“Worst moment of the year? That’s too easy, unfortunately. Losing Pete Vernon.”

Now that was some team! Mark Wallis and his Trainers Championship winning team of travelling staff: L-R Patrick Janssens, MW, Tom Bent, Cheryl Tillett and Pete Vernon (holding Eye Onthe Storm) – pic Steve Nash

For Patrick Janssens, 2019 will be memorable for so many good reasons. But the loss, following a long battle against illness, of his kennelhand and close friend Pete Vernon puts everything else into perspective.

“There is always next week for a winner” says Patrick, “but losing Pete was just so hard to take. He had so many wonderful attributes. He was hard working, loyal, but most of all, he was caring. I remember when we both worked for Mark (Wallis) at Walthamstow. Pete would come back from trials on a Wednesday and there were no poor dogs in the van. They had all run well in Pete’s estimation because he loved them all.

“When he was seriously ill, I took him the video of Desperado Dan winning the Coronation Cup. Dan was a particular favourite of Pete’s and he always said he would make into a good dog. He just opened his eyes and smiled. It was one of the last times I saw him.”

 

Pete Vernon would have been proud of his former boss who had reached no.4 on the trainers championship table in 2018 on 122 winners. So far, 2019 has produced 192 victories and Team Janssens led the trainers championship until September. They look certain to finish the year in second place.

The racing highlight and lowlight both belonged to ‘Big John‘ aka Seaglass Tiger, the dog bought off the internet for £7,000 and who went on to land the £10,000 Ladbrokes Gold Cup and reach three Cat One finals.

Patrick said; “When you look at the quality of the Gold Cup field (King Turbo, Bramble Reggie, Velvet Juliet, Newinn Missile, Droopys Aussie), it was a great performance. Probably the worst memory from a racing perspective was him being just beaten in the Midland Puppy Derby (by Troy Zico).

“We had a few hit the post this year. Kilmore Lemon beaten half a length in the National Sprint, Goldies Hotspur beaten a short head in the Regency were both hard to take.”

Injuries played their part too. Kilmore Lemon and Seaglass Tiger both broke hocks while at the peak of their powers.

Patrick said: “Dogs like Kilmore Lemon are just irreplaceable. I would judge my other dogs against him. If they could get to within two lengths of him, you knew they were going to be good.

“As far as Big John is concerned, I am very hopeful we will see him on the track again. He is running around the paddock entirely sound. I hope to give him a handslip in January.”

But it isn’t just injuries that bring frustrations. Sometimes the problem is mental and the dog who Patrick describes as the kennel’s ‘Mesut Ozil’ – Seaglass Phantom.

It was back in March that Phantom destroyed a quality field by nearly five lengths in the Racing Post Juvenile. Since then, he has won just five of 25 races.

Patrick said: “He has all the ability in the world, but he doesn’t always show it. Basically, he doesn’t like ‘confrontation’. It is the reason I have to run him on tracks with long straights where he can get a clear run and no crowding at the bend or he just doesn’t want to know.

“For example, he ran a stinker in the Trainers Championship meeting at Sheffield earlier in the year, then five days later did a 29.55 (515m) trial at Hove. So frustrating!”

 

Patrick is excited about 2020. His expansive views on the abilities of Bockos Doomie were published on Sunday after the first round of the Coral Olympic (now updated with videos). He rates Doomie and Skilful Sandie as “the only two genuine top class dog we have in the kennel at the moment. At least on what we know.”

Skilful Sandie was knocked over in the St.Leger Final and has since won the Mitch Millward Memorial and produced arguably an even better performance on Saturday in a 695m open at Hove.

Patrick said: “She beat Goldies Hotspur by six an a half lengths with Stardom also in the field, in a calculated 41.28. Sandie is only two years and three months old and is only going to improve. I really thought she would give the Irish dog a race at Perry Barr if she hadn’t been knocked over.

“The plan at the moment is for Golden Jacket, and then hopefully the Regency. We don’t know how far she will stay, but the TV Trophy might even be an option.”

The kennel also has a string of exciting ’18 whelps including Seaglass Express, Goldies Nayim, Seaglass Sabrina and Goldies Maddie.

Patrick said: “We all know that they won’t all make it to top class, but a couple might. Pups can do that kind of thing. I remember seeing Droopys Addition trialling for Ernie (Gaskin). He said he thought he was a nice young prospect. Suddenly three runs later, he is the real thing.

“A couple of our pups I expect to stay six bends and that is another factor. When you remember that neither Skilful Sandie or Goldies Hotspur could win a race over four bends, you might be tempted to think that they wouldn’t make it. It just goes to show.”

Multi group one winner Hotspur is bordering on becoming a national treasure. A month off her fifth birthday, there are no immediate plans to retire her.

“Why should we? She is still loving her racing. It is a bit frustrating when you can’t get races for her. Or when you enter her knowing that she will have to run against Sandie.

“But as long as she is enjoying it, there is no reason for retirement. She will hopefully eventually have a litter which I look forward to rearing here.”

 

When it comes to retirement, Patrick has some very strong views on owners and trainers ducking responsibilities.

He said: “John Porter and I own Affleck Dino between us. He was carrying a few niggles and we have sent him this week to John Mullins. John re-homes the vast majority of my dogs. I have also sent some to Tony Collett because, like John, I know they will be properly re-homed and traceable.

“I can remember having a non-chaser at Mildenhall who John re-homed. I still know where he is today, living with seven cats. But I know that there were some dogs re-homed through the Towcester scheme who ended up flapping in Wales.

“I feel very strongly that owners and trainers should not just offload their dogs by advertising them when they get older and not knowing where they are going.

“You cannot just say ‘I’ll just send him back to Ireland’ and leave it at that. You have no idea what could happen to him.

“As an owner or trainer that is your responsibility and you pay the cost no matter what it is – or you shouldn’t own greyhounds.”

 

The Janssen kennel has a total capacity for 25 greyhounds, of which 14 are currently racing, with the rest young greyhounds still to make their racing debuts.

Patrick said: “I have had a lot of people ask me to take dogs but why would I want to do that? There are three of us doing the dogs. I like to take holiday, and I want to enjoy my racing. More dogs means more staff and also having to enter dogs at tracks where I don’t particularly want to race.

“Occasionally, we have to do it, but most times, I want the options. Some tracks are just hard work. Everything is a problem and their attitude is as bad as their prize money.You don’t even want to go there.

“My personal favourites are the four bookmaker owned tracks. They are professional, well run and have great management teams. On Saturday we were at Hove. The manager there, Brian Murphy made an effort to thank me for entering dogs there.

“We are only a small kennel but I had 13 owners in the Owners Bar on Saturday and they had a brilliant night. The other three tracks, Monmore, Romford and Crayford are just a professional and welcoming.

“When we were at Walthamstow, there were way more trainers than the industry needed. That isn’t the case anymore. The tracks need our dogs and the least they can do is treat us decently. You certainly don’t train greyhounds for the money.”