Newcastle boss Ian Walton cannot see beyond the two leading local fancies for next Thursday’s feature finals which reached their final qualifying stages on Thursday night.

The Angela Harrison trained Levante Beach kept his unbeaten tag with a flawless run in the Alconex Puppy Derby semi finals. (Click on full results below to see all videos).

Walton said: “Of all the dogs in the puppy final, he looks by far the best drawn. Looking at the sectionals, it would be unusual to see a dog with so much in hand on the dogs on either side of him. For that reason, it is a case of ‘if he traps, he wins.’

Jimmy Fenwick’s dog is the obvious danger but he is inclined to move to his left as he comes out and if he tangles with the Henlow dog, they could both end up in trouble.”

Taking on the locals in the all-male final are littermates Fight The Power and Slide Away, Shawfield’s Liosgarbh Prince and Sheffield’s Easy Brexit.

 

The staging of the O’Toole’s Gym Byker Laurels Final on the same night is a perfect end to the year for the dog mad Geordies to pay homage to a local hero.

Not only will they witness the final performance of 2019 of the ‘Greyhound of the Year in waiting’ Ice On Fire, but there is a double clash between the track’s two most successful open race kennels.

For Ian Walton, Ice On Fire rates as the best greyhound he has seen run at the track and he admits to simply enjoying watching him perform.

He said: “For the first time I watched him closely in the traps and he is absolutely motionless when the hare comes to the boxes. If you compare that to the likes of another very good hound like Bramble Reggie, he is still until the hare is about 10 metres away and then he gets excited. Which is probably why he sometimes misses his break.

“Once Ice On Fire comes out of the traps, his acceleration is immense and he keeps it going all the way to the third bend, just pulling further and further away. He has five lengths in hand on some very good dogs in the final. He beat Droopys Trapper by nearly six lengths, and Trapper is a really decent hound.

“In terms of being the fastest dog I have seen at the track. . .  Over the sprint, you would have to think Walshes Hill or Jimmy Lollie. Over the four bends, I’ve always rated the likes of Mill Pinpoint and in more recent times, Droopys Expert and Droopys Buick. What sets Ice On Fire aside is that early pace which just destroys the opposition.

“He didn’t trap quite as well as he can last night, and he has some very decent early pace on his outside with Pat Rosney’s dog. But even if they break level, Jimmy’s dog should get the first run. I am just looking forward to it.”

Trainers are reminded that next Thursday’s opens close on Monday with Walton particularly keen to fill the £350 veterans race with two local runners already committed to take part.

Click on results to watch replays