Steel City Cup winner Swift Iconic was the star of the night in an eventful opening round to the ARC Classic at Sunderland on Friday evening.
John Mullins runner was never headed in the opening heat and 29 spots outside the 450m track record when finding almost five lengths on his first look at the circuit.
The third heat was marred by first bend trouble which saw three greyhounds find major trouble. Swift Silly was leading the remaining runners from Tell Boy when the hare was stopped at the fourth bend. Sadly, neither made it through the resulting ballot.
The night also saw the racing year come to a conclusion for the brilliant Links Maverick. Tom Heilbron’s Northern Puppy Derby, Pall Mall and Gold Cup winner will remain among the leading fancies for the Greyhound of the Year title, but victory in a fourth Cat One event – this or the All England Cup – would have shortened his odds even further.
Sadly, he injured a shoulder when eliminated in the fourth heat, impressively won by Harry Burton’s new import Jonny Whiskers. Heilbron is planning to have straws drawn during the winter to set Maverick’s breeding career in motion.
