NOTTINGHAM is setting the stage for another big-race night on Monday as the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse Final headlines the action at Colwick Park – and Proper Heiress will start a warm favourite for the £20,000 prize after another impressive effort in the semis.

Having set the standard in the heats, Mark Wallis’s Irish Derby finalist and four-time Category One winner followed up that performance in the first semi-final on Monday as he led home a one-two for the champion trainer, grabbing the initiative on the run to the bend before racing away for a two and three-quarter lengths success over running-on kennelmate Kilmore Dancer in 29.26sec (+10) for the 500m trip.

Again fastest of the night, Proper Heiress is favourite to add his name to a famous roll of honour, although trainer Wallis is not counting any chickens, especially given the September 22 son of Droopys Sydney and Powerful Mush has drawn trap five in his bid to land a fourth Category One title in 2025 – and fifth overall. 

“He’s never won out of five, but has never run out of five!” said Wallis. “He’s won out of six at Monmore and every other trap so fingers crossed he can complete the set. It’s not ideal but he’s got so much class this dog – right up there with the best I’ve ever put a lead on and we did see the other two semis won by dogs in the five-box, so that gives us hope.

“I remember Eye Onthe Storm coming out running from trap five when he won the Eclipse at Nottingham a good few years back now – in 2009! – so we’d settle for that, but it’s a good final and we can’t ask for much more of Proper Heiress. He’s had a great year already and trying to defend his Olympic title will be the plan shortly at Hove, however Monday pans out.”

Hopes Ompaloompa broke well from trap five in the second semi-final, securing what proved a race-winning advantage for Esther Driver’s August 2022 son of Droopys Sydney and Annual Parlena.

The ex-Hove tracker, a regular winner at Nottingham, skipped clear down the back once seizing the initiative and drew clear for a three lengths success from Droopys Poker (Kim Billingham-Hine) in a smart 29.33sec (+10).

The latter was later joined by his kennelmate Pain Barrier in Monday’s decider after the Monmore raider pushed all-the-way winner Elusivenomore close, losing out by just a short-head to the Jimmy Fenwick-trained BresBet Gymcrack winner in 29.70sec (+10).

Trap draw for Monday’s Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse Final: 1 Elusivenomore, 2 Kilmore Dancer, 3 Hopes Ompaloompa, 4 Pain Barrier, 5 Proper Heiress, 6 Droopys Poker (m).