DUNSTALL PARK are setting the stage for a big-race double header on Saturday after the semi-finals this weekend of both the BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup and Arena Racing Company Stayers 

The British Bred Puppy Cup is being held at the track at Wolverhampton Racecourse for the first time and Liz Mort, the BGBF chair, is delighted to see quality across the board in the Category One competition – and is looking forward to Saturday’s final.

Mort said: “It’s always wonderful to see a good puppy competition as pups are the future, of course.

“The British Bred Puppy Cup is one of four Cat Ones we have for British-bred runners during the year and has always been a good event. We had some really good years at Oxford with it, but for reasons everyone knows we had to move on.

“However, Dunstall Park is proving to be a perfect setting for what is, along with the Produce Stakes, the most important insight into the current quality of British breeding. And the heats and semi-finals have shown there is plenty of quality around.

“We are looking forward to Saturday’s final now.

“Our thanks go to Dunstall Park for taking on this important competition at fairly short notice but already this first staging has proved a great success and we are very much looking forward to many more British Bred Puppy Cups in the years to come at Dunstall Park.”

Romeo Astron, an August 2024 son of Aston Rupee and Fabulous Azzura was quickest in the semis as Tom Heilbron’s runner made all in the first semi-final in 28.55sec (-10), scoring by eight and a half lengths from Keefill Sequoia (Phil Milner) and Untold Dinero (Dave Lee), all three securing places in Saturday’s £10,000 final.

Harton Whirlwind, a September 2024 son of Distant Podge and Black Racket, struck in the second semi as a show of all-round pace sealed the deal for Rose Draper’s Sheffield raider who won by a length and a half in 28.88sec (-20) from Aero Clipper (Richie Taberner) and Bonville Kane (Maxine Locke).

Saturday’s final at the track at Wolverhampton Racecourse is chiefly supported by the Arena Racing Company Stayers Final, a Category Two event, with the semi-final winners respectively being Maxine Locke’s Bluejig Outlaw (39.76sec -30) and Angie Kibble’s Eagles Respect (39.83sec -15).