PROPER HEIRESS emerged as a leading contender for outright honours after blasting to a fastest-of-the-night heat victory in the Coral Olympic at Hove on Saturday.

Mark Wallis had just witnessed his Garfiney Blaze set what would be the fastest heat time in the stage-sharing George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial and kennelmate Proper Heiress made it an impressive double for Imperial Kennels when setting the standard himself in the 515m annual in the very next race.

Lining up in the opening heat, the September 22 son of Droopys Sydney used a fastest-of-the-round 4.28sec sectional to soon be clear and on his way to impressive six and three-quarter lengths success over Kevins Rocket (Seamus Cahill) in 29.64sec (+10).

Team Wallis would later land an Olympic heat double courtesy of last year’s Eclipse champion Newinn Syd, coming through powerfully to lead home Burrows Sapphire (Jason Heath) in 30.64sec (normal) in a heat in which ante-post favourite Droopys Plunge crashed out. Success for Newinn Syd completed a treble on the night for the champion trainer with Garfiney Blaze’s George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial heat win.

Closest finish over 515m was the short-head between Patrick Browne’s all-the-way 16-1 winner Rapido Ali and Barntick Bear (Patrick Janssens) in heat two, the latter coming from last to second but failing by the minimum margin to catch the game local. The winning time for the four bends was 30.63sec (normal).

Aayamza Sydney, the Jay & Kay Coach Tours Gold Collar winner, continued his imperious form with a barnstorming success in heat three.

As at Crayford, John Mullins’ 37-kilo powerhouse was quickly into stride, made the bend in front, and drew away for a three and a half length win over Gary The Arb (Belinda Green) in a fast 29.73sec (normal), second only to Proper Heiress on the Olympic clock.

Other Coral Olympic heats were won by Richard Rees’s Starshinestunner, last year’s Oaks finalist, who landed a 14-1 win in heat four when making all from Gun Slinger (Mark Wallis) in 30.11sec and Kevin Hutton’s Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse finalist Antigua Kestrel who forced his way to the front at the bend for an easy seven-length win in heat five over Droopys Extragud (Heather Dimmock) in 30.12sec (normal).

Hove RM Rob Abrey said: “All round it was superb night. The crowd was good and everyone was in great form, enjoying themselves. Indeed, the track was full of racegoers and Christmas parties alike and the switch to Saturdays for these two major competitions – the Olympic and George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob – was well and truly justified.

“Proper Heiress was double figures ante-post before Saturday and is now vying for favouritism along with Aaymaza Sydney after romping home in his heat. However, the latter won heat three himself in impressive trap-to-line style, showing he is ready to win back-to-back Category One competitions.

“Newinn Syd is still doing it at the highest level for Mark Wallis and produced a gutsy display to take the final heat, but really all the semi-finalists deserve to be in the next round and have made it a very strong competition.

“In both events the trap draws have proved interesting with mainly railers in there.

“The action continues this Saturday with the semi-finals of the two Category Ones plus the start of two Category Three competitions. Hove is definitely the place to be for open-race fans on December 7 and finals’ night on for December 14.”

Trap draw for Saturday’s semi-finals: https://assets.cj1.in/imminent-otter/production/assets/results/Brighton-Hove/form-guides/Sat-7th-Dec-Form-Adv.pdf