BURKOS BOBBY continued trainer Paul Donovan’s fine run of form by winning the Seasons Scaffolding Puppy Cup Final at Hove on Saturday.

The GBGB Category Two event shared the stage at the Sussex venue at the weekend with the Coral-backed TV Trophy and Brighton Belle finals and, in just the third running of the 500m competition, produced another high-quality affair.

Monmore Puppy Derby champion Deelish Frankie (Patrick Janssens) went to traps favourite and paced up well into the turn, although a coming together with kennelmate Romeo Top Gun at the turn saw him crowded out.

That allowed the eventual winner to briefly lead round the outside off the second bend before the railing Romeo Top Gun hit the front down the back, a lead he held until Burkos Bobby stayed on just the better to win by half a length in 29.76sec (-10).

In behind Milton Pepe (Lee Field) kept on well to force a dead-heat with Romeo Top Gun for second, but victory went to the Central Park raider.

Winning trainer Paul Donovan was delighted with the May 2020 son of Droopys Cain and Julies Noise, owned by Steve Lemar, who arrived for the event as a maiden after a handful of starts including a trial stakes for the Seasons Scaffolding Puppy Cup.

His first win came in the heats of the Hove event.

“He’s running really well and ran on strongly to win and it’s ended a pretty good week,” said Donovan who sent out Tintreach Jet to win the Arc Silver Salver at Central Park.

Daniel Rankin, senior racing manager for Hove and Romford, said: “The Seasons Scaffolding Puppy Cup is sponsored by one of our owners, Steve Eason of the Season-prefixed runners with Jason Heath, and has been running for three years now.

“It has produced some great finals and this year was no exception.

“Burkos Bobby has improved with every run at Hove and is one to watch with him being a genuine wide runner who can do it from the front or from behind. Connections were talking about him being a future stayer, too.

“All six finalists this year are all good greyhounds in their own right and I would expect many open-race wins from them.

“Overall it was a brilliant night’s racing and well done to all those who carried off the trophies. Our plan has always been to allow a good Saturday night crowd to see these top-class greyhounds in action – and once again they’ve not been let down.”

Result: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=383842&raceId=830014