Thrilling Victories for March On Freddie
The National Greyhound Week began in spectacular fashion at Nottingham, with a Bank Holiday Monday event that saw standout performances from March On Freddie and Unanimouspanther. The day featured the JenningsBet Puppy Classic Final and the JenningsBet Select Stakes, making for an exhilarating start to the week.
March On Freddie, the overwhelming 1-5 favourite, lived up to expectations in the JenningsBet Puppy Classic. Despite a slow start, his explosive speed into the first bend allowed him to take the lead quickly. Trained by David Mullins and owned by George Watson, March On Freddie took control early and never looked back, ultimately winning by a commanding ten and a half lengths over No Better Feelin, trained by Chris Fereday, in a time of 29.28 seconds. This victory, which came with a £12,500 prize, further cemented the September 22 son of Dorotas Wildcat as a rising star.
Having set a new 500m track record at Nottingham during the semi-finals a week earlier, March On Freddie’s triumph in the Puppy Classic marked his fifth consecutive win, solidifying his position as a top contender for next year’s Derby.
Later in the day, Unanimouspanther, at 3-1 odds, secured a second consecutive victory for Ireland in the prestigious race. Trained by Pat Buckley, Unanimouspanther delivered an outstanding front-running performance to claim the £12,500 prize in the JenningsBet Select Stakes, following Clona Duke’s success the previous year.
Ciaran O’Sullivan’s Irish Produce Stakes champion leveraged his favourable inside draw to gain an edge over Links Maverick as they approached the turn side by side from the outside boxes. Once ahead, Buckley’s runner maintained his lead, with Barntick Bear, trained by Patrick Janssens, making a strong finish to take second place, albeit three and three-quarter lengths behind Unanimouspanther, who clocked in at 29.31 seconds.
The day also saw a local victory in the JenningsBet Select Stayers Trophy, as Jill Llewellin’s Vale Bluebell capitalised on her inside position to take the lead after the second bend. She went on to win by nearly two lengths, completing the 730m race in 44.62 seconds.