I have a particular fondness for the category one Premier Greyhound Racing Classic at Sunderland, writes Peter Walker.
The reason being our OGOA syndicate dog Coolavanny Rebel trained by the ‘Parkers’ at Sheffield, reached the final in 2016.
The event was sponsored by William Hills at the time, with £25K (equivalent to £35K today!) for the winner.
In those days, it was held on a Wednesday night with a packed crowd and broadcast live on Sky Sports (still available on YouTube), no less.
Rewarding
Rebel ran his heart out for us, but got pipped by a rejuvenated Roxholme Scolari, and the rest is history, as they say.
By the way, Rebel is still enjoying his retirement at home with me after more than eight years.
For owners, giving retired greyhounds a loving home is one of the most meaningful ways to support the sport’s sustainability.
That is why ownership isn’t just rewarding—it’s essential to the future of greyhound racing.
Romeo Steel and Slingshot Poppy
On to this year’s renewal and all the favourites qualified, although only both odds-on chances came out on top in the heats.
They were Romeo Steel and Slingshot Poppy, who are now vying for favouritism.
The drawback is that they are drawn in the toughest last semi-final, along with two other heat winners.
Steel is a double winner at the highest level, but on this occasion, preference is for the bitch Poppy, who is unbeaten at the track.
A repeat of her previous performances could see her win the competition outright.
As an each-way alternative, Sunnyside Gurkha (40/1) has been underestimated and is capable of making the final.
He has a 26.83 on his CV and a return to that standard may be the surprise package.
The second semi-final looks wide open and likely to be decided by the early leader, but that could equally apply to all the semi-finals.
I have also produced individual race ratings for the additional open races on show this Friday at the track.
ARC Shootout Stakes
ARC Maiden
READ MORE: Droopys Sort and Ballymac Deboss fly the flag for Sunderland in Classic semis
