FROMPOSTTOPILLAR began what turned out to be a remarkable night for the Liz McNair camp when racing away to victory in heat two of the RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar second round at Oxford on Friday.

 

Less than half an hour before Warzone Tom set new figures for Romford’s 575m trip in the semi-finals of the Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes, the November 2020 son of Droopys Sydney and Rafa Babys Baby was once again foot-perfect in the GBGB Category One event for youngsters.

 

Having set the fastest time in the first round seven days previously, Fromposttopillar repeated that all-the-way victory – and some – when racing clear to score by a wide-margin, coming home 11 lengths clear of Two Marks (Kevin Hutton) and Jasmine Lily (Tom Levers) in a new track record 26.82sec (normal).

 

The winning time was five spots inside Twolengthstoogud’s previous best for the 450m trip and helped the McNair kennel to a quickfire double in the second round after Havana Allblaze’s heat one success some 20 minutes earlier.

 

Led up by fast-starting Singalong Java (Kevin Hutton), Havana Allblaze was soon in top gear herself and the May 2021 daughter of Grangeview Ten and Havana Lottie hit the front at the halfway point before going on to score by two lengths in 27.25sec (normal). Jondel (David Mullins) qualified in third here.

 

Romeo Mission franked the form of the Romford Puppy Cup when making all in heat three as the David Mullins-trained January 2021 son of Magic Sprite and Buckos Lass was never headed and won easily by four and a quarter lengths in 27.15sec (normal) from Nancy Spain (Matt Dartnall) and Moanteen Lennox (Angela Harrison).

 

Winning trainer Mullins said: “That was a great effort and I’m just delighted he’s got it right on the night. It’s the same for a lot of these pups, but these are new surroundings for these dogs and Romeo Hotshot didn’t get it right in the first round and was knocked out. Romeo Mission got through but we knew he had to be better still in the second round.

 

“Thankfully he has been and he’s done a pretty good time, too. Hopefully there’s more to come now but it’s nice to give the Romford Puppy Cup form a boost. He finished second to his brother Hotshot there for us and is now in the semis of this event which is great. His draw is decent enough and he’s got a chance of getting through. Fingers crossed!”

 

Lively Lauren wrapped up the second round action with an another impressive front-running performance in heat four.

 

Well away, the Matt Dartnall-trained February 2021 daughter of Ballymac Anton and Art Of Illusion paced up well and was soon in charge, racing away to win by four and a half lengths from Marinas Cognac (Garry Hamilton) and Makeit Swallow (Frank Gray) in 27.12sec (normal).

 

Trap draw for Friday’s semi-finals:-

 

First semi: 1 Marinas Cognac, 2 Lively Lauren, 3 Two Marks (m), 4 Havana Allablaze (m), 5 Makeit Swallow (w), 6 Romeo Mission (w).

 

Second semi: 1 Singalong Java, 2 Moanteen Lennox (m), 3 Fromposttopillar (m), 4 Nancy Spain (w), 5 Jasmine Lily (w), 6 Jondel (w).

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=390021&raceId=880851