Three prestigious Category One events, boasting winners' purses of £12,500, £15,000, and £20,000, are set to kick off on Saturday.
The Arena Racing Company Kent Plate
The Kent Plate's entry list reached 35, perhaps with a touch of padding by including a couple of wide-seeded graders. Nonetheless, the quality of the hounds likely deterred many others from entering.
Last weekend, the KSS Syndicate celebrated a remarkable five-timer in trialstakes, and they return on Saturday with six runners. It's hard to envision a final without at least three Kings or Queens in contention.
Assistant Trainer Rab McNair, cautiously optimistic, found it difficult to contain his enthusiasm.
The TV Trophy
Twenty-one entries vied for the 18 spots in the TV Trophy, a £15K prize for just two runs over the Oxford 847m course. Leading the pack is Ballymac Taylor, accompanied by her Cesarewitch-winning brother Garfiney Blaze, and their talented litter sister Ballymac Katie, bred and trained by Liam Dowling.
Jimmy Fenwick confirmed that this would mark the last contest in the career of his brilliant defending champion, Bellmore Sally.
The Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby
The Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby at Monmore attracted 62 entries for 36 places, maintaining its status as one of the most popular juvenile events in the calendar.
Racing Manager Tony Williamson faced the challenging task of determining the first-round runners.
Williamson explained his selection criteria, focusing on trialstake winners and dogs with sub-28.60 form. While more wide seeds would have been ideal, seven out of eight wide runners boasted sub-28.60 form, which was reassuring.
In terms of standout performances, Williamson highlighted Clona Curly for his impressive sub-28.00 runs, Icemans Girl (formerly known as Epic Bella) for her strong trials, and Gary The Arb, owned by Belinda Green, for his impressive 28.18 form.