Rioja Oisin etched his name in the history books as one of the top sprinters of the modern era on Saturday night at Central Park, with a sublime display of speed to secure the Arena Racing Company Kent Silver Salver.
Lining up in a fiercely competitive final worth £12,500 to the winner, which also featured local hope and track record holder King Presley, the Kevin Hutton-trained speedster trapped smartly and zipped away from his rivals into the opening bend.
With an Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup title already to his name at sister track Perry Barr, the performance stamped Rioja Oisin’s authority over the two-bend division and he did it in sensational fashion by lowering the track record in the process.
Clocking a slick 16.01sec for the 277m, Hutton’s star came home over two lengths clear of his nearest pursuer in greyhound racing’s most lucrative sprint race.
Reflecting on the stunning display, assistant trainer Donna Witchalls said: “As soon as he broke level I thought ‘we’ve got a great chance here’ as he had been giving his rivals a head start at the traps in the earlier rounds.
“We freshened him up heading into the race, so it was all up to him on the night. He is a cracking dog and loved by his owners Paul and Sarah Woodburn and Jackie Brown - who visit at the kennels every Sunday for a walk with freshly roasted chicken.”
A long-term target for Rioja Oisin will be the prestigious Arena Racing Company National Sprint at Nottingham in December, but more immediately owner Woodburn revealed a desire to win the Pall Mall at his local track, Oxford.
Paul said: “This dog has proven himself over two bends and I think he can compete over four bends, so we’ll be taking in the Pall Mall next.
“He is a cracking dog - certainly one of the best I’ve ever owned - Kevin, Donna and all the team at the kennels have done a great job with him.
“They’ve worked tirelessly on him, he has been a bit frustrating at times in the past with the odd missed break, but thankfully he got it spot on out of the boxes tonight.
“It’s been an emotional, but good day today, earlier on we homed Rioja Bungle so I was sad to say goodbye to him, but he has gone to a lovely home for his retirement.”
On a brilliant night of top-class open racing, there was success for the locals in the chief supporting race. Barry O’Sullivan’s Head Count landed the £1,000 JenningsBet Bitches Trophy final over 491m after swooping late to score in a thrilling finish.
Greyhound racing continues at Central Park Stadium throughout the year on Saturday nights. Category One action resumes in October for the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby - the biggest competition of the year for the track.
