Lady luck will need to be onside if Sunderland is to celebrate a local winner of the Arena Racing Company Puppy Cup on Friday night.
That’s according to County Durham trainer Jill Sutherst who qualified Witton Versace for Friday’s feature race at Sunderland Stadium, which is worth £7,500 to the winner.
Despite being priced 20/1, the September ’23 brindled bitch qualified from her semifinal on Friday evening by finishing third behind fellow finalists Jacktavern Chief and Sunnyside Gurkha.
It capped a memorable moment for Jill and her partner Glenn Lynas who bred Witton Versace and have watched her climb the ranks from A6 at Newcastle to her first Category Two final in only four months.
Ahead of the race, Jill accepted reaching the final is an achievement in itself and is hoping her kennel star can do her best to upset the odds.
“We’re managing expectations because reaching the final is an achievement in itself,” said Jill. “We don’t expect her to win, but in greyhound racing you really never know.
“You only have to watch the English Derby from a couple of weeks ago – the outsider came from behind and won it in the final strides. If that could happen on Friday we’d be delighted.
“She’ll be doing all of her work at the end as she has no early pace.
“I wouldn’t have thought she’d make a six-bend greyhound in the long-term but for now we’re enjoying the moment. It means that bit more when they’re homebred and to see her progress from A6 to a Category Two final is immensely rewarding.”
Also joining Witton Versace in Friday’s final are Irish raider Slingshot Poppy, plus Northern Puppy Derby finalist Greenwell Tyson and SR Transport Dual Distance runner-up Sunnyside Jayden.
The evening also features Category Three finals over the standard and sprint distances, while marathon racing returns with a one-off race over 828m where the winner will scoop £828.
Tickets for finals night are available from £8 both online and on the door. Doors open at 6.15pm with the first of 12 races on the night off at 7.08pm.
2025 Arena Racing Company Puppy Cup Final: Sunnyside Jayden, Sunnyside Gurkha, Slingshot Poppy, Witton Versace, Greenwell Tyson, Jacktavern Chief.
