MONMORE racing manager Tony Williamson is looking forward to Saturday’s semi-finals of the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket and says it is an honour for the Ladbrokes track to stage the legendary competition.

“It’s been an honour to take it on and Saturday saw a fantastic night’s racing here,” said Williamson. “It’s the first staging of the prestigious Ladbrokes Golden Jacket in Wolverhampton for many years and certainly went down well with a large and quite boisterous crowd in attendance – always good to see and hear – to watch some of the UK’s finest staying greyhounds show their class.

“Champion trainer Mark Wallis had four of the six heat winners and, while fastest on the clock was the superb New Destiny, the most impressive to the eye was Mongys Wild. He showed great trackcraft and determination and looks quite an awesome greyhound. He powered home from a slow start and will be exciting to watch as the competition unfolds. We’re now looking forward to what should be three great semi-finals.”

As Williamson said, multiple Category One winner New Destiny set the standard in the heats as the red-hot favourite – incredibly an 1-11 chance – was soon clear in heat six and, saving the best for last, stopped the clock in 40.99sec (normal) for the 684m trip.

Landing a seven-timer in the process, the recent record-breaking Arc Grand Prix winner at Sunderland always led – off the back of a fastest-of-the-session 15.34sec sectional – as she crossed the line four and three-quarter lengths clear of Savana Ginger (Diane Henry) and Skylars Vision (Kim Billingham-Hine).

Bombay Nutty had kicked off the event impressively for the Wallis team in heat one as a first-bend lead set up a two and a half lengths win over Premier Greyhound Racing Regency champion Baywatch Bullet (Belinda Green) and Radical Scoby (Maxine Locke) in 41.45sec (normal).

Time Greyhound Nutrition TV Trophy champion Mongys Wild then weaved his way through off the back of a slow start in heat two to lead rounding the last two bends before racing away for a six and a quarter lengths win over Alright Patricia (David Lewis) and Haka Carlo (Simon Deakin) in 41.24sec (normal).

Newinn Cloud then landed the Wallis hat-trick – later to become a four-timer – in heat three as a strong-running performance saw him swoop to the front rounding the last bend for a length and a quarter success over Magical Luna (Kim Billingham-Hine) and Hogans Hawk (Seamus Cahill) in 41.56sec (normal).

The latter’s kennelmate Harlequin Beauty had led early here.

Heat four saw the Wallis run come to an end, albeit the kennel’s Ballymac Taylor still qualified in third here.

Victory went to the Diane Henry-trained Savanaregimental who was always handy before taking over from Magical Bertie (Mark Russell) down the back second time for a two and three-quarter length win over 4-11 favourite Deadly Disco (Richard Rees) who missed his break but stayed on well to make the semi-finals behind the 41.30sec (normal) winner.

Nathan Hunt’s Intriguing Iris landed a popular local success in heat five, leading early and never headed as the September 22 daughter of Jacob Tashadelek made all for a two-and-a-half length success over Alright Gordy (David Lewis) and Savana Jackpot (Diane Henry) in 41.69sec (normal) for the six-bend trip.