County hopes were dashed at Central Park on Saturday with Suffolk handler Patrick Janssens’ third Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby success of his training career.

Maidstone’s Jack Russell, a winner last year with Droopys Display, was looking to make it back-to-back victories, this time with Headford Dane. However his JR Racing Syndicate runner could only manage third with £20,000 up for grabs.

Instead Romeo Tomcat’s win makes Janssens the first trainer to complete a Kent Derby hat-trick eight years after first lifting the trophy with Bockos Alfie, and five years after his previous success with Kilara Lion.

His latest triumph was made even more special as Romeo Tomcat’s racing career started at Central Park in January this year when he won a maiden contest by 18 lengths.

Ten months on, the June ’23 son of Fabulous Spirit scooped Kent’s richest race to earn owner Dave Firmager the first prize. Richard Rees’ Texas Jack finished second.

It marked an eighth open race win on the spin for Romeo Tomcat, who is unbeaten since July, and the second major competition win of his career after he won the Yorkshire Derby at Doncaster last month.

“I’m over the moon for the greyhound,” said Janssens.

“Winning the Doncaster Derby was special, but the Kent Derby is a proper Category 1 competition so we’re delighted.

“He started his career here, too, with an 18-length win in a maiden race, so it does mean that bit more. He’s a versatile greyhound, too, and has won at Towcester, Nottingham, Doncaster and Central Park since last being beat nine races ago.

“The Kent Derby has been a great competition for us so to win it for a third time means a lot. We had a great draw with trap three (Headford Dane) a railer and trap five (Texas Jack) a wide runner beside us.

“We turned the bend in front and knew from there we had a fantastic chance, and he pulled it out of the bag.”

Janssens was on the podium for one of the night’s other feature races when Slick Skylark beat odds-on favourite Riverside Popsie in the £1,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Bitches Trophy final.

The £1,000 PGR Sprint Trophy final, meanwhile, went the way of Ashford-based Elizabeth McNair’s King Presley - her only runner on the night.

Other local successes included Cinderella Tell who notched a seventh career open race in the Arena Racing Company Standard. His trainer, Paul Donovan, also won the ARC Sprint Trophy with Fastlane Hoffa earlier on the card.

Spencer Mavrias won the PGR Puppy Trophy with Lets Go Girl, while Luke Morrison’s Coppice Dakota sprung a surprise in the PGR Maiden Trophy Division 2.

Division 3 of the PGR Maiden Trophy – the card’s final race – was won by Nick Carter’s Burgess Sailor.

Regan James, operations manager at Central Park Stadium, added: “Congratulations to Romeo Tomcat and all connections for a much-deserved Kent Derby triumph.

“We were delighted to welcome our biggest crowd of the year trackside and there was a real buzz on the terraces which we’re keen to build on through the winter.

“Our thanks too go to Premier Greyhound Racing for their sponsorship of this event, and to all those who supported the competition.”

Racing continues at Central Park Stadium on Saturday nights through the year. Tickets, trackside packages and hospitality bookings are all available at centralpark-greyhounds.co.uk

Doors open at 4pm, with the first of 13 races each night off at 5.25pm.