Price-d out – but Dollar looks quids in after a stormer

The three-time Grand Slam of Darts champion’s recent purchase, trained by Nathan Hunt, won in the initial heats and put in another strong showing in this past weekend’s semi-finals, but having finished third in her race she did not advance to this Saturday’s £20,000 showpiece.

Fellow home greyhound Vixons Filofax, trained by Brian Thompson and owned by Vixon Contracts Ltd, also exited the competition.

It was the Carol Weatherall-trained Untold Dollar who enjoyed the most emphatic victory of the Saturday lunchtime meeting.

Running from trap two in semi-final two on Saturday lunchtime, the August ’22 dog pinged the lids and shot clear to avoid trouble at the first bend, going on to win by seven-and-three-quarter lengths.

Untold Dollar’s 28.27secs winning time was also the quickest of the three semi-finals, with Belinda Green (Hove) flyer Getup Me Champ showing the necessary stamina to take second place while Filofax finished sixth.

Semi-final one was won by Tom Heilbron (Newcastle) star Omuircheartaigh, following up a strong triumph in the first-round heats with another commanding display – a couple of lengths ahead of Droopys Eunice (Maxine Locke, Romford). Price’s Girl followed just behind in third.

Barntick Bear (Patrick Janssens, Towcester), despite being slowest to the first bend, then went through the gears to take the spoils in semi-final three while competition favourite Clona Curly (Diane Henry, Towcester) also moved a step closer to the trophy.

Semi-final one, race seven on the lunchtime card, was delayed by 15 minutes due to traffic affecting the second kennelling at Monmore – the rest of the races on the card also having revised off times.

Lots of eyes were on Omuircheartaigh and the Heilbron flyer did not disappoint, refusing to let some crowding at the first bend knock him off his stride and winning in 28.41.

Untold Dollar stormed through the second semi-final but three dogs were in a photo-finish for second, with Getup Me Champ just beating Bramble Tango (Steven Anderson, Newcastle) and Droopys Supply (Janssens) to the punch.

Hove-based trainer Green will hope Champ can go all the way next week and retain the Puppy Derby crown for her kennels after Bradys Bullet’s success last year.

Northern Puppy Derby winner Clona Curly had to settle for second place once more but did the job to make it to the final behind Barntick Bear, who burst into action on the back straight and flew around the final two bends to emerge victorious in 28.29.

The finalists for the Jim Woods Memorial Trophy were also set with Mark Wallis duo Ballymac Johnjo and Jacktavern Magic each victorious while Baywatch Bullet (Green) won the other heat.

Monmore trainers Richie Taberner and Alan Jenkins saw Ravenswell Bob and Ivy Hill George respectively advance with second-place finishes. Kilara Show (Richard Rees, Hove) completes the field for the £1,500 final run in memory of Monmore’s long-serving former racing manager.