FORMER Greyhound of the Year Wicky Ned is back in the winning groove and returns to Monmore on Saturday for the semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup having helped his trainer Jimmy Fenwick to a superb double in the £10,000-to-the-winner Category One over 480m.

On a night six heats of the four-bend annual shared the stage with the six-bend Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic over 630m, Newcastle trainer Fenwick struck with Wicky Ned and his Time Northern Flat champion Woltemade for a notable brace in the fastest times of the round.

Quickest was Wicky Ned, last seen when chasing home his younger kennelmate in that recent Newcastle final having led early, again trapped quickly in heat two and always led for a three-and-a-quarter length win over Anglesey Milo (Nathan Hunt) in 28.45sec (-20), setting the standard in the event.

A few races later, Woltemade also impressed when just three spots slower in 28.48sec (-20) as he came through a superb on-paper clash with Strike It Skye (Mark Wallis), leading early and then holding Headford Cian (Maxine Locke) by a head for the spoils, with the Derby consolation winner securing her place in the semis in third.

Kelly Wilton would later complete a double on the night with her Time 3 Steps winner Fortunach Col in the final heat of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic but the Nottingham trainer kicked off the Ladbrokes Gold Cup with a strong-running success for Grouchos Ginger in heat one, the winner sealing a two-and-a-quarter length win over defending champion Headford Dane (Maxine Locke) in 28.69sec (-30) for the one-lap trip.

 The remaining Gold Cup heats were won by John Campbell’s Venetian Nero (28.64sec -20) and Nathan Hunt’s duo of Goldcash Warrior (28.55sec -30), the Time 3 Steps runner-up, and his Romford Guys and Dolls and Puppy Cup heroine Scooby Diamond (28.73sec -30), the last named pair delighting Monmore racing manager Tony Williamson.

He said: “Like Timmys Hunter in the Stayers Classic, it was good to see Nathan’s pair winning well. Both Goldcash Warrior and Scooby Diamond are proven big-race performers and the latter handled the stiffer four bends very well.

“However, you’d have to say Wicky Ned and Woltemade are also both superb greyhounds who won well for north east trainer Jimmy Fenwick and they’ll both be unlucky not to make the final from Saturday’s semis. They have the edge on the clock, for sure.”