LIZ MCNAIR dominated Sunday’s series of RPGTV English Puppy Derby Official Trial Stakes at Towcester with a superb return of five wins – including success for four members of the same litter.

First up was King Memphis, the RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar runner-up, who came home the stronger to deny Romford Puppy Cup second Coolavanny Mercy (Angela Harrison). The latter was soon in command off the back of a slick 4.04sec sectional but King Memphis, a December 2021 son of Droopys Sydney and Queen Beyonce, wore her down for a half-length success over the Newcastle raider in 29.28sec (normal).

The winner’s litter brother King Capaldi then notched a quickfire family double in the very next trial stakes, blasting out for a 3.98sec sectional on his way to a runaway nine and a quarter lengths success over Noduff Sahara (Chris Fereday) in a fast 29.14sec (normal).

However, King Memphis and King Capaldi were later upstaged by their litter sister Queen Shakira who produced a flawless exhibition of front-running on her way to a seven and a quarter lengths over Bodell Bucks (Michelle Brown) in a standard-setting 28.99sec (normal), before King Combs made it four wins for the same litter in the very next trial stakes, finishing best for a two-length win over Sir Oreo in 29.47sec (normal).

The McNairs then notched a fifth trial stakes victory when Queen Dusty, a January 2022 daughter of King Turbo and Queen Charlotte, ran amok in a later contest, leading off the second and stretching onwards to lead home Untold Paanga (crowded early) by eight and a quarter lengths in 29.50sec for the 500m.

Other trial stakes were won by Mark Wallis’s Ballymac Diana (Jaytee Jet-Jaytee Sienna, Dec 2021) who won in 29.18sec (normal); Phil Barlow’s raw youngster Velvet Hurricane (Deerjet Sydney-Velvet Spring, May 22) in 29.75sec  (normal) and Maxine Locke’s all-the-way victor Droopys Eddie (King Sheeran-Droopys Hunch, Dec 2021) in 29.26sec (normal).

Looking ahead to Sunday’s first round proper but reacting to Sunday’s round of trial stakes, Towcester racing manager Andy Lisemore said: “First off I’ve got to say well done to Rab and Liz (McNair). That was some effort to win five trial stakes and finish second in two others which means, not surprisingly, they hold a pretty strong hand heading into Sunday’s heats.

“I’d say King Memphis was the most impressive, even though he wasn’t the quickest of the five,” said Lisemore. “It was more the quality of the opposition and him having to catch Coolavanny Mercy who’s a fantastic bitch in her own right.

“Look we didn’t have a lot of luck with this competition last year. Ultimately it was voided due to a combination of the weather and issues we had at the time with the traps. Let’s not tempt fate, but everything went pretty well on Sunday and the make-up of the four first-round heats on Sunday suggest we’ve got another cracking afternoon here in store.

“The first three on Sunday qualify for the semi-finals a week later, with a £10,000 final on Sunday, November 26. A week later we then kick off the Bet365 Puppy Oaks.”