ROMFORD is set for a huge Friday night with the finals of the Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes and Coral Romford Guys And Dolls the undoubted highlights.

Semi-final night produced some superb performances, not least from English Derby quarter-finalist Tiffield Tarquin who produced a magnificent display of front-running when winning the opening semi-final on a night New Destiny secured a shot at defending her Champion Stakes title with a typically gutsy and thrilling third semi-final win.

In between Untold Paanga came through a real test when bolting from the boxes and making all in the second semi-final to delight in-form trainer Nathan Hunt.

Hunt, who sent out Scooby Diamond to win the last major event at the Essex venue, the Romford Romford Puppy Cup, has a chance to make it back-to-back Category One titles at the London Road track with Untold Paanga, a February 2022 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Rural Maui, after he led home the fast-finishing Moving Force (Seamus Cahill).

Crossing the line a length and a half clearly of his Hove-based rival after a trap-to-line success in 35.21sec (normal) for the 575m trip, Monmore handler Hunt said it was no more than last year’s Coral Coronation Cup third – behind New Destiny – deserved.

He said: “Paanga’s owned by the Valley Boys syndicate which is headed by Gerwyn Price. He loves it round Romford and has a great strike-rate there.

“I fancied him to break better from a middle draw which proved correct and when he’s on the bunny he’s tough to reel in. So I’m pleased he’s got trap four again in the final, although he’ll need one of his better breaks to have any chance – but you never know.

“It would be nice to land a quickfire Cat One double at Romford. The Champion Stakes has always been a competition I’ve wanted to win and it’s fabulous prize-money once again put up by Premier Greyhound Racing.”

The Roy Peckham-trained Tiffield Tarquin kicked off the semi-finals with a brilliant all-the-way win over event favourite Gary The Arb (Belinda Green) as a fast start set up a first-bend lead which helped secure a one and three-quarter lengths success over the Hove raider in a superb 34.74sec (normal) for the 575m trip.

Later, Mark Wallis-trained runners always looked set to dominate the third semi-final given the 15-time champion trainer had half the field with last year’s winner New Destiny gamely reeling in longtime leader – and Coral Coronation Cup-winning kennelmate – Fabulous Sonique for a head success in 35.21sec (normal).

Two semi-finals of the Coral Romford Guys And Dolls also took place on the night.

These went to Maxine Locke’s Dashaway Daisy, who made all in the Dolls semi from Zenith Impact (David Mullins) and Bacon Roll (Paul Burr) in 24.03sec (normal), and John Mullins’ Ted On Fire who also burst clear from traps-rise to score really from Brindle Bully (David Mullins) and Newinn Souly (Kim Billingham-Hine) in a slick 23.86sec (normal).

The Finals in stats

Coral Romford Guys and Dolls final

Draw Greyhound W R % TPM +/- *W *R *% *+/- BST BAT BCT CW CR CD% DLR DLW
1 Zenith Impact 5 16 31% £1,755 £6.66 3 9 33% -£1.34 3.75 23.94 24.04 4 14 29% 1 39
2 Newinn Souly 7 39 18% £6,340 -£21.75 5 14 36% -£4.62 3.68 23.74 23.74 2 10 20% 1 29
3 Dashaway Daisy 4 8 50% £1,375 £2.79 2 3 67% £1.42 3.56 24.03 24.03 4 6 67% 1 1
4 Bacon Roll 32 100 32% £15,460 £41.36 18 47 38% -£8.14 3.60 23.37 23.65 29 93 31% 1 8
5 Ted On Fire 9 15 60% £2,480 £41.25 2 5 40% £0.38 3.69 23.84 23.86 5 7 71% 1 1
6 Brindle Bully 13 38 34% £15,520 £4.80 6 16 38% -£3.45 3.63 23.53 23.61 10 24 42% 1 15

 

Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes final

Draw Greyhound W R % TPM +/- *W *R *% *+/- BST BAT BCT CW CR CD% DLR DLW
1 New Destiny 36 62 58% £69,235 -£7.46 35 54 65% -£1.71 13.36 34.53 34.63 12 18 67% 1 1
2 Gary The Arb 25 65 38% £16,235 -£0.42 18 31 58% £6.08 13.38 34.57 34.75 10 15 67% 1 8
3 Fabulous Sonique 37 95 39% £28,335 -£8.26 29 49 59% £5.87 13.36 34.80 34.96 26 51 51% 1 43
4 Untold Paanga 19 82 23% £12,805 -£32.80 11 25 44% -£3.55 13.22 34.88 35.02 12 36 33% 1 1
5 Moving Force 7 20 35% £3,340 -£4.02 6 12 50% £0.48 13.75 35.33 35.33 1 3 33% 1 15
6 Tiffield Tarquin 8 22 36% £4,015 -£3.74 5 7 71% £2.39 13.29 34.74 34.74 2 2 100% 1 1

Trap draw for Friday’s finals: https://romfordgreyhoundstadium.co.uk/racing/advance/races

Photos: © Steve Nash