HAWKFIELD OZARK landed his first major UK success with a thrilling victory in the £12,500 Arena Racing Company Laurels Final at Perry Barr on Saturday.

Trained by Patrick Janssens for the Connors family, the 2022 Bar One Irish Sprint Cup winner at Dundalk had shown his class by making the final of the Ladbrokes Winter Derby at Monmore before gaining valuable points for his handler in the Trainers’ Judgement Night at the Birmingham track, effectively securing the title for Janssens.

Lining up as favourite in Saturday’s 480m decider after a fast semi-final success and the withdrawal of kennelmate Coolavanny Shado, a fast start from Hawkfield Ozark set up a first-bend lead from Arkady (David Mullins) before holding a stirring finish from Paul Foster’s Goldies Perryman to win by a head in 28.03sec (normal).

Local hope Hurry UpJordan (John Lambe) stayed on well for third, ahead of Arkady and last year’s Birmingham Cup winner Ivanexile (Matt Dartnall).

Victory in the Laurels delighted trainer Janssens, a Derby-winning trainer, who added the famous former Wimbledon and Belle Vue competition to his impressive CV, including victory in the Trainers’ Judgement Night, and he once again paid tribute to the January 2020 son of Laughil Blake and Brownstown Tango for his efforts.

“Ozark finishing second won Judgement Night for us and he got no sort of run in the Winter Derby final, so I think the dog really deserves this,” he said. “We knew he had a good chance of leading and, while 480m is his maximum, he’s toughed it out to the line to beat one of our old favourites in Goldies Perryman.

“We used to have him and I knew we might be in trouble when he went second down the back. Paul Foster’s got him running really well and we knew we were in for a battle, but he’s held on and my thanks go to all the team – Cheryl, Ria, Jamie and Ron Mills.”

Jamie McGee, whose grandad John ‘Ginger’ McGee won the 1993 Laurels at Wimbledon with Slipaway Jaydee, is now very much part of the Janssens set-up and has always rated the three-year-old, who he trained in Ireland along with mum Keeley.

McGee said: “He’s always been a top greyhound, as is his sister Hawkfield Mia. When we saw the rain comes down we knew it might be tough but to be fair to Perry Barr the track was in magnificent condition once racing started and we’re all over the moon.”

Martin Seal, Perry Barr racing manager, added: “Well done to Patrick and his team. Ozark was brilliant on the night, but so too was Goldies Perryman. They’ve produced a brilliant final on a busy night here at Perry Barr with some great racing.

“We were worried early on with the weather. We had torrential rain for well over an hour but the team, headed by Arc’s Paul Smith, did a great job preparing the track for racing and, while we had a delayed start, managed to catch-up through the evening.”

Result: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=396492&raceId=933386