KEVIN HUTTON enjoyed a hugely fruitful trip to Newcastle on Thursday as his team produced the goods in the heats of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat and Arena Racing Company Angel Of The North.

Providing the majority of the non-Newcastle and Sunderland entry for the Category One competition, Hutton weighed in with a treble on the night as his Antigua Eagle an Arc Northern Puppy Derby finalist earlier this year when known as Omuircheartaigh, set the fastest time in the heats of the Northern Flat before litter-sisters Southfield Daisy and Coppice Ella both landed their heats of the Angel of The North.

Lining up in heat one of the Northern Flat, a fast start set up an all-the-way success for Antigua Eagle over Ballymac Lineout (Jimmy Fenwick) in 28.34sec (+10) to set the standard in the Category One annual, grabbing the headlines from ante-post favourite Wicky Ned’s own victory in the following heat two.

Jimmy Fenwick’s Gymcrack winner was always in command before leading home the keeping-on Romeo Crossfire by a length in 28.55sec (+10) to secure his place in Thursday’s semi-finals of the £12,500-to-the-winner 480m feature.

The latter’s trainer Tom Heilbron was at the double in the Northern Flat heats with both Brinkleys Magic (28.62sec +10) and Untold Euro (28.58sec +20) landing the spoils, while the remaining heats were won by Stephen Caile’s Delvin Cat (28.46sec +20) and Savva Roberts’ Tonelagee (28.60sec +20).

Casting his eye over the Northern Flat heats, Shane Rigney of sponsors Time Greyhound Nutrition said Wicky Ned and Untold Euro were the eye-catchers.

“I thought both ran well given maybe conditions were against them a touch from the inside box,” said Rigney. “There wasn’t a lot in it, but I just felt it favoured the outside slightly so, with that in mind, Wicky Ned and Untold Euro impressed. Having said that, Antigua Eagle is well known to us here in Ireland as being previously known as Omuircheartaigh. He’s a very, very nice dog who showed he ran Newcastle well during the Puppy Derby.

“As new sponsors of the Northern Flat we’re looking forward to the semi-finals and finals over the next two Thursdays and will be looking forward to catching up with trainers with a meet-and-greet area provided by Newcastle – and we thank them and Arc for putting those arrangements in place for us.”

Fastest in the Arena Racing Company Angel of The North heats was the Jimmy Fenwick-trained Ballymac Camilla who raced away for a five-length win in 28.20sec (+20), the fastest time of the night, in heat six of the Category Two competition.

The other Angel of The North heats were won by Kevin Hutton’s pair of Southfield Daisy (28.69sec +10) and Coppice Ella (28.42sec +20), and Stuart Ray’s Blackhouse Kim (28.51sec +10), Barry Denby’s Leighas Dream (28.51sec +10) and Tom Heilbron’s Sunderland Puppy Cup winner Untold Ruble (28.64sec +10).

Trap draw for Thursday’s semi-finals: https://www.newcastle-greyhounds.co.uk/racing/results/