SMALLMEAD landed her trainer John Mullins a first victory in the Category One event when producing a powerful effort to claim the £10,000 RPGTV St Leger Final at Perry Barr on Thursday.

The May 2018 daughter of Definate Opinion and Ballymac Razl, was led from the traps by the fast-starting Salacres Pippa (Peter Harnden) but paced up well herself to lead the chase behind the Nottingham raider.

Hitting the front at the fifth turn, Smallmead went on to cross the line one and a half lengths clear of Salacres Pippa in 43.37sec (-20) for the 710m trip.

The remainder of the field were involved in varying degrees of crowding with Cesarewitch winner Aayamza Royale (Mark Wallis) staying on in third, Hayley Keightley’s pair of Ballydoyle Bee and favourite Roxholme Kristof fourth and fifth, with Jim Daly’s Blue Tick George in sixth.

So victory went to the Mullins-trained runner, who is owned by father and son David and Lee Calcutt. And while neither could be at the Birmingham track given the current behind-closed-doors policy, it was nevertheless a memorable occasion.

Lee Calcutt said: “What a night! Winning the St Leger, the stayers’ Classic, has been a dream of mine for many years.

“From a young lad going to Reading’s ‘Smallmead’ Stadium – hence the name! – with my dad I remember watching the old Intertrack screens in the Jeff Curtis Bar there, watching St Leger finals at Wimbledon and seeing greats such as Palace Issue, Dilemmas Lad, Roxholme Girl, Greenacre Lin and, more recently and in person at Wimbledon and Perry Barr, the likes off Farloe Tango, Rubys Rascal, Blonde Reagan and last year’s winner Redzer Ardfert.

“Staying races have always been exciting to me so I’ve always followed the St Leger and TV Trophy races annually. Both are races I wanted to win – so at least one of them is off my bucket list! We actually went close in the TV Trophy in 2014 with Burgess Borna, also trained by John, who finished second just out of season to King Kane, owned by my good friend Andrew Griffiths.

“We, along with Chris Waters and Jack Cranfield, managed fourth in the 2018 St Leger final with Minnies Highway behind the great Calico Ranger – owned by an ex-Reading trainer in Keith Hardiman.

“A year ago I purchased Smallmead (ex Ballymac Tanya) from Liam Dowling, although funnily enough I was actually after her sister Ballymac Merkel, but she got disqualified the night I was watching her run to make my final decision at Shelbourne Park. Best not tell  Tanya she was second choice!

“Anyway, on the night there was no pressure for dad and I given the quality of the field, but she’s run brilliantly. John Mullins did the business to add the St Leger to his other big-race wins including the Oaks with Blonde Jeannie – just the Derby to go now John to complete the set!

“Seriously, all credit to John, his wife Debbie, and all the team at Dillymore Kennels including Jeff Rayner, Nigel Tanner and Barry Kent, the kennelhands and volunteers who help and assist along with their work at the Dillymore Greyhoundhomer Suffolk branch.

“It was a night to treasure for a long time, especially for a bitch who’s the first greyhound my dad has actually been on the card as an owner. Brilliant.”

For the trainer himself, the victory emulated his mother Linda’s success in the St Leger at Wimbledon in 2000 with Palace Issue – a greyhound John Mullins himself paraded on the night.

He said: “It’s the St Leger and you can’t ask for much more. She’s done it fair and square and maybe after the heats when I thought she was out her name was on the trophy.

“It’s been a very difficult year and this certainly doesn’t make up for all of that, of course it doesn’t. However I’m delighted to have won the St Leger just as mum did and we now take her to Swindon for the Oaks.

“She’s had a great year already and it’s great for the kennel and the staff. Trying to win a Classic is what it’s all about – and to win another one is special, really special. Many thanks to the sponsors, to Perry Barr and the team at Arc.

“They’ve done a great job in getting these major events on in a tough year.”

Results: www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=368191&raceId=692082