KILARA LION landed a third GBGB Category One title with a battling performance in the  TRC Health + Hygiene Blue Riband (500m) at Towcester on Saturday afternoon.

Trained by Patrick Janssens and already winner of the Yarmouth and Kent Derbys, the Chris Crampton, Harry Crapper, David Priestley and Nigel Thomas-owned runner is among the nominations for Sunday’s GBGB Awards 2020 where he is nominated in the Standard Distance Performer of the Year category.

And his form of 2020 has continued into this year by landing the first four-bend Category One event – and with it the £7,500 prize for connections – with a show of all-round speed to lift the famous Wembley event, last run for at Hall Green in 2012 but resurrected in 2021 by Towcester promoter Kevin Boothby.

Only moderately away as Coolavanny Kyser (Mark Wallis) next door trapped better and led into the turn, Kilara Lion paced up well and was able to use to the rails to secure a challenging position off the second bend as Coolavanny Kyser and Great Eastern (Kevin Hutton) battled for early supremacy.

Running strongly down the back, Kilara Lion passed his rivals at the fourth bend and raced on for victory, coming away to win by two and a half lengths in 29.73sec (-30) from Coolavanny Kyser and Great Eastern – securing another major success for champion trainer Janssens’ portfolio in the process.

The kennel – and greyhound fans everywhere – had been left reeling by the loss of Bockos Doomie and Janssens paid tribute to the former kennel star at the presentation.

“Nothing makes up for losing Doomie, he was a magnificent greyhound, but I’m delighted for ‘Louis the Lion’ and his owners, who are great greyhound people. They love this dog, Alex (Hopkins, former trainer) loves this dog and we do also – he’s just got a fantastic will-to-win. He never knows when he’s beat and just battles away all the time.”

The Ladbrokes Winter Derby at Monmore is now on the cards for the February 2018 son of Droopys Jet and Kilara Lizzie, bred by Brian Kennedy, with a return to the Northamptonshire venue in the summer for the Star Sports Greyhound Derby very much on the cards for the three-year-old who continues to prove a fantastic competition greyhound.

Janssens paid tribute to the track after Kilara Lion’s victory, adding: “I’d like to say thanks to Kevin Boothby for staging the event in difficult times. It’s not been an easy competition for them I know but putting this meeting on doing the afternoon was a very good idea and today has gone really well.”

Towcester spokesman Nathan Corden congratulated the winners of the Blue Riband and said the plan for the track was to stage a few more major competitions before and after the Derby, with several Category One events planned.

He said: “Kilara Lion was a brilliant winner – doing it the hard way coming from behind. I think all of us at Towcester are pleased for Patrick and the kennel after the devastating news with Doomie. The team deserved this victory given what they’ve gone through.

“A huge thank-you must go to the sponsors who supported us, including Star Sports, Fox and Ox Apparel, 1st Containers Ltd, Nic Jeal, the KSS syndicate and Mark Burridge – and well done also to Steve Katz who produced the Towcester TV service that allowed greyhound fans to view the action here on the day.

“We’re now looking forward to the rearranged Northamptonshire Sprint next – and a number of other initiatives here.”

Results: www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=370336&raceId=711840