One of the north-east’s star greyhounds could make it a hat-trick of competition wins at Sunderland Stadium on Friday night in the Arena Racing Company Standard final.
Lion Heart has already scooped the Category Three Peter Billingham Memorial Trophy and Category Two ARC Dual Distance Final for Durham handler Carl Jackson.
The two-year-old black dog has won 10 Open Races and is one of five greyhounds bidding to land Friday’s feature race which carries a £500 first prize and trophy.
It forms part of a star-studded card which includes heats for the Arena Racing Company Puppy Cup, which concludes with a £7,500 final on Friday, June 27.
Friday’s Standard final also features Northern Flat runner-up Slingshot Sam, owned by greyhound enthusiast Craig Armstrong, plus the locally trained Lightfoot Cleo, Unanimous Kai, Romeo Alonso and Cloncunny Black.
Despite being drawn in trap two, Carl is hopeful his star hound can make it a hat-trick of big race wins.
“He’s probably the best greyhound we have in the kennel,” said Carl. “He’s a good, honest, greyhound but he will have to overcome the draw on Friday to win.
“In a perfect world, we’d be in trap one – but that’s the nature of open racing.
“Slingshot Sam has a fantastic draw and the other four greyhounds are there on merit too so it should be a great final.
“Lion (Heart) is on a great run of late and clocked the fastest time of the year over Sunderland’s 450m trip in his heat. It’d be brilliant if he could win a third competition, fingers crossed.”
Elsewhere on the card the Arena Racing Company sponsored Puppy Cup has attracted 24 entries with David Mullins’ Santas Amigo priced as the ante-post favourite.
The September ’23 blue dog clocked 27.08 en route to winning a Trial Stakes race last week and has won four of his eight career starts to date.
Slingshot Poppy is another that catches the eye. The October ’23 brindled bitch will make her UK debut after making an impressive start to life on the track in Ireland.
Doors open at 6.15pm on Friday with the first of 12 races off at 7.08pm. Tickets are available online and on the door from just £8.
Arena Racing Company Puppy Cup Heats:
Heat One: Droopys Stat, Millhill May, Toddy Tank, Slingshot Poppy, Bogger Darling, Greenwell Tyson.
Heat Two: Elusivenomore, Deerjet Rocket, Sunnyside Gurkah, Witton Gucci, Witton William, Jacktavern Chief.
Heat Three: Open Debate, Keefill Theia, Sunnyside Jayden, Witton Versace, Steadyonmarlene, Jacktavern Lad.
Heat Four: Zenith Impact, Greenwell Crazy, Santas Omigo, Thequietman, Harlequin Ellish, Keefill Darwin.
