DRUIDS SAY GO added her name to a famous roll of honour – and in all likelihood became the last winner to be crowned at Perry Barr – with a brilliant near record-breaking success in the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks.

Already winner of the Click Competitions 78th East Anglian Greyhound Derby at Yarmouth, the Patrick Janssens-trained and Value Racing Club-owned September 2021 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Druids Diana went off a warm order to add the Category One title to her mantlepiece and, once the traps opened, the destination of the £20,000 prize was never in doubt.

Soon in front against a top field of runners for the bitches’ Classic final, Druids Say Go raced away for a comfortable victory with a performance of class and searing pace sealing an impressive five and a quarter length victory over Icemans Girl who fared best of the chasing pack to give Nathan Hunt and owner Gerwyn Price, one of the world’s leading darts player and a former world champion, second place in the Oaks.

Third went place to Coppice Ella, the British Bred Oaks heroine, who also stayed on well. However, victory in the showpiece event went to a Patrick Janssens-trained runner for the second time in three years after Slick Sakina in 2022 – and the trainer himself was naturally delighted on a night he scored a four-timer on the night with supporting open-race wins for Droopys Plunge, Romeo Steel and Crossfield Enzo.

Commenting after Druids Say Go’s 27.82sec (normal) success for the 480m trip, just five spots off Coolavanny Shado’s track record, another Janssens runner, the Suffolk-based handler said: “We’re lucky to have this girl and I’m delighted for the club who own him, particularly James Couldwell who heads it up and really loves ‘Flamingo’!

“I know nothing about horse racing but it seems they’re enjoying their greyhound racing maybe more than the horses at the moment! She’s certainly doing the club proud and they’re enjoying these big nights – that’s eight wins on the spin and she’s just a brilliant bitch. The time was fantastic and she’s beaten a good field really well.

“We might look at Ireland for her. Maybe the Winter Festival, the old Night of Stars night. It’d be a great trip for the club and it’d be nice to take on some of the best in Ireland. There’s also the Eclipse at Nottingham, but we’ve got a team for that already. Barntick Bear, Romeo Command, Romeo Steel and Crossfield Enzo – maybe even Droopys Plunge, who’s a nice young dog – a nice stayer in the making.”

Martin Seal, Perry Barr racing manager, said: “Druids Say Go was a very worthy winner of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks, running at the top of her game. She has the ability to handle any trap draw thrown at her and still produce the goods – a rare beast indeed.

“Patrick and his team deserve great credit for keeping Druids Say Go at concert pitch over the course of the event, not an easy thing to achieve. I doubt any greyhound has ever gone faster to Perry Barr’s third bend, not even 480m clock holder Coolavanny Shado.

“I’d like to offer my thanks for the efforts of all the Arc and Perry Barr Stadium staff over the last two months, some of which have been under trying circumstances. These big nights are a proper team effort. Special mention goes to clerk of the course Jonny Shahban and his team, who had the running surface in absolutely mint condition on Saturday night.”