ROMEO TOMCAT initiated a tremendous 48 hours for Patrick Janssens as the British-bred star came out on top after a thrilling tussle with Texas Jack to win the Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby Final at Central Park on Saturday.

A day before Romeo Steel’s brilliant all-the-way win in the BresBet Steel City Cup at Sheffield, Romeo Tomcat added the Kent Derby to his Yorkshire Derby and Derby Plate successes at Doncaster and Towcester respectively with a superb show of all-round pace to lift the £20,000-to-the-winner Category One decider.

The showpiece event on a gala card at the Sittingbourne venue, attracting a bumper crowd, the main event lived up to its billing with a terrific duel between Romeo Tomcat and Texas Jack after Irish-trained favourite Bombay Pat (Graham Holland) missed the break.

Giving best early to the fast-starting Texas Jack (Richard Rees), the Hove raider held the advantage into the turn from Headford Dane (Maxine Locke) and Romeo Tomcat, with the latter unleashing a devastating turn of pace rounding the first two bends to join issue with Texas Jack and then forge ahead.

However, Texas Jack responded to the challenge and kept in touching distance of the leader without ever getting by the strong-running June 2023 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Fabulous Spirit, owned and bred by Dave Firmager, who went on for a length and a quarter victory over Texas Jack, with Headford Dane keeping on well just behind in third.

“I’m just delighted with Tomcat who’s been such an underrated greyhound for us,” said Janssens. “He’s now won two Cat Twos, finished second in the Gymcrack at Sheffield which was a Cat One, and has now won a Cat One at Central Park.

“He never gives up. That was eight in a row for him in the final and his will-to-win is brilliant. I’m just delighted for the whole team. There’s only a few of us but we all work hard for these nights – and Central Park has been a good track for us. I like it!”

Adding his name to a host of champions to have won the Kent Derby, Romeo Tomcat made it a record third Kent Derby win for Janssens after success with Bockos Alfie (2017) and Kilara Lion (2020) plus a host of finalists in its 25-year history.

Central Park’s operations manager Regan James congratulated connections of all the winners on the night, reserving special praise for Romeo Tomcat.

He said: “It was a great night all round and we were proud to stage the Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby once again.

“The competition has a great history and Saturday was the fourth occasion the race has been run under the Premier Greyhound Racing banner and we thank them for their support.

“The Kent Derby has always attracted top-class greyhounds and this year was no different, so well done to Romeo Tomcat, Patrick, Cheryl and Ria Janssens, and the Firmagers.”