OZARK FLYING THE FLAG WITH ARC SUCCESS

Ian Fortune

Reigning Irish Sprint Cup champion Hawkfield Ozark may be trained in the UK these days but he is still very much an Irish runner given the fact that he I still owned by Jerry Connors, while Jamie McGee spends most of his days with the brilliant son of Laughil Blake and Brownstown Tango as a member of Patrick Jannsens team.

On Saturday night, the flying tracker was again at his very sharpest on the big night as he captured the Arena Racing Company Laurels at a packed Perry Barr to claim a second classic success. Those familiar with Hawkfield Ozark will guess, without seeing the race, that he made every inch after a flying start and they would be spot on with their assumption.

Showing tremendous early speed along the fence, Hawkfield Ozark was in charge from the opening yards. Th strong running Goldies Perryman did put up a spirit challenge in the closing stages but Hawkfield Ozark was not gong to be denied and he claimed a famous victory by a head in 28.03.

Despite the temptation, connections are set to skip the English Derby and give their charge a rest before possibly targeting him as the Pall Mall at Oxford later in the year. That would certainly be a competition that will play to the strengths of the razor-sharp Hawkfield Ozark. Of course, his Laurels success may not be the only big prize he picks up this week as he is nominated for Sprinter of the Year and the National Greyhound Awards on Friday.