Following the article earlier this week, showing that in the last five years Irish litters have outnumbered British litters by more than 11:1 (11,591/1,034), I thought it would be an idea to put the matter into some perspective – writes Floyd Amphlett.

In my view, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about the issue. For various reasons, I think it makes far more sense not to draw the line between ‘British and Irish’, as ‘good and bad’ breeding.

The whole concept is full of holes anyway. ‘Irish bred’ Derby winner Dolores Rocket slept every night of her life in Surrey. ‘British bred’ Derby winner Shanless Slippy was born in Surrey and reared in Northern Ireland. Irish Derby winner Batties Rocket was bred in Yorkshire by an Irishwoman. Toms The Best was brought into the world by a Geordie living in Kildare.

None of which is meant to imply that there aren’t fundamental differences in breeding in the two countries, but let us try to pinpoint them, rather than focusing on which stud book a litter is registered in.

In my view, British breeding more than holds its own in everything but numbers. That isn’t a jingoistic statement. In fact, in my experience, any perceived inferiority exists only in the minds of the Brits.

Indeed, I would argue that pup-for-pup, British breeding has never been stronger.

Why?

In my experience when dealing with British breeding over several decades, there were many of the ‘wrong people’ breeding. So much was carried out by the smaller dog men, flappers or permit trainers, using inferior bitches.

While the top London open race bitches was sent back to Ireland on a ‘pup deal’, the British broods were often ‘top heat Wheatley Hill’ or ‘A3 Doncaster’. That isn’t to say that the Irish weren’t breeding out of some very moderate bitches too.

The fall in British breeding and the decline of the smaller tracks is no coincidence in my opinion.

 

Similar issues – different priorities and opportunities:

In general terms, breeding greyhounds – in Ireland or the UK – makes no financial sense. (But no more bizarre than spending £15K on a racing dog to run for £300!)

There are a small handful of commercial breeders in Ireland and none in Britain.

Most Irish hounds are bred by enthusiasts knowing that the odds are against them but they do it for the love of it.

From a financial perspective, they would be better off producing ‘designer breeds’ fetching two or three times as much and out of the door at 12 weeks.

Irish breeders have subsidised UK racing for half a century and without them, there would be no UK greyhound industry.

 

However, it makes even less sense to be a British breeder. They face even more setbacks than their Irish counterparts.

For a start, the market is flooded with ‘cheap imports’. Why invest £2,000 in a pup when you can buy an Irish ‘failure’ for £800?

In addition, the UK racing system works against them. Even an average barely schooled unfit pup can clock 30.70 to qualify for Irish racing. It only needs two trials thus leaving plenty of scope to find time in its first race.

That education can take place in unofficial trials and the youngster will then compete against other novices.

The British pup must run a solo and three mixed trials and needs to produce a time – usually against more experienced hounds – just about good enough to win the lowest race. All trials will be recorded (which will work against them).

The Irish racing manager has no issues with a decent youngster finding ten lengths and looking a world beater (often up against very moderate dogs).

The prospect of a British bred pup finding ten lengths would be enough to cause cardiac arrest in the stewards box.

 

As there are no commercial breeders in Britain, most British breds tend to be kept ‘within the kennel’.

Since the pups are not for sale, there is no need or opportunity to ‘hothouse’ their schooling.

Pup A is Irish bred. He has been around the track eight times in unofficial trials and is fit to contest his first race at Kilkenny. He wins by eight lengths from a field of moderate graders including a couple who will be sold at the sales for €150 and another who will never race again.

British bred Pup B has equal ability. He has been to traps six times in his career. He has the pace to win A8 by five lengths but makes his debut in A6 (just in case) up against an experienced A5 runner who has been downgraded.

He is beaten in his first three races. He is eventually downgraded and wins an A8.

Pup A was sold for £5,000. Pup B was sold for £1,200.

There was a priority to get maximum return for Pup A before he is fully exposed. Pup B was not for sale so his progress can be more gradual.

Examples?

– Eden The Kid started out iin P3 at Newcastle and ran six graded races, including a handicap before his first open.

– King Turbo began his career in A2 at Central Park and contested seven graded races before contesting his first open.

– Staplers Jo began his career in graded racing at Walthamstow

– Derby winner Salad Dodger ran 15 graded races before his first open

– Derby winner Slippy Blue began his career in graded company at Brough Park before briefly joined the Walthamstow graded strength.

– Derby winner Westmead Hawk began his career in graded company at Hall Green.

Dam line Oaks winner Billys Diva

For those who assume breeding is straightforward there is much to learn from the Kennedy family’s Oaks winner Billys Diva.

Her recent pedigree is patchy to say the least but it traces back to an ever stronger dam line. What is particularly noticeable is the quality of the female racers.

Billys Diva is from an outstanding litter that included Towcester record holder Kishlawn Shakira. Her half sister Good Diva was only just slower on the Oaks supporting card. Interestingly, the Droopys Jet litter has been the least successful cross of Jaytee Sahara’s three litters.

On the track, Jaytee Sahara won seven of 35 races including a heat of an unraced stake at Newbridge and a heat of the Munster Oaks in 28.74. She also won over 805 yards at Longford. In truth though, she was minor open class at best.

Her own dam Express Dancer was also an average enough dam of three litters. Sahara was probably the best of an ordinary group which included the disqualified minor open racer Calzaghe Stan. Dancer’s Rio Quattro’s were very poor. The best of Sidarian Rhythm’s was Prince Rock who had a 27.38 run at Doncaster (450).

Dancer’s greatest claim to fame was that she was a litter sister to Caretaker Jo who won the 2011 Champion Bitch Stake at Thurles.

Their dam though, Express Tune was a bit special. She won the 2007 Newbridge and Southern Oaks plus the 2008 Cork Oaks and was runner-up in the 2007 Munster Oaks.

Tune’s littermates included Express Ego (Winner 2007 Juvenile & Future Champion Unraced, 3rd Irish Derby) Express Smasher (RU Cork & Southern Oaks) and Express Eclipse (’07 Macroom Motors)

To Honcho Classic, Airport Express threw Express Wish (IGB Unraced, Youghal Champion Bitch St. Thurles Champion Bitch St.) Express Rock (Macroom Motors), Express Comet (Waterford Guineas, Tinys Bud Open 550), Express Route (Irish Sprint Cup, Lee Strand 550) Express Honcho (runner-up Lee Stand 550). Shellys Crown, from the Spiral Nikita cross, was a prolific big race finalist.

On the track Airport Express broke the Harolds Cross 525 clock and won the Red Mills Champion Unraced. She was twice Irish Brood Bitch of the Year.

Beyond Express the line branches out even further. Airport Express’s sisters include Dave Firmager’s Fast March (dam of Romeo Maldini, Fabulous Quest) etc and Irish brood Expert View (Shelbourne Nina, Rich etc).

From there though, and going back, the pick of the crop all made their fortunes in the USA. The line goes back through Exception (dam of the champion US sire Fortress) back to Miss Hilary – who was from the great Sand Man/Maythorn Pride litter featured in the Space Jet article.

Finally, on the subject of British breeding, another story from Pat Quinn, former Head Man to Pam Heasman.

In addition to her training and breeding expertise, Pam was perhaps best known as a stud handler and was known to be particularly skillful with maiden stud dogs. Some of the biggest names in British and Irish racing would ask Pam with young stud dogs before they eventually moved on elsewhere.

Pat has no problem identifying the dog for whom stud work came as easily as racing, and as always with the Northern Irishman, there is a tale to be told.

He said: “Phantom Flash was without doubt the most natural worker I ever saw. Patsy (Byrne) asked Pam to get him started before he went to Ireland. For the first mating, the bitch was checked over and was spot on. Pam had her on a lead and I brought the dog in. Well I think they were tied before I had even shut the door.

“It was only during the morning that we realised we had messed up. Pam Dolby had also booked a bitch in for the same day. Normally, you have a couple of days either way, but when she arrived we realised that she was spot on for that day. We thought long and hard about it, but because he had been so good, and we didn’t think she would hold until the next day, we brought Flash out again.

“I think he was even quicker second time around and the bitch had a brilliant mating. The reason I remember it so well was because we were desperately hoping she wouldn’t miss. Sure enough she had a big litter than included a dog called Snow Flash (1994 Select Stakes, Derby Consolation).”