Romeo Command delivered a stellar performance on Monday, securing a remarkable victory in the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse Final at Nottingham. Trained by Patrick Janssens, the celebrated greyhound led a spectacular 1-2-3 finish for the kennel, solidifying his reputation as one of the most successful and beloved open racers currently competing.
Bred and owned by Dave Firmager, the 2023 English Derby runner-up capitalised on his advantageous red-box draw. He surged to the front coming off the second bend, aided by kennelmate Romeo Steel, who disrupted the race favourite, Wicky Ned, preventing him from gaining an early lead. Both dogs showed strong pace early on, hitting the first turn neck-and-neck.
With Wicky Ned crowded out, Romeo Command found space on the inside, while another Janssens-trained runner, Slick Sentinel, moved up on the outside. From that moment, Romeo Command took control, pulling ahead to claim a decisive three-length victory in a time of 29.87 seconds. Slick Sentinel and Romeo Steel followed him home to complete a clean sweep for the Janssens team.
This win marks Janssens' second Eclipse title, following Slick Sakina's triumph in 2022. At the presentation, the Norfolk-based trainer expressed pride in his team's success, particularly given that other kennel stars like Barntick Bear and Droopys Plunge narrowly missed spots in the final after finishing third in their semi-finals.
Janssens shared his delight, saying the team’s efforts had paid off. Speaking about Romeo Command, he remarked, “They’ve all run well, but I’m so happy for this dog, he’s a real champion of the kennel.”
“We’ve taken it one race at a time since he came back earlier this year, but he’s still running really well for a dog approaching his fourth birthday. We might have a look now at the British Bred Derby at Sheffield with him, then we'll see where we’re at,” said Janssens.