“I honestly don’t remember us having a better day in dog racing.”
For a kennel that who has won dozens of Category One finals and countless big races on the flaps, it may come as something of a surprise to hear that Rab McNair rates Sunday at Towcester as his best ever day in the sport.
The kennel landed five ‘trialstakes’ of the RPGTV sponsored English Puppy Derby, four to littermates: Kings Memphis, Capaldi and Combs, and sister Queen Shakira, plus a victory for Queen Dusty, who is from a different litter.
As anyone who knows him well can testify, there are ‘two Rab McNairs’, the clown who shows off and plays to the crowd, and the serious dog man. It was the latter who was reflecting on Sunday’s racing.
Rab said: “I just felt ten feet tall. It is just brilliant winning big finals. But ask anyone who has brought a litter into the world – watched them grow up in the paddocks, wondering and hoping what they might be, and them seeing them perform like that – how they would feel. It was a day I will never forget.”
You don’t need to be a racing expert to know that almost by definition, puppies improve as they grow older, their physiques develop and they get faster. That is particularly true of British breds since they are seldom being prepared for sale, so their schooling tends to be minimal. Most of the current KSS owned pups have their entire careers on the racecard, barring one handslip and one solo trial.
All of which leads to the inevitable question – how good are they really?
For a bloke never short of a word, or 50, Rab is unusually cautious in his response.
He said: “There are several reasons. The first is, if I make big statements, there are enough people in the game who will think ‘who the fuck does he think he is?’. Then when it doesn’t happen, for one reason or another, they can’t wait to say ‘serves him right, the idiot’. Also, I also don’t want to get myself too carried away, because this game will keep putting manners on you and disappointment might be one race away.
“The other big problem is, because they are so good, you start to question yourself. For example, take a dog like King Combs who was the slowest of the lot on Sunday in 29.48. He is a big pup, at 36 kilos, though they are all big. Sunday was his 13th race and he left time on the track. Normally, I would look at him and think, ‘by the time you are two and a half fully fit next summer, I would expect you to go somewhere near 29.00 at Towcester.’
“You then looks at the others who are already doing around 29.00 and it scrambles your brain as to how good that might be.”
On Sunday, Shakira was the quickest in 28.99, followed by Capaldi (29.14) and Memphis (29.28).
The bizarre thing is, Shakira (out of Queen Beyonce), may or may not even be the fastest bitch in the kennel.
‘Cousin’ Queen Joni (out of Queen Jessiej) is in season having broken the Swindon clock on her way to the Produce Stakes, and then recording 27.90 at Perry Barr before going lame in the Oaks second round.
Like a protective father, Rab declines the option to choose between his girls.
He said: “When they first started out, Brendan (Keogh) was talking about how Joni could be a bit special, and I said, ‘don’t rule out Shakira, she has something about her’. As things have turned out, Shakira damaged a tendon and then went into season so she is probably three months behind Joni in her development.”
And the dogs?
“I can’t really pick because the next time they run, pups can always surprise you. I spend a lot of time looking at my dogs and trying to work them out. Most of this litter are very mature for their age and none more so than Capaldi. He looks the ultimate professional for me. The only one who is young and headstrong is Memphis. He is just full of himself, he will barge you out of the way and not think twice about it.
“All of that is good, because when he learns to control himself, doesn’t waste energy in his kennel – he shredded a douvet in the kennel on Sunday – he could be the one open to the most improvement. But who knows at this stage?”
Of course, by its nature, greyhound racing is a series of peaks and troughs, and exactly one week earlier, Rab had been at Central Park watching Havana Lover and King Ezra finish fifth and last behind Churchfield Syd in the PGR Kent Derby.
In fact it hadn’t been a great weekend. On Friday night, King Memphis and Queen Dusty had finished down the field in the Cowley Puppy Collar Final.
Rab said: “Oxford was disappointing but I didn’t have any real expectations at Central Park. The distance wasn’t ideal for either of our two; I thought they did well to make the final.
“I admit, I was also wrong about the winner. I said to young Charlie Rees before the competition that it didn’t look the ideal trip for Churchfield Syd and I thought they had made a mistake. But Richard (Rees) was right to enter him. He looked a real Derby dog in the final.
“But it wasn’t a completely wasted night. I took a phone call from young Charlie on the way to the track and he was convinced that the track would be unraceable because of all the rain. I told him he was wrong, the track would be in great conditition.
“In the end, he wanted a bet on it. He was trying to wind me up and told me to put my money where my mouth is. His mum Jackie was in the van with him and I said, ‘are you okay with this?’ and she said, ‘its down to him Rab’ so the bet was struck.
“After the race, I congratulated him and admitted I was wrong about his dog. I then reminded me about the bet, which he agreed to pay.
“I really didn’t want to take any money off him, and when I found out that he was updating his phone, he offered to give me the old one. I told him I would take the old phone as payment for the debt. So I will soon be the owner of my first ever iPhone.
“The only provision is, Charlie has to hand the phone over, in public, and tell me, ‘you were absolutely right Mr McNair’ ?
The day before Super Sunday proved to be a pretty Special Saturday for the kennel.
Havana Lover beat kennelmate Havana Top Note in the second fastest Crayford 540 of the year, a week before the first round of the Ladbrokes Gold Collar. King Ezra was 11 spots slower when taking a different trialstake and Warzone Tom was beaten a length by Laughil Jess in another.
Rab said: “I was delighted by all four. Whatever happens, this will be Warzone Tom’s last competition. He will be retired with Ron Gray in the North East and may even cover a bitch or two. Ron absolutely spoils his dogs and I can’t think of a better place for him to be.”
The blue son of Good News and Bogger Bonnie has reached seven Category One finals, winning three: a Champion Stakes, a Summer Stayers Classic and the 2021 Gold Collar.
But it isn’t just his speed. It takes a rare type of hound to be able to finish runner-up in a Sussex Cup and reach a Golden Jacket decider.
Rab added: “He has been a great dog for us; but he is also one of the nicest, kindest dogs in the kennel and would make a great pet for anyone.”
Rab is fuming over last week’s announcement of the 2024 open race fixtures.
He said: “How can they just decide that all competitions are restricted to just 36 runners. Who decided that? Who consulted the trainers and asked for our views? Nobody!
“Just the same as always. They treat trainers like idiots.
“You ask most trainers and they hate the idea of two to qualify from semi finals. They are called semi finals for a reason. Two. Just like two semi finals in football, tennis or anything else. You can travel backwards and forwards to a track and finish third and its gone. It should be first three to qualify.
“What is the problem of keeping the entries open for 48 even if they don’t get enough runners? Let the first four through. It isn’t as though the tracks are shy about running four and five dog graded races anymore.
“And when are they going to do something about this four day rule? If that wasn’t there, I would be giving King Memphis a sprint run at Central Park this week, just to take the edge off him. He needs the run.
“I think it is interesting that the man who pushed for this has his runners with Owen McKenna in Ireland and Owen will be using the schooling tracks between races for his dogs.
“Okay, they’ve had their experiment. Let’s see if they can prove that the four day rule has been of any benefit. If not they should scrap it or change it. It’s madness treatiing all dogs the same. You could say, ‘two days for sprinters, three days for standard distance and four days for stayers’.
“I am a big fan of Mark Bird and what he is trying to do for the industry and welfare. But I would like to see him sit down at a forum with trainers maybe twice a year and get feedback because this system isn’t working for us trainers.”
A funny incident happened on the way to the track recently. . .
Rab said: “I was on my way to Towcester when I took a call from . . . . saying ‘Rab, I have a puncture. When you get there, could you tell them I’ll be late’
“It was one of the days when the M1 was closed, which is the way I would normally go, so I was on the A5, and I was just passing a lay-by and there he was, drinking tea, and on the phone to me! I told him he’d better getting his arse there because I wouldn’t be telling Towcester any of his bullshit.”
So who could Rab be referring to. . . TUCKED up in a layby?
