SPACE JET, who put herself in the mix for the August award with victory in the JenningsBet Select Stayers at Nottingham on Monday, was recently named RPGTV/GWA Greyhound of the Month for July.

Trained by Matt Dartnall for Kurn Rushen, the brilliant February 2019 daughter of Droopys Jet and Volcano memorably led home a one-two-three for the Oxford handler in the Premier Greyhound Racing Regency Final at Hove last month – adding another major trophy to her burgeoning mantlepiece!

Already winner of the 2021 St Leger and 2022 TV Trophy, and boasting back-to-back Dorando Marathons (2022 and 2023) at Towcester, as well as the 1st Containers Marathon at the same Derby venue, not to mention the 2023 Select Stayers and this Greyhound of the Month award, Space Jet has proved one of the most successful – and exciting – trackers of recent years.

In the Hove final, Dartnall’s superstar reeled in kennelmates Swiper and Lively Lauren to take the £20,000 first prize, producing one of her trademark finishes to delight a bumper crowd at the Sussex venue, which was staging a GBGB Category One double-header on the night with the Coral Sussex Cup also on the card.

Clive Lawrence, executive producer at award sponsors RPGTV, said: “What more can you say about Space Jet? She’s an absolute star of the track and RPGTV and SportyStuff TV viewers have just taken her to their hearts – and have been given tremendous value when you see the prices she’s been sent off!

“But even if you’re just watching her, she’s giving you great value. Those last-to-first finishes have become legend and it’s been great to see her back on track after there was some retirement talk earlier in the year. If anything, she looks as good as ever and continues to raise the roof at tracks when she races. She’s a credit to connections – and the sport itself.”

Rob Abrey, Hove’s racing manager, paid his own tribute to Space Jet, commenting: “Personally, that Coral Sussex Cup/Premier Greyhound Racing Regency meeting in July was the best I’ve overseen – and, of course, Space Jet was very much part of that.

“What Matt Dartnall achieved with his first three in the Regency was extra special. His team had won all three semi-finals the week before, so I suppose the pressure would have been on to finish the job off, but you can never be absolutely sure.

“In the end, it was almost the perfect race for Team Dartnall with Lively Lauren leading from Swiper, and then Space Jet powering home to bring the baton home for the kennel.

“It was a magnificent training performance given a lot of people – including Space Jet’s owner Kurn Rushen! – were convinced the 695m Regency trip was too short for her. However, Matt had a plan and that plan came off brilliantly.”