Droopys Sydney & Coaimhe Doherty

“He’s a certainty to be a success at stud”

Not the thing that a genuine breeding student might say.

“He’s a certainty to be popular at stud”

Something a breeding student might say. The difference is significant.

WRITES FLOYD AMPHLETT

The reality is, the link between track and stud success is far from solid. While even a partially interested greyhound fan knows that not all Derby winners become great stud dogs, most probably don’t realise how tenuous the link actually is.

The table below shows the leading open race sires in Britain since 1987 and indeed it includes a string of Derby winners.

The first is ’83 winner I’m Slippy, followed by the last winner of the event at White City, Whisper Wishes.

The Derby connection is interesting because it isn’t entirely representative. Prior to I’m Slippy, the English Derby winners had experienced a relatively unspectacular time in the breeding paddocks.

But if we add in Westmead Hawk, that gives a total of 8 from 36 champion sire titles from English Derby winners.

There was just one Irish Derby winner, Lindas Champion.

There is surely an article to be written about a long line of Shelbourne failures, but that is for another day.

The next group to consider are the imports, starting with Sand Man, a limited, but well bred 64lb top grader brought to Ireland by an American based army chaplain. His influence was massive, not least through his son Whisper Wishes who went on to become a triple champion dad.

At the turn of the Millennium, Michael Dunne would change the world of European breeding when switching to Australian imports Frightful Flash and the brilliant Top Honcho. Just over a decade later, he discovered America with Hondo Black followed by Kinloch Brae.

When reflecting on great producers, there is also a sub group, the ‘heirs’. As has been mentioned, Whisper Wishes took over from his sire Sand Man, Murlens Slippy inherited the crown of I’m Slippy and Droopys Vieri carried on after Top Honcho.

There is then another group. The ones that ‘we didn’t see coming’. Not that they weren’t classy animals, but the dogs who had been forced to fight fate to make it.

At the outset, Droopys Jet wouldn’t naturally fall into that category. He was a dog of tremendous ability who headed the betting for two English Derbys, including the 2013 final. But he didn’t win either, and although he landed a Champion Stakes and a Dunne Memorial, they don’t bring full bookings.

Besides, he had the disadvantage of being by Slip The Lark. While not a bad stud dog in any way, it is very difficult for any son of an unfashionable stud dog to make it.

But Droopys Jet did make it – big time.

A mention too for two hounds handled by the fondly remembered, Micky Sullivan. When Greenpark Fox went to stud, he was handicapped by being widely recognised as a champion sprinter (and “sprinters don’t make good sires”). Fox also succumbed to cancer while at his peak.

Similarly, Slaneyside Hare had broken a hock in the International, at just two years old, shortly after landing the Sporting Life Juvenile. After being trained on the flaps by Paddy Sweeney, Hare went to stud in England and his career was stagnating before he was bought by John Guilford and sent to Sullivan. Had Hare’s stud career not been inhibited by fertility issues, he would surely have achieved even more.

Which leads us to Droopys Sydney. Of the 18 Category One finals in England this year, Sydney has sired seven of the winners: Cochise, Bellmore Sally (x2), Fromposttopillar, Watchall Sid, Coolavanny Shado and Brookside Richie.

Remember this is a dog who only raced once, back in 2013. He didn’t sire any pups until 2014 (2 litters) and then 2015 (3 litters) and his sire Duke Special was not in huge demand.

Droopys Sydney is the ultimate example of talent overcoming all setbacks.

But it is worth remembering that the Dunphys have done all this before.

20 years and two weeks ago, they whelped down a blue pup who they called Droopys Scolari. He broke a hock in just his eighth race. His stud issues were slightly different. Scolari was from a repeat mating and his older brothers, Droopys Maldini and Droopys Marco were established stars; Maldini was beaten favourite in two Irish Derby Finals.

Nevertheless, it was Scolari who overcame the odds to finish champion sire on three occasions.

Given the litters in the fields and the exciting youngsters currently hitting the track, it seems highly likely that Sydney will at least match that.

Pedigree snippets. . . .

Perhaps the most interesting pedigree of them all belongs to Swords Rex and you don’t have to look far to see why. He is inbred on a 2×3 cross of Droopys Laramie via her two stud dog sons, Droopys Sydney and Droopys Cain. Grand dam Star Spree is a litter sister to TV Trophy/Golden Jacket runner-up Bubbly Time.

Bradys Bullet is from the ‘Highview’ dam line, the most famous member of which was probably grand dam Highview Beauty who was runner-up in the 2011 Comerford Cakes National Puppy Stake and also contested a ‘Shelbourne 600’ final.

If you think you recognise Lenson Doolin‘s dam line, you should. When The Other Tessa was mated to Out Of Range ASB, she produced All England Cup winner, (there’s only one) Mickeys Barrett. Grand dam Skywalker Queen, was of course one of the best bitches of her generation, winning and finishing runner-up in an Irish Oaks and winning a Dundalk International.

Romeo Command‘s dam Drive On Betsy won minor opens from 462-750m for John Mullins. Her best performance was probably a 41.54 for Nottingham’s 680m. Her first litter by Droopys Sydney included Romeo Top Gun and Romeo Trooper. The Wildcat litter is arguably better with Command’s littermates including Fabulous Lynx (RU Puppy Oaks) and Romeo Top Cat (29.42 Towcester). The dam line belongs to the Dowling family. Sulpa is a sister to Irish Derby winner Ballymac Matt and Irish National Sprint winner Ballymac Bigmike, and a half sister to Bockos Alfie, Ballymac Osby etc

Droopys Fidget is from a repeat mating. The first crosss included English Oaks finlalist Droopys Samantha and Laurels runner-up Chelms Yes. Groupie Doll is best known as the dam of Maximum Security (RU Three Steps). Groupie Doll was a good class stayer who won the Farrell 750 at Shelbourne. Woodhill Spark is the dam of the Harrison pair, Shellam Maebe and Shellam Delarno plus National Sprint runner-up Kilmalady Fox.

Bogger Hunter is a litter brother to last year’s beaten Irish Derby favourite Callaway Pro Am. Their dam was a very useful type at Clonmel but was rehomed after her third litter. Tickle Thee is a sister to Liz McNair’s 2013 Arc winner Shaneboy Alley.

 

The latest update to Greyhound Stud Book registrations takes the 2022 figure to 167 litters, 11 short of the previous year’s total though a number of litters are still being processed and will be added in the future.

Those 167 litters include 528 dogs and 539 bitches – for an average of 6.38 pups per litter. The biggest litter size was 11 pups.

The latest registrations (right) including some early 2023 litters throw up some interesting mums and dads including a first litter for English Derby winner Romeo Magico with seven pups out of Fabulous Bella.

There were litters for the Angela Harrison stars Coolavanny Bani and Droopys Reel. Then there is first litter for Produce Stakes winner Pocket Lola and TV Trophy finalist, Our Supreme Sue.

Other proven dams include Beechgrove Bell (Beach Babe, Liquid Lunch), Fabulous Mila (Romeo Atomic), and Pippys Jet (Lightfoot Clark).