Four littermates will fly the flag for Dunstall Park in this month’s BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup, the third major competition to be held at the Wolverhampton track since its launch.
Eagles Ebz, Mohican Ruby, Mohican Bale and Mohican Hallie will all be hoping to follow in the pawprints of their mother Mohican Tara for Monmouthshire trainer Dalton Smith.
The fawn bitch caused one of the great upsets of 2023 when she beat the legendary Space Jet to win the Category One Diamond Stakes at Oxford.
It was the last time Dalton experienced Category One glory while working under former trainer Sean McDonald, whose license he has since taken over.
Now settled at Dunstall Park – the UK’s newest greyhound racing venue – Dalton is dreaming of home glory when the Wolverhampton track hosts its third major final on Saturday, July 18, where admission to all racegoers who book online in advance is free.
The competition’s heats begin on Saturday, and Dalton is hopeful of his chances.
“The whole operation at Dunstall Park has been fantastic,” said Dalton.
“We’ve settled in superbly, and hopefully we can have a bit of success in this competition.
“Eagles Ebz is our first runner. He doesn’t have the best draw in trap six but the dog drawn on his inside has some decent early pace, so in a perfect world we might be able to sweep around the outside.
“Mohican Ruby has really progressed in recent weeks and has been trapping well too, the same applies to Mohican Bale who has settled nicely into the track’s 480m trip after spending a bit of time sprinting and running over Nottingham’s 305m sprint distance.
“The last runner is Mohican Hallie. I would’ve liked her to be running from traps three or four, but you can’t have everything your way in open racing and she’s been posting some positive times lately so fingers crossed.”
Notable entries in the competition include John Flaherty’s Ballycian Boy, who finished second in the BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby at Newcastle in May.
Arena Racing Company Puppy Trophy finalist Romeo Astron has also been entered by Tom Heilbron, while Sean Parker’s Keefill Sequoia is among the more experienced runners.
Doors open on Saturday night at 5.30pm, with the first race off at 6.20pm. Tickets for all rounds of the competition can be purchased via www.dunstallpark-greyhounds.co.uk.
2026 BGBF British Bred Puppy Cup
Heat One: Crystal Camila, Feathers McGraw, Aero Irruption, Ballycian Boy, Fabulous Martini, Eagles Ebz.
Heat Two: OnTheRun Jamie, Harton Whirlwind, Crystal Freya, Mohican Ruby, Untold Dinero, The Rising Sun.
Heat Three: Keefill Mo, Romeo Astron, Keefilll Sequoia, Mohican Bale, Bonville Kane, Aero Maisie.
Heat Four: Aero Daisy, Crystal Zeus, Keefill Teak, Aero Noduff, Mohican Hallie, Four Assassins.
