Dog Racing: Bandicoot bids to follow in the paws of Totti; BREEDING LINES.

Byline: Patrick Saward puts to rest the debate over the Romford sectional champion

WON last year by Bubbly Totti, the Caffreys Futurity Puppy Trophy spotlighted another budding talent when the Charlie Listertrained Bandicoot Tipoki joined him on the roll of honour, embarking on a competition career that could see him rival the proud record of his predecessor.

He has made an excellent start, winning last week's Nottingham final in trap-toline fashion in 29.70sec (+30) for the 500m, clocking a 4.98sec split that was only one spot outside the record set two years ago by Emerging Force.

In beating Head Iton Ellie by three lengths, Ray White's June 2007 whelp emphatically reversed qualifying heat form with Steve Race's dog, who had the better of things by seven lengths in that meeting.

Unraced in Ireland, he has won three from four, and connections must be very optimistic about future prospects for the son of Crash-Bandicoot Lola. His prefix forms a handy link between his Australian father and Irish-bred mother, a bandicoot being 'an agile terrestrial marsupial of Australia and New Guinea' - a very large rat, in fact.

Strangely enough, some four years before his sire was born, the name of Crash Bandicoot was registered by Mrs Callanan's daughter Grainne for an April 1998 daughter of Spiral Nikita-Let Me Dance.

She subsequently was the dam of the Ann Callanan-bred Lady Pekan, heroine of the 2003 National Oaks at Nottingham.

Crash, the stud dog, entered the NGRC sires' rankings last year at number ten with 161 open race victories. The dams of his 56 individual winners were by 22 sires, the most fruitful cross, in terms of races won, being with daughters of Top Honcho (10 winners/31 wins) and Staplers Jo (6/24); his major Irish winner Tip And Tin (National Puppy Stakes) was out of a bitch by Staplers Jo's son Larkhill Jo.

Bandicoot Lola (Stapler Jo-Final Fantasy) won five of her 16 races, which were all over 525 yards. Her fastest time of 29.12sec was posted at Kilkenny.

CAPTION(S):

Nottingham winner Bandicoot Tipoki could prove another superstar for Charlie Lister