One of the UK’s youngest professional female greyhound trainers is dreaming of going a step further than her dad in a major competition at Dunstall Park in Wolverhampton this month.
Ruth Lambe’s grandfather Michael grew up watching the Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup after it was founded at the original Perry Barr Stadium on Aldridge Road in 1939.
More than 80 years after the competition was first staged, John Lambe – Ruth’s dad – came within inches of winning the 2020 renewal held in memory of Michael when kennel star Dolla Wisecrack was beaten half-a-length by Droopys Carat.
Six years on, the Birmingham Cup has a fresh permanent home at Dunstall Park – the UK’s newest greyhound racing venue.
And Ruth is hoping four-times race winner Santas Tornado can land her a first Category One title of her career, exactly 12 months after she took over her dad’s license.
Top-two finish required
A top two finish in Saturday’s semi-finals is required if the two-year-old blue dog is to keep the Lambe family dream alive.
But qualifying won’t be easy, with Gold Cup third Headford Cian for Trainer of the Year leader Maxine Locke and Kevin Hutton’s Kranky Drake drawn in the same race.
“To reach the final would mean so much,” said Ruth. “The Birmingham Cup has been watched by generations of my family, and my dad came so close to winning it in 2020.
“So much hard work goes into running a racing kennel, so to qualify on Saturday would be a big reward for everyone.
“He (Santas Tornado) has been an immature greyhound who’s taken a while to reach his potential on track.
“Consistency with his racing and trialling in recent weeks has helped him develop, although I still think he could step up even more on a galloping track and over a longer distance than 480m.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed, but to follow in my dad’s footsteps and have a Birmingham Cup finalist would be special.”
High-profile heats
Other high-profile Birmingham Cup heats qualifiers include dual Category One champion Woltemade for Jimmy Fenwick, who also qualified 2025 Gymcrack hero Elusivenomore.
2025 Gold Cup winner Headford Dane, meanwhile, has been drawn away from Fenwick’s pair and will run in the first semi-final.
Saturday will also see the UK’s top stayers race for a spot in the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger final.
Competition favourite Droopys Flare set the pace in the heats, clocking 43.10 seconds over Dunstall Park’s 715m trip with Mark Wallis’ Vhagar – winner of the ARC Grand Prix at Sunderland in April – three-and-three-quarter lengths behind in second.
Venetian Mick, Zenith Pasha and Droopys Rhona were the St Leger’s other heat winners.
Ticket information
Tickets for Saturday’s Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup and Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger semi-finals are available from £8 via www.dunstallpark-greyhounds.co.uk/whats-on/saturday-12-september.
Doors open at 5.30pm, with the first of 12 races on the night off at 6.20pm. Limited free admission tickets remain available for finals night on September 19.
Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup
Semi Final One: Droopys Alldeway, Betgoodwin Eddy, Strideon Clara, Headford Dane, Copney Queen, Skyfall Khan.
Semi Final Two: Teejays Buddy, Venetian Nero, Elusivenomore, Signet Nayla, Holding Aero, Woltemade.
Semi Final Three: Alright Bullet, Grouchos Cossie, Tomahawk, Kranky Drake, Headford Cian, Santas Tornado.
Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger
Semi Final One: Droopys Bookem, Greenwell Gypsy, Zenith Pasha, Vhagar, Radical Story, Lets Go Girl.
Semi Final Two: Tooreen Rose, Droopys Flare, Venetian Mick, Droopys Rhona, Malcolm Bosh, Resonate.
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