkady (David Mullins) before crossing the line two and a half lengths clear of the latter, with Hurry Up Jordan (John Lambe) qualifying in third.

The winning time for last year’s Irish Sprint Cup champion, who will be looking to land trainer Janssens a first success in the famous former Wimbledon, Belle Vue and Newcastle event, was 28.09sec (normal)

Goldies Perryman, a last-gasp winner in a supporting open on Trainers Judgement Night, again finished too strong for his rivals to win the first semi-final of the Arena Racing Company Laurels for Swindon trainer Paul Foster.

The October 2019 son of Droopys Sydney and Paper Doll was handier this time, being led from the boxes by Signet Goofy (John Mullins) and then by last year’s (M Lambe) Birmingham Cup winner Ivanexile (Matt Dartnall), but was always running strongly and overcame crowding along the way before landing the spoils.

Catching Ivanexile on the run for home, Goldies Perryman crossed the line a length clear of that rival with Coolavanny Shado, subsequently withdrawn, coming home in third. The winning time for Goldies Perryman in 28.29sec (normal).

Of Coolavanny Shado and his second semi-final winner Hawfield Ozark, Patrick Janssens said: “Unfortunately Shado has an issue with his metatarsal and it looks a four to six-week situation which rules him out of the Derby, which might not be the worst thing at all.

“Everyone knows how much I love this dog. He’s as fast as anything I’ve put a lead on but while he can do track records over 480m and 500m, getting him to do it six times in a Derby is pushing it. He took his chance well in the (Ladbrokes) Winter Derby, but he can miss the up sometimes and that’s why we didn’t put him in the Judgement Night team.

“Hopefully he’ll be back for races like the Gold Cup at Monmore, the Pall Mall and Yarmouth but we’ve got Ozark to look forward to at Perry Barr. He’s another good greyhound and more consistent than Shado maybe. Let’s just hope he has more luck in the Laurels than he did in the Winter Derby final. He’s certainly well enough.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=396267&raceId=931665

Form for Saturday’s final: https://www.perrybarr-greyhounds.co.uk/racing/