Third time lucky for Philippe the schnauzer, the Best in Show at Crufts

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But it was third time lucky for Philippe the Giant Schnauzer, who was last night named Best in Show at Crufts 2008.

The six-year-old, praised for his jet black eyes and layers of muscle, saw off 23,964 other competitors to be proclaimed top dog at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre.

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Best in Show: Philippe, the Giant Schnauzer

Philippe's victory looks set to finally scotch reports that Crufts had fallen foul of a bet-rigging scam.

Speaking after the win, his owner Kevin Cullen, from St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, said: "I cannot believe it. What a fantastic feeling being here for the third time.

"It's an absolute dream. Philippe actually loves doing it. He never lets me down. It means the world to me, it really does."

The runner-up was Hermioni, a Samoyed, from the pastoral group category who is owned by Lisa Bobrowski, from Woking, Surrey.

But Best in Show judge and former Crufts champion Claire Coxall revealed she had finally picked Philippe because he had "sold himself" to her.

"He came out from that arch and he came in and he just looked as if he owned it.

"He has the jettest black eyes. I looked into his eyes and he sold himself to me and he knew he was doing it."

Sylvia Roe, 52, a breeder of Basset Hounds from Marshland St James, Norfolk, said she thought the best dog won.

She added: "The schnauzer had all the qualities. He had the movement, you could see the muscle on him and he looked very calm. He was very calm in the ring and he looked as if he owned it."

Rumblings of a bet-rigging scandal emerged last week after bookmakers William Hill revealed it was not accepting any more punts on the competition's overall winner.

The company said there had been an unusually high level of bets that the winning dog would be from the utility group.

And there were even dark whisperings of a so-called "Superpoodle' who would step from the shadows to claim the coveted title of Best in Show.

However, a Japanese Shibu Ina - not a poodle - won the group and went through to the final.