Slim Defeat For Unlucky Amarillo

Leading Sunderland trainer Graham Calvert Jnr, the sole northern representative in the £100,000 William Hill Greyhound Derby Final, was unlucky in Saturday's Premier Classic.

Calvert's greyhound Amarillo Slim, who has become one of the most improved greyhounds in the country since joining the talented young trainer, ran a blinder to finish third behind wonder dog Westmead Hawk and Irish superstar Mineola Farloe. In one of the hottest Greyhound Derby Finals ever Calvert and Slim did home track Sunderland and the North proud but were desperately unlucky to come across two of the fastest greyhounds to have raced around Wimbledon in a winning time that has only ever been beaten once in a Derby final. Indeed, Amarillo Slim's time in the final would have been good enough to win all but two of the 21 Greyhound Derby's that have been held at Wimbledon.

Commenting on their efforts Ben Clarke, of William Hill, said: "Amarillo Slim has been a revelation in this competition and as the owners of Sunderland we are extremely proud of his third place. It was a fantastic race and in any other year I’m sure he would have won it but such was the standard of this year's final."