Hopes of a north-east winner in this year’s Arena Racing Company Grand Prix are pinned on Coppice Kaiser on Friday night when he lines up in Sunderland Stadium’s feature race.
Trained by Ashington-based Jimmy Fenwick, the two-year-old black dog has qualified for his first Category One final at the fifth attempt having most recently reached the Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup semi finals at Newcastle.
He’s now one of five greyhounds in with a chance of winning the £12,500 prize and is the sole local runner having finished third in his opening round heat before running on to finish second in last week’s opening semi final.
Drawn in trap four, the Tony Brealey owned dog relied on his stamina over Sunderland’s 640m trip to reach the final. But trainer Jimmy insists early pace is what’s required if he’s to make the frame on Friday night.
“We’re really pleased with the draw,” said Jimmy. “Sometimes being a wide runner, naturally they take a longer path around the opening bends which can hold you back.
“So to be in trap four with two wide runners on our outside is a positive. The key is the start – he has to put a good break in and get away from his rivals.
“He’s been running the track well and we were really pleased with his semi final run where he had to come from off the pace to qualify – that was a great run.
“Farneys Willie in trap three is running really well at the moment, so it’s important we make our move early to stand a chance. Savana Heross is another in seriously good form as well who showed good early pace in last week’s semi finals.”
Coppice Kaiser isn’t the only Category One finalist for the Fenwick kennel this weekend, with star puppy Wicky Ned set to line-up in Sunday’s Gymcrack final at Sheffield.
“We’re hoping for a positive weekend for the kennel,” said Jimmy. “It’s a family effort with my wife Mel and our daughters heavily involved too.
“Wicky Ned is a really promising young dog who has started his career off very nicely. It’s exciting, but at the same time you’ve got to keep your feet on the ground and realise he’s still developing every week.”
Tickets, trackside packages and restaurant bookings for the 2024 Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Grand Final on Friday night are on sale now and available to purchase by clicking here.
Doors open at 6.30pm with the first of 12 races due off at 7.16pm.
2024 Arena Racing Company Grand Prix:
Trap One – Savana Heross
Trap Two – Vacant
Trap Three – Farneys Willie
Trap Four – Coppice Kaiser
Trap Five – Agile Ange
Trap Six – Savana Jazz
