AAYAMZA SHAZZA made it third time lucky in a Category One final when landing the Click Competitions 80th East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth – on a special night all round at the seaside venue.

In truth, however, no luck was required as the brilliant John Mullins-trained, Aayzamboys Syndicate-owned superbly-bred May 2024 daughter of Ballymac Cooper and Ballymac Wisdom unleashed a scintillating burst of pace to seize the initiative off the second before running out an impressive winner of the famous competition.

Racing away for a four and a half lengths victory over Hasselbomb (Kelli Windebank), Aayamza Shazza clocked 27.21sec (+10) in claiming the £15,000 first prize and securing Category One glory having reached the finals of the Coral Brighton Belle at Hove and Ladbrokes Puppy Derby at Monmore.

Victory also landed trainer John Mullins a second Yarmouth Derby title after Swift Keith’s success in 2014 and, on a cracking night for the Suffolk-based handler, Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks-bound Aayamza Shazza formed part of a treble on the night for the trainer given victory for Swift Depot in the MWD Partnership Derby Purse Grand Final and Always Wrighty in a bitches contest.

Yarmouth director Simon Franklin congratulated winning connections, reserving special praise for the winning trainer on what was a special night for the track given the 80th running of the longstanding event – and the emotion surrounding the winner.

“Everyone in greyhound racing will know John and the Mullins family lost their mother Linda earlier this year, so this victory at his home track in a race he always wants to win and is special to him, was hugely emotional,” said Franklin.

“You could see that at the presentation and it was a privilege to be there to see how much it meant to John – and that fact wasn’t lost on a big crowd that turned out on the night. The winner and the trainer was cheered to the rafters for what was a Yarmouth victory, of course, especially coming in the 80th running.

“The East Anglian Derby is special for us, of course, and it was extra special for the Franklin family this year given my son, who has been working part-time for Craig Morris, paraded one of the finalists Montana Tiger. He is a fourth generation Franklin now working in and around the track, which makes us all proud.”