The brilliant Coolavanny Aunty was voted the 2022 Greyhound of the Year for the Alnwick Greyhound Group and trainer Angela Harrison.

COOLAVANNY AUNTY  Photo: © Steve Nash

The 28 kilo black hit the ground running by landing the first major event of the year, the Coral Essex Vase where, as the 10-11f she led home her kennelmate Coolavanny Bani.

In April, the same pair repeated the result in the ARC Grand Prix at Sunderland, followed by a third Cat One win for Aunty in the GAIN Three Steps To Victory over 660m at Sheffield.

She also finished runner-up in the George Ing St. Leger at Yarmouth third in the Ladies Stakes at Towcester and rounded the year off with a win in the Cat Two Monmore Green Christmas Stayers Trophy in a field that included great rivals Bellmore Sally, Antigua Sugar and Chelms Cub.

In addition to the main award, the Shane O’Gorman bred daughter of Droopys Sydney and Yahoo Katie landed the Bitch of the Year and the Stayer of the Year titles.

She won 18 of her 33 races, with 7 second places and in the first three on 30 occasions, and won on seven different tracks between 480-660 metres.

In addition to the main event, she was also voted ‘top bitch’ and ‘top stayer’

2022 proved a tremendous year for British breeding and with the award for the British Bred Greyhound of the Year and Standard Distance Greyhound of the Year titles, did any challenge Aunty more closely for the award than the Star Sports/Towcester Events & Leisure Derby winner, Romeo Magico?

Possibly – how about Magico’s sister Fabulous Azurra, who featured the shake up for breeding award, and the top bitch award?

Perhaps an even greater challenger though was her kennelmate Slick Sakina who went unbeaten through two PGR events, the Oaks and the Eclipse.

Whether Sakina deserved to be overlooked by an Irish based dog is certain to be a debating point – since for many years, only UK based hounds weren’t eligible for the main award.

 

It really was a tremendous year for the ladies and that would include the mums, with Forest Natalee retaining her Dam of Best British Bred litter title.

She actually had 17 Cat One finalists in the year including five in the Produce Stakes Final.

Her most successful son was Produce Stakes winner Signet Denver, who also landed the Laurels at Perry Barr, while brother Signet Goofy won the Steel City Cup and another brother Signet Otis took the British Breeders Stakes.

 

The KSS Syndicate once again landed the Owner of the Year award, missed out on the stayer’s title with Havana Lover and the sprint title with Havana Class, but had plenty of consolation with the exploits of Fromposttopillar who took the Newcomer of the Year award

The Nov ’20 son of Droopys Sydney landed the Puppy Collar at Oxford followed by the Olympic at Hove.

He has seven wins and two seconds from his nine races to date and is the winter ante post favourite for the 2023 English Derby.

Once again Slick Sakina missed out.

 

Champion trainer Mark Wallis retained his title and also provied the leading sprinter of the year in Gougane Jet

For a dog who didn’t appear on the scene until July, his record is quite phenomenal, 17 wins from 20 outings.

His victories included the three Cat Two events, the National Sprint, the Ladbrokes 264 decider and the Scurry.

Sadly the racing careers of Jet’s rivals for the awards, Crossfield Dusty and Havana Class were ended on the track in June and September respectively

 

The top hurdler award was a ‘perm each of three’ contest.

It went to Lenson Doolin who landed the Springbok and finished runner-up in the Champion Hurdle to Borna Rhythm and second in the Grand National behind Bobbing Gnavatar.

 

The marathon award went to the brilliant TV Trophy and Dorando marathon winner Space Jet.

Her closest rivals included her litter sister Antigua Lava and half sister Savana Volcano who made a dramatic return from semi retirement to finish runner-up in the St.Leger and then go on to take the Cesarewitch.

 

Whether you agree with the selections of the judges or not, the size of their task should not be underestimated.

Here are a few who didn’t even make the nominations.

In no particular order: Antigua Sugar, Blueberry Bullet, Brookside Richie, Distant Podge, Hopes Paddington, Jaguar Macie, Savana Ruinart, and Warzone Tom.