The six heats of this year’s John Smith’s Kent St Leger over 714m were run last weekend, so we are down to the last 18 greyhounds hoping to land the £2,500 winner’s prize.

There are three semi-final races on Saturday night, with the first two through to the final here on October 12.

Entrants have come from far and wide and the Crayford dogs will have their work cut out to make it a home win, although the signs in the heats were encouraging with Teresas Babe and Besomi Hen winning their races.

Teresas Babe, trained by Ian Stevens, has done well since her first race here on April 6 and has won 10 of her 18 starts with, interestingly, no second places.

She won her heat from trap one but her connections have told me in the past she prefers trap three, which she has drawn for Saturday. She is expected to reach the final.

Besomi Hen won her heat for trainer Gemma Davidson and owner Chris Sliney at 4-1 – impressive, given the dog was bumped at the first bend.

Her clock time was just under three lengths slower than Teresas Babe, so Hen will need to find a little more.

We had some big guns turn up, the best known being Goa Girl, Aayamzalad, Blonde Regan and Boherna Bridge.

These are the type of greyhounds that feature in big open races on Sky TV.

Chris Allsop, who trains at our sister track at Monmore, Wolverhampton, has a strong hand with both Goa Girl and Boherna Bridge. And while Boherna won his heat by three lengths, Goa Girl could only manage second. But she is a class act and should figure prominently.

Aayamzalad, representing David Mullins, who trains at Romford, romped home at 5-1 in 45.45sec – the quickest time on the night. He could reach the final with a repeat.

Blonde Regan, from the all-conquering Mark Wallis kennel, is the best-known dog in the event and has vast experience on his side.

Although surprisingly beaten at the weekend, his class should see him progress.

I need say little about local superstar Pony Bride – a dog I have mentioned here several times. Trained at Crayford by Steve Gammon, he had problems in his heat and was beaten by a 20-1 shot. But, as the saying goes, luck is temporary, class is permanent and it will be a major shock if he falters.