CAROLS LEGACY upset the odds on ante-post favourite Coolavanny Shado when racing to a fastest-of-the-night second-round victory in heat two of the BresBet 76th East Anglian Greyhound Derby at Yarmouth on Saturday.

In what proved a crowded affair in which Zari Rosie (Paul Burr) was knocked over but was reported none the worse afterwards, Seamus Cahill’s August 2020 son of Confident Rankin and Emers Diva led off the second bend before stretching clear to win by four and a quarter lengths from Coolavanny Shado in 27.57sec (-10). The winner’s kennelmate Derrinasafa Boss qualified in third here.

Gracias Lorenzo notched up another success in heat one, his fifth in six starts, as Mark Brighton’s local once again led on the dash to the first bend. However, former Yarmouth-based rival Jura Go Max (Maurice Rice) joined issue at the third bend but could never quite assert, the winner crossing the line three-quarters of a length clear in 28.06sec (-10). Third here was Maxi Twister (Sandra Clayton).

Emers Spike landed an impressive all-the-way victory in heat three. Paul Donovan’s dog paced up to lead into the first bend and stretched away well, with the April 2020 son of Droopys Sydney and Emers Ivy winning by two and three-quarter lengths in 27.89sec (-10). Ohalabamaslama (John Mullins) and Glatton Gianni (Richard Devenish) qualified here in behind the Central Park tracker, who was having just his third UK start.

Hopes Paddington struck for last year’s winning kennel when scoring for Mark Wallis in heat four. Riding a bump early, the April 2020 son of Good News and Charity Anna came through powerfully on the run for home to score by a length and a half from Drahan Jet (Seamus Cahill) and Swift Buttons (Paul Whitwood) in 27.91sec – much to the delight of winning owner Nick Jeal.

In the week it was announced by Imperial Kennels that last year’s BresBet East Anglian Derby winner Antigua Storm had been retired after a superb career, Jeal said: “When I was offered Supreme Tiger (Hopes Paddington) I thought he’d make a great replacement for Antigua Storm.

“Tiger had great early and had come a close second in the National Produce Stakes at Clonmel. As ever, our daughter Hope has a big say in what our dogs are called and wanted Paddington so we forwent the Antigua prefix this time!

“Paddington’s progress in the UK has been steady and rather workmanlike. The bear in the cartoon hides his sandwich under his hat – maybe our Paddington is hiding his early pace under his hat! We know he has early and, if he begins to show it in the Yarmouth Derby, we feel he could go close but there’s all to play for ahead of the semis.”

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=388694&raceId=870128