WOLTEMADE put himself right in contention for GBGB Greyhound of the Year reckoning with victory in the Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup Final at Dunstall Park.

On a night Droopys Flare also put herself in the picture for the annual awards to come when winning the six-bend Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger, it was the Jimmy Fenwick-trained Woltemade who took the major four-bend honours with another scintillating performance in a Category One final.

Landing his fourth Category One title after successes also at Newcastle in the Arc Northern Puppy Derby and Time Northern Flat, plus the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Monmore, success at the track at Wolverhampton Racecourse was a fifth competition success for the two-year-old given his win also in the Harry Burton Trophy, a Category Two.

Unleashing a searing burst of early pace off the back of a slick start and 2.90sec sectional which soon put him in charge of his semi-final conqueror Signet Nayla (Kevin Hutton), Woltemade was soon oozing class in front and was never headed for a three and a half lengths success in 27.92sec (normal) for the 480m trip.

 Second was Signet Nayla who just edged out third-placed Betgoodwin Eddy (Diane Henry) but the £12,500 first prize and famous trophy was heading back with the Fenwicks to their Morpeth, Northumberland, base – after a fully deserved success, said Martin Seal, Dunstall Park racing manager, who oversaw the action on the night.

“He’s just a brilliant greyhound and absolutely deserved to win the Birmingham Cup,” said Seal. “He’s got a touch of class and that pace of his to the bend is really impressive.

“Jimmy and Melanie (Fenwick) have had some fantastic dogs in recent years, thinking about Ice On Fire and Wicky Ned, and Woltemade has the all-round pace of those two, but with the early pace of their Brookside Richie, who won a Birmingham Cup at Perry Barr.

“He’s looking the complete package at this stage and was a worthy winner on a great night for us here. It was the first time Dunstall Park has staged the Birmingham Cup and St Leger and I thought both competitions were great – with two top-class winners suiting the occasion.”