Fire and Ice further solidified his status as the favourite for the Coral Romford Puppy Cup, delivering yet another standout performance over course and distance in heat six of the competition on Friday. Trained by Matt Dartnall, the young greyhound had already made waves with a commanding 23.64-second victory the week prior. This time, using a swift 3.76-second split, he took an early lead at the first bend, finishing two lengths ahead of Fabulous Livia (trained by Laurence Tuffin) and Droopys Fiadh (trained by Paul Young), clocking 23.98 seconds in the final heat of the Category One event.
Of the heat winners who dipped below the 24-second mark, Fire and Ice was joined by two other contenders, both trained by Michelle Brown, who had a stellar evening. Brown’s kennel claimed the night’s top training honours with a remarkable double victory.
The first of Brown’s winners, Roanna Mamba, triumphed in heat two with an all-the-way win. Roanna Mamba blitzed the start with a fast 3.72-second split, securing a two-and-a-quarter length victory over Newinn Souly (trained by Kim Billingham) in 23.92 seconds. Favourite Untold Rufiyaa (Tom Heilbron) battled through second-bend congestion to finish third and qualify for the next round.
Brown's second winner of the evening, Golden Bullet, repeated his impressive performance from the week before. A sharp start once again set the pace in heat four, where he ran away to a commanding six-length victory over Rapido Ali (Patrick Browne) and Vixons Promise (Nathan Hunt), crossing the line in 23.97 seconds over the 400m distance.
The night kicked off with Nathan Hunt’s On The Banks taking control in heat one. Swift United (Tony Collett) initially grabbed the lead with the fastest split of the Puppy Cup at 3.71 seconds but couldn’t maintain the pace. On The Banks surged to the front after the second bend, securing a decisive two-and-three-quarter-length win over Swift United and 11-10 favourite Droopys Maybe (Paul Young) in 24.06 seconds.
In heat two, Perry Barr trainer John Lambe got off to a strong start for a busy weekend with Swift Underwater. After railing into the lead at the first bend, Swift Underwater, a kennelmate of St Leger semi-finalist Hurry Up Jordan, held firm, finishing a length and three-quarters ahead of Droopys Dreamy (Paul Young) and Amys Gem (Jason Gornall) in 24.36 seconds.
Heat four was taken by Gingers Prince (Patrick Browne), who managed to overcome a bump before pulling away from his competition. Gingers Prince claimed a length-and-a-half victory over Ritz To Rubble (Roy Peckham) and Fabulous Aria (Laurence Tuffin) in 24.27 seconds.
Commenting on the night’s racing, Romford’s racing manager, Mark Arkell, noted that while puppy races are notoriously unpredictable, most of the semi-finalists were expected. However, he also pointed out that several young contenders exceeded expectations, as natural improvement is part of their development. Arkell highlighted the excitement ahead, with three solid semi-finals to look forward to and a new name guaranteed on the Puppy Cup roll of honour. Additionally, the night will feature Premier Greyhound Racing’s Champion Stakes Trial Stakes, making it an action-packed event for fans.