Shawfield’s outstanding local hound of 2018 Galloping Frank (Tyrur Big Mike-Galloping Maeve, Jan 16) is due back on the track within a fortnight.

Danny Beattie’s runner was one of three runners injured on Saturday when KO’d in the heats of the Droopys Nidge At Stud Trophy. Frank was sent sprawling at the second bend in the same heat as Droopys Policy who broke a hock.

It was the local runner’s only defeat in ten races at the track. His win tally had included six handicaps (off scratch) and three A1s, including a 28.80 run, which is the fastest time of the year and seven spots quicker than Scottish Derby winner The Other Reg.

Racing manager Daniel Rankin said: “Droopys Policy fell over and Frank went over the top of him. I have spoken to Danny and he said that Frank has had two stitches after cutting a toe in the hare rail but is otherwise good to go within a fortnight.

“As good as he has been here, we have a lot of stayers in our top grade and I did wonder whether he would get a clear run against better dogs.

“But he has done brilliantly since he first arrived. In his first trial, he cramped off the last bend and did 30.36 for the 480m. In his second trial, he cramped just after the line and collapsed. People were worried that he had died.

“But by the following week he was that much fitter, and improved almost a full second. He hasn’t looked back since.”

Rankin disputes any claim that the Shawfield circuit was to blame for the injury to Droopys Policy, Galloping Frank or Dorotas Woo Hoo who apparently injured a gracilis muscle in his hind leg.

Rankin said: “They were the only three dogs hurt on the night. The first two were racing injuries, which can happen at any time. They took Droopys Policy away with them, hopefully he can be fixed up.

“Woo Hoo was a dog with a long history of injury problems who looked to me as though he went lame between the winning line and first bend.

“I spoke to a number of the local trainers and they had no issue with the racing surface. In fact, the track has been in great order in recent weeks.”