Droopys Clue, named Greyhound of the Year, secured a spot in the Coral Sussex Cup final with an impressive 29.56-second win in the second semi-final at Hove on Saturday. The greyhound, trained by Seamus Cahill, broke quickly and maintained a strong lead, finishing two and a half lengths ahead of Belinda Green’s Wasted Monday. This victory positions Cahill to potentially win his fourth Sussex Cup, following past triumphs with Loughteen Blanco (2013), Sporting Dave (2018), and Droopys Gold (2019). Green also aims to replicate her success with Ninja Kerry, who won in 2022.
Derek Knight is also in contention for his fifth Sussex Cup title after his dogs, Clona Uriel and Newinn Benni, secured the top two spots in the first semi-final. Both greyhounds started well and dominated the race, with Clona Uriel crossing the finish line half a length ahead in 30.12 seconds, while the favourite, Newinn Syd, placed third. Knight’s previous wins include Astrosyn Eulogy (1998), Smoking Bullet (2000), Lozzas Dream (2002), and last year’s winner, Candolim Monsoon.
However, the defending champion will not compete in Saturday’s £10,000 final after failing to qualify in the third semi-final. Patrick Janssens’ Romeo Command led off the second bend and maintained the lead, despite pressure from Uncle Freddie, who finished three-quarters of a length behind in 29.73 seconds. Janssens, aiming for his third Sussex Cup victory, previously won with Barricane Tiger (2016) and Bockos Doomie (2020).
Coral Sussex Cup Final Line-Up:
1. Droopys Clue (Seamus Cahill)
2. Wasted Monday (Belinda Green)
3. Clona Uriel (Derek Knight)
4. Newinn Benni (Derek Knight)
5. Romeo Command (Patrick Janssens)
6. Uncle Freddie (Richard Rees)