KEVIN HUTTON has extra reason for looking forward to Saturday’s major double-header at Dunstall Park after both Signet Nayla and Magical Jason respectively made the finals of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks and Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup.

For Signet Nayla, the weekend’s £20,000 contest for the bitches’ Classic decider is a second consecutive Category One final at Wolverhampton Racecourse for the British-bred after running-up to Woltemade in the Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup last month.

“She’s been running really well,” said Hutton after the home-bred April 2023 daughter of Signet Denver and Not Too Late unleashed her trademark burst of early pace to win the first semi-final of the Oaks, crossing the line a length and a half clear of the running-on Strike It Skye (Mark Wallis) in 28.35sec (-10).

“I thought she ran a cracker against Jimmy’s (Fenwick) dog in the Birmingham Cup and just gives herself a chance by breaking well – and that’s what we’re hoping for on Saturday in what is a brilliant Oaks final. We’ve the best bitches in the UK and Graham (Holland) bringing a good team over from Ireland and getting two through only adds to it. 

“It looks one of the best we’ve had for a while and, of course, everyone knows how much we love the Oaks. It’s where everything really did step up for us a notch when Droopys Danneel won at Belle Vue in 2013. Seems a lifetime ago now – and it is!”

Signet Nayla led off the second bend in the first semi-final on her way to winning by a length and quarter from Strike It Skye (Mark Wallis) who ran on strongly to edge Ballymac Allory (Esther Driver) for second to secure a place in Saturday’s £20,000 final. The winning time for Signet Nayla was 28.35sec (-10).

The other semi-finals went to Graham Holland’s Irish raider Fahrenheit Jess who made all to clock a fastest-of-the-round 27.87sec (-10) from Holding Hollie (Richie Taberner) and Brian Fairbairn’s Slingshot Poppy whose trademark burst of early pace set the seal on a 27.90sec (-10) success over Ballydoyle Tina (Graham Holland) in 27.90sec (-10).