Proper Heiress has a firm grip on the famous trophy heading into Saturday’s semi-finals of the Coral Olympic at Hove after blitzing his rivals in the heats to easily set the fastest time of the night over 515m – and maintain short-priced favouritism for outright honours.

The defending champion is looking to become only the second greyhound to go back-to-back in the Olympic after House Hunter’s brace in 1986-87 and, having lost his unbeaten Hove record in the semi-finals of the Gold Collar at the south coast track recently, bounced back readily at the weekend and is clearly in no mood to relinquish the title having made all in heat four in 29.55sec (normal) for the 515m trip.

His winning time was comfortably quickest of the six heats as the 1-8 favourite won by an incredible 11 and three-quarter lengths from Missile One (Seamus Cahill) – to form part of a Mark Wallis-trained three-timer in the Olympic heats and a four-timer on the night given Mongys Wild’s success in his George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heat. And the haul delighted the 15-time champion trainer.

“We couldn’t really have asked for more. Four winners and getting Rackethall Brute, Table Toppers, Newinn Deejay and Garfiney Blaze through to the semis of their events was pretty good and we certainly expect Garfiney Blaze to improve,” said Wallis of the defending George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial champion. “He’s not had a huge amount of racing of late and, while he’ll come forward and still has a chance of winning the event again, we’re definitely looking at him having a go at a third (Arc) Cesarewitch at Central Park next month.

“As for Harry (Proper Heiress), to win the (Premier Greyhound Racing) Eclipse on Monday and then set the fastest time in the Olympic heats on Saturday is just fantastic – he really is some dog,” said Wallis about the Nottingham winner the same week to add an Eclipse title to his wins already in the Arc Kent Plate at Central Park, Ladbrokes Winter Derby at Monmore and Coral Sussex Cup at Hove, as well as the Time Juvenile Championship at Towcester. He eyes a fifth Category One title of 2025 and sixth overall.

The other Wallis winners in the Olympic heats were strong-running Kilmore Dancer, who powered through to win heat one from longtime leader Clona Kody (Richard Rees) in 30.29sec (normal), and Silverhill Adam who rounded off the first round of the longstanding event with a 30.14sec (normal) heat six success, crossing the line four and three-quarters lengths clear from Cmon The Brom (Seamus Cahill).

Belinda Green’s Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks finalist Raebella Bullet narrowly held a rousing finish from odds-on favouritism Chelms Bear (Craig Morris) to win heat two in 30.20sec (normal), leading early on her way to a local success by a short-head, a heat in which Rackethall Brute (Mark Wallis) was a staying-on third.

The remaining Olympic heats went to Coral Gold Collar runner-up Antigua Kestrel who raced away early for a runaway six and a quarter lengths win from Ower Cracker (June Harvey) in 29.96sec (normal) and the Seamus Cahill-trained Moving Force who dominated much of heat five before winning by three lengths from Newinn Deejay (Mark Wallis) in 30.05sec (normal).

Trap draw for Saturday’s semi-finals: https://brightonandhovegreyhounds.co.uk/racing/advance/races