“That is how a wide runner should take the bends”
Assistant trainer Rab McNair was full of praise for Olympic winner King Sheeran following another stunning performance in the Coral Winter Derby semi finals on Saturday night.
The British Bred Greyhound of the Year rode first bend crowding and showed what is becoming a trademark of his running, a brilliant display of wide running overtaking around the last two bends.
McNair said: “A dog should be able to run a well banked track without losing his stride or his balance and Sheeran was magnificent again; he absolutely drove those two bends.”
Antigua Romeo showed his own brand of guts when landing the second semi final. Although a noted early paced runner, Mark Wallis’ showed the most resilience in race where the leaders were all on their limits and held on by a neck in 29.73.
Heather Dimmock’s runner-up Volcanic Reef was joined in the final by the fast starting Make No Apologie though a dead heat for second place means King Lennon and Sonic Spur will go into a run-off for a place in the final on Tuesday morning.
McNair said: “Chris (Akers) and I agreed it was the fairest thing. He has a strong bitch and Lennon thrives on the running as he showed when he ran three times in a week. If he gets through, great. If not, I was delighted with how he ran on.”
King Sheeran is the only wide seed in the final. There are currently two railers and two middles through. Sonic Spur Spur is a middle seed, King Lennon is a railer.
