OUTDOOR ICE completed an unbeaten run through the event to become the inaugural winner of the Gain Greyhound Nutrition Maiden Vase Final at Oxford on Friday.

The Cowley venue hosted two GBGB Category Two events staged alongside each other with the Vase supported by the Gain Greyhound Nutrition Gold Cup as the track continued its policy of staging big-race events since its reopening.

Trained by Matt Dartnall for Jane Irons, Outdoor Ice was one of two finalists for the Oxford-based handler along with Barley Panther, who went off favourite. However, a slow start from the latter paved the way for the eventual winner to dominate early.

Racing to a 4.17sec split, the September 2020 son of Ice On Fire and Rushmoor Tess edged fast-starting Savana Raven (Jason Bloomfield) into the bend and was in command thereafter and on his way to victory in the £5,000-to-the-winner final.

Keeping up the gallop, the three-time Enniscorthy winner who made a winning debut in A2 at Oxford in September, followed up his wins in heat and semi-final by crossing the line a length in front of staying-on kennelmate Barley Panther for a Dartnall one-two.

The winning time for the 450m was 27.29sec (-20).

Sean Traynor of sponsors Gain Greyhound Nutrition congratulated connections and believes the winner is a progressive sort.

He said: “He’s clearly been brought on brilliantly by Matt (Dartnall) and his team. To win three races in a row is never easily, but to achieve that in open class in the same event is superb and clearly Outdoor Ice is an improving sort.

“Staging the Maiden Vase and the Gold Cup worked really well for us at Gain Greyhound Nutrition and I know the action was well received by those at the track and live on RPGTV. The Friday night cards at Oxford are proving very popular indeed.”

Result: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=391416&raceId=892034