PROPER HEIRESS rewrote the record books with a brilliant performance to win the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse Final at Nottingham and rubber-stamp his leading Greyhound of the Year credentials.

Pacing up to lead despite a wider draw than was ideal in the £20,000 final over 500m, the Mark Wallis-trained September 2022 son of Droopys Sydney and Powerful Mush shot clear of crowding behind for a runaway victory, crossing the line 15 and a quarter lengths clear of staying-on kennelmate Kilmore Dancer in 28.95sec (+30), taking five spots off March On Freddie’s track record, for a Wallis-trained one-two.

Congratulating connections of the MWD Partnership-owned superstar, Nottingham general manager David Evans said: “Firstly, it was good to see Pain Barrier quickly up after his unfortunate fall and we’ve checked in with Kim Billingham-Hine’s kennel on him. He is seemingly none the worse and hopefully will be back soon after a rest.

“But that was a truly awesome from a wonderful greyhound in Proper Heiress who is certainly one of greyhound racing’s biggest stars just now,” added Evans, “and for him to win as convincingly as he did shows why there is talk about Greyhound of the Year about him from many quarters.

“It brought to a close a really good Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse. We had two track records on the night, so additional congratulations to both greyhounds – Proper Heiress and Newinn Bachelor, who broke the 255m trip for Kim (Billingham-Hine).

“I’d like to thank everyone who attended. We had a decent trackside crowd that braved the cold and we’re now looking forward to the start of the Arc National Sprint and hope people will join us for that and our Boxing Day morning meeting.”

Next for Proper Heiress is a defence of his Coral Olympic title, starting at Hove on Saturday.

Already winner of the Arc Kent Plate at Central Park, the Ladbrokes Winter Derby at Monmore and Coral Sussex Cup at Hove, plus the Time Juvenile Championship at Towcester, Proper Heiress’s Nottingham success was a fourth Category One title of 2025, the best haul of any greyhound in training this year.

Mark Wallis’s runner, also an Irish Derby finalist at Shelbourne Park in September, now heads back to the Sussex venue and a bid for a fifth Category One title of the year – and a sixth in all. It was in the Olympic in which Proper Heiress first burst on to the scene and he will aim to become just the second greyhound to go back-to-back in the event.

“Harry’s just a star for us and we couldn’t ask for much more,” said Wallis. “He’s just one of the best we’ve had – and has an incredible will to win. We’ll take in Hove then think about a plan next year revolving around another crack at the Derby.”

 

Photos: © Steve Nash