SIGNET GOOFY is to have one final crack at the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby given Towcester is his favourite track.

A brilliant winner of the Blue Riband there in January, a victory which earned him the Time Greyhound Nutrition Greyhound of the Month honour, the John Mullins-trained, Lee Calcutt and Chris Waters-owned runner returned to the Northamptonshire venue on Sunday for a sprint trial – and went well, posting 15.92sec for the 270m trip.

“It blew the cobwebs away and he’s come out of it well,” said trainer Mullins yesterday. “We’ll take him back there again and maybe he’ll have a race before the Derby, but he’s in great form and we know Towcester is his place.”

The now four-year-old British-bred January 2020 son of Magical Bale and Forest Natalee made his debut at Towcester in A5 company in July 21 and his first open-race success also came there in a sprint contest a few weeks later.

Largely kept to sprints thereafter – he won the BGBF British Bred Midlands Sprint Trophy at Nottingham in March 2022 – Signet Goofy racked up a series of victories over two bends – but connections had a plan. The 2022 Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby was the target, with a step up to 500m looking ambitious at the time.

“He definitely caught people by surprise. They thought he was just a sprinter, but we knew better,” added Mullins, who guided his kennel star unbeaten into the semi-finals. “That was some ride for us all. When he won in the first round, they said it would be tougher in the second round, then the third round, then the quarter-finals.

“We always knew it was a tall order should he miss it slightly – he was still a young dog, remember – and unfortunately he didn’t quite nail the start in the semis behind Romeo Magico, who went on to win the Derby. We were gutted at the time, but this dog has been amazing. He’s won so many open races – for two years he was the most prolific winner in the game, so really deserved to win Blue Riband.

“That was definitely up with the best days I’ve had in the sport, so we’ll head back there for the Derby with him and, as usual, give it a good go. We’ll probably have about half a dozen entries but Signet Goofy and Aayamza Sydney will be our main hopes.”