Nathan hunting more success at Monmore

Hunt – who has a dual-attachment at both Monmore and Romford – enjoyed a stunning training performance in last weekend’s first-round heats with four winners across the two Category One competitions, each worth £10,000 to the winner.

Icemans Girl, who is owned by darts superstar Gerwyn Price, got the night off to a sublime start by triumphing in his heat in the Gold Cup, with Cunnigar Yousir and Seaview Sydney also victorious in the event.

Arguably the most impressive, and definitely the most surprising, success of the evening saw Cooladerry Dust produce an all-the-way success for Hunt over 1-7 favourite Droopys Clue (Seamus Cahill, Hove) in the Stayers Classic.

The semi-finals for the competitions take place at the Wolverhampton track this evening with Hunt’s first runner coming in race five at 7.39pm – semi-final two of the Gold Cup.

Seaview Sydney may have had a slow start to his racing career but since his first win a few months ago, he has not looked back and will hope to be one of the two greyhounds to advance to next week’s final.

He has a quality field to contend with including fellow Monmore dogs Aero Sacundai (Richie Taberner) and Vixons Filofax (Brian Thompson), while Coolavanny Mercy (Angela Harrison, Newcastle) and the super-quick Churchfield Syd (Richard Rees, Hove) were also heat winners last weekend.

Cooladerry Dust had the quickest time in the Stayers’ first round and is up next in the 7.56pm (the second semi-final in the Stayers), with Mad For Sterling – a strong heat winner for Mark Wallis (Unattached) – perhaps one to look out for as well.

Cunnigar Yousir and Icemans Girl then find themselves in the same race (the third Gold Cup semi-final) along with the Newcastle-based Tom Heilbron’s Romeo Jackson, who put in a fast time despite being a distant second behind Churchfield Syd last week.

Monmore champion trainer Richie Taberner has Aero Arran still involved in the Stayers while also having several greyhounds taking part in two Category Three competitions which get going tonight.

Maughera Ace, Coologue Pest and Cree Jo Jo are all in heat two of the @Monmoredogs Dash over the sprint distance of 264m while Brian Thompson’s Knock Beeswing goes for glory in the first heat.

The other Category Three competition is 480m puppy event, the Peter Billingham Memorial Trophy ran in tribute to the ex-Walsall and West Bromwich Albion player who later became a long-serving trainer at Monmore – his daughter Kim now continuing his legacy at the track.

Taberner’s Aero Pattika has been in fine form as of late and runs in heat two alongside Chris Fereday’s Bandanna Bono and Alan Jenkins’ wide runner Tree Top Copper.