A Kent greyhound trainer could land a first Category One success at his local track on Saturday night in the 70th running of the Arena Racing Company Kent Silver Salver final.
Walderslade-based Dan Brabon took over his father’s training license in 2010 and qualified kennel star Killuran Bella for the UK’s most prestigious sprint competition final which will be held at Central Park Stadium in Sittingbourne this weekend.
Worth £12,500 to the winner, Daniel’s talented two-year-old black bitch is the only local runner to have qualified for Saturday’s feature race which was first held in 1933.
The Kent handler has reached Category One finals previously – the highest grade of UK greyhound racing – but is yet to stand on the top step of the podium.
That could change when Killuran Bella runs from trap two, though, after she caused a major upset in the semi-finals when winning at odds of 28/1 in 16.44 seconds – a career best performance over Central Park’s 277m trip.
She’ll be joined by David Mullins’ Droopys Standard and Romeo Crusade in the final plus William Russell’s Magical Bluebear, Belinda Green’s Guzzler and My Lennie who represents Adam Sear.
“She (Killuran Bella) is a really honest, genuine, bitch,” said Dan. “I can’t understand why she was such a big price for Saturday’s semi-final – her times are solid, and she knows the track inside out.
“It’s an open final, and like most sprint races I feel the greyhound which leads at the first turn will win. Our advantage is she really likes to hug the rail around the bend, so if she can out-trap the dog on her inside (Droopys Standard) we’ll have every chance.
“Mick (Gough, co-owner) is a big supporter of the kennel. He’s been working on a project in Cambodia and no doubt will be there for the final.
“We’ve owned greyhounds together for a few years now and Killuran Bella has been a great sprinter for us. We thought it was worth trying our luck at the Silver Salver and we’re very pleased to have reached the final.”
Tickets for the 2024 Arena Racing Company Kent Silver Salver are available online via the track’s website. Doors open at 5.30pm with the first of 12 races on the night off at 6.37pm.
An 80s/90s themed disco will take place after racing in the upstairs bar, lasting until midnight.
2024 Arena Racing Company Kent Silver Salver Grand Final:
Trap One: Droopys Standard
Trap Two: Killuran Bella
Trap Three: Romeo Crusade
Trap Four: Magical Bluebear
Trap Five: Guzzler
Trap Six: My Lennie
