SIGNET DENVER landed his third major success of 2022 when completing an impressive unbeaten run through the BGBF Greyhound Stud Book Trophy at Towcester on Sunday.

 

Already a winner of the Produce Stakes at Swindon and the Arc Laurels at Perry Barr, Tony Brealey-owned January 2020 son of Magical Bale and Forest Natalee plundered another big-race title in the £3,000 GBGB Category Two feature, producing a superb exhibition of front-running at the Northamptonshire venue.

 

Racing to a 4.12sec split, the Kevin Hutton-bred and trained star was soon in command and never looked in danger of defeat in the British-bred competition before crossing the line three and three-quarter lengths of the staying-on Ballyblack Speed (Richard Yeates) and Shockwave Onyx, who had showed up well early, in 29.30sec (-10) for the 500m.

 

The victory for Signet Denver was an 18th success from 36 career starts for the two-year-old and a seventh win in a row for the English Derby quarter-finalist.

 

Congratulating Team Hutton at the presentation was Liz Mort, chair of the British Greyhound Breeders Forum, who said: “Well done to Signet Denver for his domination of the Greyhound Stud Book Trophy and to owner Tony Brealey and, of course, Denver’s trainer and breeder Kevin Hutton.

 

“The quality of the competition was really good and well done to Richard Yeates for his second place with Ballyblack Speed and to Kim Gooding, whose Shockwave Onyx finished third – and many thanks to Towcester for hosting the event which we’re delighted to see back on the GBGB Calendar.

 

“With both my BGBF and my Greyhound Stud Book hats on, I was absolutely delighted that we were able to revive the Stud Book Trophy, in collaboration with the BGBF.  It was an annual feature for many years and we intend that it will become so again, so that trainers and owners can plan it into their work. 

 

“Sponsored by the National Coursing Club, it was first run almost 40 years ago, in 1983, with the first running at Brighton. The winner then was Dusty Desert, a Sept 81 fawn dog by Geoff De Mulder’s 1979 Derby third Desert Pilot.

 

“Coincidentally it was the second competition for British-breds to be introduced that year given 1983 also saw the first British Breeders Forum Produce Stakes at Harringay – an event not to be confused with the Swindon Produce Stakes. That competition was first run in 1946 at Bristol’s Eastville Stadium before moving to Swindon in 1997 when Bristol closed.

 

“The Harringay Produce Stakes in 1983 was won by Glatton Grange, bred and owned by Dilys Steels, whose home-bred Southoe Silver is the dam of this year’s third-placed Shockwave Onyx!

 

“We upgraded the Greyhound Stud Book Trophy, which was a Category Three, to a Category Two this year and I hope trainers, owners and breeders will appreciate the extra funding we were able to put into the event. Towcester is a great venue for it, too, and thanks to the connections of all those greyhounds who took part.”

 

BGBF chair Mort also had good news about the British Breeding Graded Series, which is being run again this year.

 

She said: “We are delighted to be able to run this series again. Post-covid funding didn’t allow for it in 2021, but in 2022 we have been able to, thanks to the BGRF for the funding, and the GBGB Racing Committee for enabling the competitions to be planned into the Calendar.

 

“The series is open to all tracks and has a variety of options to ensure the maximum inclusion of British-bred dogs, certainly proved very popular two years ago and tracks have a choice in the way the events can be run, so as to suit their particular strengths.

 

“Our aim has always been to reach as many British breeders and owners and trainers of British-bred dogs as possible.

 

“Open-race wise we have our St Leger at Doncaster to come later this month, before our BGBF Derby at Sheffield in December. So there’s lots to look forward to.”

 

Result: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=390528&raceId=885070