ANTIGUA SUGAR returned to winning ways in the heats of the Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes at Romford on Friday as the Mark Wallis-trained star clocked the fastest time of the night.

 

Six heats of the £20,000-to-the-winner competition over 575m took centre-stage at the Essex venue and the St Leger semi-finalist, for whom the six-bend trip at Romford looks perfect, produced a show of speed and stamina to edge her rivals in what proved to be an eventful heat five.

 

Led from the boxes by Sporting Chile (Seamus Cahill), the August 2020 son of Ballymac Bolger and Dolce Vita was soon in top gear and took up the running before the winning line first time and went on.

 

However, the runner-up could not be completely shaken off and the pair came together off the last bend, with Sporting Chile subsequently disqualified. For the record, Antigua Sugar won by a short-head from Sporting Chile with Aero Squeak qualifying in third. The winning time was 34.87sec (normal).

 

Also impressing was the Michael Hurst-trained Droopys Soldier, who also ran in the St Leger at Perry Barr, and who bounced back in heat two with an authoritative trap-to-line display to land the spoils.

 

Always in command after a fast start, the September 2019 son of Out Of Range ASB and Droopys Blossom was never headed as he crossed the line three lengths clear of Antigua Bigun (Mark Wallis) and Crossfield Lexi (Patrick Janssens). The winning time was 34.99sec (normal).

 

Ante-post favourite Warzone Tom, fastest in the heats 12 months previously, had to settle for second in heat six behind the Patrick Janssens-trained Romeo On Tilt. The winner always led to score in 34.91sec (normal), with Liz McNair’s runner-up overcame a missed break to still qualify, ahead of Puttfor Rags (Paul Young).

 

The other heats went to Sharon Thompson’s strong-running Master Ten Ten (35.59sec), Seamus Cahill’s all-the-way winner Derrinasafa Boss (35.28sec) and Paul Young’s Mitch Millward Marathon runner-up Bubbly Cristal (35.18sec).

 

Mark Arkell, Romford’s deputy racing manager, said: “Once again the Champion Stakes heats didn’t disappoint. We had some cracking 575m races here and some superb performances, just a week on from a top-class Puppy Cup final night.

 

“Well done to connections of fastest heat winner Antigua Sugar, especially after a tough 24 hours for them after the Oaks heats, and our thoughts were definitely with Mark Wallis and his team and the Jeals.

 

“Looking ahead to the semis, I think we’re in for three outstanding races once again. I thought Warzone Tom did well to qualify after a missed break in his heat and we know what he can do with a start, but he’s up against his heat conqueror Romeo On Tilt and Antigua Sugar in a red-hot first semi-final.

 

“We also have the semi-finals of the Coral Standard Trophy – a Category Two for 36 dogs over 400m – and, again, judged on the heats we’re set for three cracking semi-finals. Golden Sprint champion Rail McCoy was fastest in the heats with a 23.74sec (+10) victory and faces another clash with Droopys Good on Friday.”

 

Trap draw for Friday’s semi-finals: https://assets.cj1.in/imminent-otter/production/assets/results/Romford/form-guides/Friday-14th-Oct-2022-Trap-Draw-Proof.pdf

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=389806&raceId=879373