Greyhound racing’s top competition for bitches could be won by a Scottish representative for the first time at Dunstall Park Greyhound Stadium in Wolverhampton on Saturday night.
The 94th running of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks – worth £20,000 to the winner – headlines a bumper evening of action at the UK’s newest track, with the £10,000 ARC Scurry Gold Cup final also programmed.
And bidding to end Scotland’s near century-long wait for an Oaks champion is trainer Brian Fairbairn’s three-year-old superstar Slingshot Poppy.
The popular brindled bitch has won all three of her Oaks qualifying races since the competition started on October 3 – eight days before her team celebrated her third birthday.
She’s now one of six greyhounds in with a chance of writing her name into the record books with Irish challengers Fahrenheit Jess and Ballydoyle Tina, Richie Taberner’s Holding Hollie, one-time Category Two champion Strike It Skye and Birmingham Cup runner-up Signet Nayla also confirmed.
Army of fans
An army of fans will pack two minibuses for the 10-hour plus round trip in support of Slingshot Poppy. And owner Craig Armstrong is keeping his fingers crossed for a positive outcome.
“We started owning greyhounds to provide a couple of hundred local people with a fun night out a handful of times each year,” said Craig.
“But in the last three years it’s grown into something far bigger.
“We’re competing against the best, and to have a chance of success in one of greyhound racing’s original classic competitions is beyond our wildest dreams.
“(Slingshot) Poppy is already phenomenal in our eyes. She enjoys life and is just desperate to race.
Nightmare draw
“But Saturday’s race is extremely tough, and we’ve been handed a nightmare draw in trap five as we wanted to be a lot closer to the rail. Her ideal trip is the 450m at Sunderland, so 480m around Dunstall Park is pushing her stamina at this level.
“In my opinion, she is the best bitch in the UK. But you could run this final 10 times and there’d be four or five different winners. It’s all on the break and our chances of winning will be defined in the first few strides.”
Sixteen-times champion trainer Mark Wallis meanwhile is represented in both the Oaks and Scurry Gold Cup finals with Strike It Skye and ARC Kent Silver Salver champion Ballinakill Liam.
No trainer has won both competitions in the same year since 1948 when Stan Biss’ Night Breeze scooped the Oaks before Local Interprize went on to win the Scurry Gold Cup.
Quality opposition
Although bookmakers make a big race double for Mark a 40-1 chance, the Suffolk handler isn’t ruling out an upset against quality opposition.
Mark said: “It’s great to be represented in both finals.
“The Oaks has been Strike It Skye’s target since she won the PGR English Greyhound Consolation Derby in June.
“She prefers a big galloping track, so she isn’t quite as suited to Dunstall Park as she is at Towcester. But you can be confident the greyhound leading up will be looking over its shoulder towards the end.
“Slingshot Poppy and Fahrenheit Jess both have blistering early pace and are the dangers early on. It’s been a long time since we won the Oaks and this is our best chance of winning it for a long time, but she’ll need to do it the hard way.
Fantastic draw
“Ballinakill Liam has a fantastic draw, but again his running style suggests to me he’d prefer a bigger more galloping type track. But he’s won a Silver Salver already this year and is in the race on merit, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
Tickets for Saturday’s fixture are available online via www.dunstallpark-greyhounds.co.uk. Doors open at 5.30pm, with the first of 12 races on the night off at 6.20pm.
Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks: Fahrenheit Jess, Holding Hollie, Strike It Skye, Ballydoyle Tina, Slingshot Poppy, Signet Nayla.
Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup: Avarua Lake, Shadow Storm, Newinn Souly, Roanna Mamba, Magical Jason, Ballinakill Liam.
