Oxfordshire’s most successful greyhound trainer is hoping to land one of the sport’s premier puppy competitions on Friday at his local track with rising kennel star Droopys Hanover.
Burford-based Kevin Hutton is the county’s only trainer to be represented in the final of the £10,000 RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar at Oxford Stadium on Friday night.
The English Greyhound Derby winning trainer’s February ’22 pup is joined by Mark Wallis’ Cat Island, Matt Dartnell’s Long Fellow, Michelle Brown’s Golden Palace and Elizabeth McNair pair King Memphis and Queen Dusty in the six-strong final.
Despite being the outsider, Hutton is hoping for a lightning start from his sole runner who made his racing debut only last month and his since won one of his seven starts over Oxford’s 450m trip.
“He performed well at the top end of the graded scene, and we believed it was well worth entering him as a result,” said Hutton. “He’s done ever so well to get to this stage, and we’re delighted with his progress.
“As you’d expect with any Category One final, it’s very competitive. He’ll need to have his trapping boots on if he’s to finish at the front end so we’re keeping our fingers crossed he can make a flyer.
“To me, 450m looks like his maximum distance – we wouldn’t want to run him over a trip much further than that. We’ll likely stick to Oxford ongoing for that reason, but for now we’ll enjoy the final and hope for a big run.”
The competition is one of six Category One fixtures – the highest grade of UK greyhound racing – to be held at Sandy Lane as part of the venue’s extraordinary regeneration project.
Last year’s inaugural event was won by FromPostToPillar, who went on to land the Summer Stayers’ Classic, Kent Plate and Coral Olympic before being retired.
Oxford Stadium Managing Director Kevin Boothby added: “The Puppy Collar is a great pointer to the future stars of our sport, and Friday’s final is packed with quality.
“We wish all runners and their connections the best of luck and look forward to hosting another big crowd on our terraces.”
The Grand Final of the 2023 RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar will take place at Oxford Stadium on Friday, October 27. Doors open at 5.30pm with the first race due off at 6.17pm. Tickets can be purchased online or on the door.
RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar Grand Final: Cat Island, Long Fellow, Golden Palace, King Memphis, Droopys Hanover, Queen Dusty.
