QUEEN GEORGIA heads into Sunday’s semi-finals of the Time Greyhound Nutrition 3 Steps To Victory having given the track record a real shake when posting the fastest clock in the heats over 480m.

The tri-distance event – the semi-finals take place over 500m with the final over 660m – is a unique competition in the GBGB calendar and Liz McNair’s home-bred Queen Georgia played a starring role on what was a good day for members of the December 21 batch by Droopys Sydney out of Queen Jessiej given litter sister was also fastest in her Star Sports/TRC English Derby Trial Stakes at Towcester.

And Queen Georgia also had clockwatchers purring at Sheffield in heat one of the Time Greyhound Nutrition 3 Steps To Victory as a strong-running performance set up a brilliant five a quarter lengths success over Magical Rubble (Tom Heilbron) and Untold Taka (Carol Weatherall) in 27.27sec (normal), two spots off Sean Davy’s Nolas Beauty 27.25sec track record for 480m at the Owlerton Stadium set in October 2022.

Another British-bred runner scored in heat two as Acomb Irene struck for Kevin Ferguson with a fast start for the March 2021 daughter of Hiya Butt and Acomb Ruby setting up a three-quarters of a length win over Havana Top Note (Liz McNair), with the latter staying on well in his bid to land a third career Category One success after victories in Oxford’s Hunt Cup and Challenge Cup. The winning time was 27.47sec (normal).

Jason Gray then sent out Noelles Milano to land the spoils in heat three as the

January 2022 daughter of Droopys Sydney and Noelles Camino rode an early bump before going on to score by a length and a half from Lightfoot Clark (Jimmy Fenwick) in 27.73sec (normal), before Savana Heross began his quest for a second major Sheffield victory with success in heat four.

Diane Henry’s May 2021 son of Droopys Sydney and Blundel Spark, winner of the Queen Mother Cup, finished well to collar Bramble Tango (Steve Anderson) by three-quarters of a length in 27.64sec (normal).

Miami Bullet then impressed with a fast 27.33sec (normal) win over Farneys Willie (Richard Wales) as Paul Young’s runner, a November 2021 son of Droopys Sydney and Yahoo Doll, reeled in pace-setting Wraysbury Katie before holding the Arc Grand Prix champion by three-quarters of a length.

The concluding heat six saw Michelle Dobson’s recent intake Boylesports Gift, a Star Sports/TRC English Derby quarter-finalist last year for Paul Hennessy at Towcester, make a winning debut for his new handler as the January 2021 son of Ballyhimikin Jet and Hugh Dream made all at the chief expense of New Destiny (Mark Wallis) in 27.50sec.

Sheffield’s director of racing Andrew Mascarenhas said: “There’s no question that Queen Georgia was the most impressive, especially after encountering trouble early. It was some run thereafter and to go so close to breaking the track record over 480m proved it was a run which oozed class.

“I also thought Miami Bullet impressed. He backed up a fast 500m trial here with a good run in the 480m heats which augurs well for the step up, although we know competition will be even fiercer given it’s the first two qualifying from the three semi-finals over the full four bends before we step up to six bends for the final. Millridge Tanic also ran well in defeat to qualify and is one who’ll definitely relish the stiffer tests to come.

“We’ve got a good spread of seeds through to the semi-finals and are looking for another cracking Sunday afternoon’s racing here. Our thanks go to our sponsors Time Greyhound Nutrition who have a real association with this competition and we are grateful for the support again this year.”

Trap draw for Sunday’s Time Greyhound Nutrition 3 Steps To Victory semis:-

First semi-final: 1 Wraysbury Katie, 2 Miami Bullet, 3 Noelles Milano, 4 Queen Georgia, 5 Magical Rubble (m), 6 Untold Taka (w).

Second semi-final: 1 Boylesports Gift, 2 Havana Top Note, 3 New Destiny, 4 Savana Heross, 5 Acomb Irene (m), 6 Bramble Tango (w).

Third semi-final: 1 Burgess Bono, 2 Golden Palace, 3 Clairekeith Remy, 4 Lightfoot Clark (m), 5 Farneys Willie (m), 6 Millridge Tanic (w).