“I just told Kevin that I was trialling a couple at Perry Barr without giving him any details. It was only after he saw the trial results that he phoned to say ‘Diane, what’s going on?’. Rob Boswell, who has an interest in lots of Kevin’s dog was even more to the point, ‘Diane what the f. . . ‘”
The buzz of an incredible Saturday lunchtime at Crayford was only slowly subsiding as Diane Henry recalls the day when Kevin Boothby found out that his retired marathon star Savana Volcano wasn’t retired after all.
Rewind to October 2021 and Volcano finished last behind Space Jet in the First Containers Marathon at Towcester. It would be three months before Volcano would see a track again due to a shoulder injury she had picked up in the final.
The 27 kilo black duly trialled back in January but then suffered a stress fracture of a hock in her second trial back.
She was nursed back to fitness yet again only to run a disappointing fourth, beaten 14 lengths, in the 2022 Dorando Marathon.
That’s it. Volcano was a four year and one month old veteran clearly past her best! Time to give serious thought to the breeding paddocks.
Racing obituaries were written.
It had been a very decent career after starting off in A6 company at Towcester before going on to win the track’s Stadium Bookmakers Marathon and Dorando in 2021. She had also broken the Parry Barr 915m track record.
In fact, there would have been a legitimate argument to suggest Volcano had been a little unlucky. Her racing career had coincided with a golden era for marathon hounds. It included the magnificent Aayanza Royale who Volcano had followed home in the 2021 TV Trophy Final, but had later avenged in the same year’s two Cat One finals at Towcester.
But then there was there was her phenomenal younger half sister Space Jet who had beaten her in the 2021 Leger Final and 2022 Dorando. Or Jet’s litter sister Antigua Lava, or Burgess Elite, or Droopys Jungle . . . .
It was on August 27 2022 that Savana Volcano appeared in a two dog trial at Perry Barr which led to her owner almost choking on his cappuccino.
WTF!!!
Diane said: “We had been up against it in her preparation for the Dorando and I had my suspicions that Volcano just needed more time. I’d been watching her at home, in the paddocks and on the gallop, and the more I looked at her, the more I realised that she was really coming into herself.
“I am very ‘old school’ in how I prepare the dogs. They get lots of road work, which particularly suits Volcano if we go anywhere that she can see wildlife. She is a lovely natured sweetheart, but the keenest greyhound you ever put a lead on. At the pick up she tries to kill the hare box. But whatever the reason, Volcano seemed to be thriving on it. You could just see it.
“I didn’t tell Kevin or Rob that I planned to trial her, I just wanted to see how she went.”
Well she went pretty damn well for a marathoner; clocking 28.85 for the 480m.
But the 10-1 SP for the first round of the PGR St.Leger suggested punters reckoned Volcano was merely a travelling companion for the kennel’s more high profile entries, ‘Savanas’ Beau, Ruinart and Spartacus.
Of course nobody mentioned that to the old girl, who duly got up to beat Baggios Champ by a short head. She was a 5-1 chance in the semi final when coming from last to first. And then 4-1 in the final when beaten by a shortening length by Havana Lover.
After the Leger, and before heading off to Crayford, Volcano was beaten in her next four races but never far. Two of the defeats were to serial Cat One finalist Blueberry Bullet though the combined losing margin was only two lengths.
In fact the runs were so good that Volcano started at 10-11f when taking the fastest semi final of the Ladbrokes Cesarewitch.
But then this is what she did in the final . . .
The Savana Ruinart chapter of this tale bears no comparison to that of Volcano but is interesting in its own right.
Ruinart was an established Irish stayer whose early career crossed paths with Bo Shine Bullet in a novice 750 event at Shelbourne Park almost two years ago.
Her early career was hot and cold and at one stage she failed to complete the course in two consecutive races. She went nine races without a win – though it was normally in high class company. Ruinart and sister Savana Regera were both eliminated in the semis of the Corn Cuchulainn at Shelbourne and ran fifth in the Irish Cambridgeshire at Limerick.
The pair’s final two races were in a 750 final at Clonmel during coursing week where they finished 1-2 with Ruinart clocking the fastest run of the year.
In short, her form was decent rather spectacular but her UK career was put on hold when the two new arrivals at Diane’s kennel both came in season within a fortnight of arrival. Ruinart then went lame in her qualifying trials.
The net result, Ruinart was almost three and a half when she made her UK debut at Towcester back in August of this year.
But thereby ends the calaogue of disappointments and setbacks!
She was hugely impressive when winning her first 500 metre open in 29.54. Her second outing was a stunning win in the Jenningsbet Select Stayers at Nottingham.
Race 5 was the final of the PGR English St Leger where she finished a place behind Havana Lover and Savana Volcano. Race 8 was a desperately unlucky failure by a short head to reach the PGR English Oaks Final. This is race 12 . . .
The Adele Duke story is on a whole level of bizarre.
It really begins 15 months ago at Perry Barr when Duke was trained by Lee Field.
Diane said: “I had always admired Duke. He is a stunning looker and I’d seen him run in the Laurels and reach the final. On that particular occasion I was at Perry Barr for the Leger semi final and Duke was favourite to win his semi final of the Birmingham Cup. He was eliminated and when I was chatting to Lee Field after the race, he said it would probably be Duke’s last race for them as some flapping people had put an offer in which the owners were willing to accept. I said I would be interested in making a bigger offer if he was prepared to wait until after my next runner who was Volcano.
“Thankfully Volcano qualified and Rob and Kevin were thrilled. I then said, ‘oh, by the way, I think I have found you another dog‘. We’d just won the Three Steps with Savana Eruption and they’d said they would plough the winnings back into another dog. I think they had their thoughts on a younger dog. I had my thoughts on Duke and they agreed.”
The offer was a significant one for a dog who was a few days off his third birthday and was yet to win a competition. In the following 13 months, Duke picked up five opens, mainly sprints, without an immediately obvious route to winning a competition.
In two of the races, he had been KO’d so there might have been a few question marks when his trainer decided that the 36 kilo fawn might be suited to Crayford. Even more bizarelly, she trialled him over 540 metres against confirmed stayer Savana Spartacus.
Although Duke was beaten, he led his kennelmate to the run-in and was just a length a quarter adrift of the 34.01 trial winner. What happened next is quite remarkable. He won his Rose Bowl Trialstake in 23.13 (FOY 23.00). He won his heat of the competition in 23.12, and then at four years and one month old, he did this in the final . . .
Duke’s win capped off the most memorable day of Diane Henry’s training career.
She is the first to admit though, that the day fluctuated with a mixed series of emotions. While some trainers thrive in the limelight, Diane isn’t one of them.
She said: “I get very intense and prefer to be on my own with my own thoughts. I spent the early part of the meeting on the Crayford car park and just generally keeping out of the way. I went to the ladies and said a prayer.
“But from the moment that Volcano won, I could start to relax. Everything was a bonus from there. But I still had other runners and while people wanted to interview or congratulate me, my biggest concern was preparing them.
“It wasn’t until Sunday that I had chance to take it in. I went to the garden centre and brought treats for all the dogs and spent a lovely day just reflecting.
“Looking back now at Volcano’s run, I can’t believe how well she has started to trap at this stage of her career. Regera set off as the pacemaker and Volcano was just fabulous.
“Ruinart was amazing too. I was watching the race and then suddenly she just burst to the front from nowhere and showed what a fabulous bitch she is. As for Duke, I was so proud of him. He is the bravest, toughest dog you will ever see. Even after he was knocked over in those two races, it didn’t phase him.
“I would like to add something and that is to thank Crayford for Saturday’s meeting. It was a fabulous day with plenty of prize money on the supporting card. There was a wonderful atmoshere and everyone was made to feel very welcome.
“I know that everything isn’t perfect in this industry but it never has been. Look around now at all the big prize money races, there are so many of them. I only have between ten and twelve racing dogs and there is only me. I look at all the opportunies available next year and wish I could do more. These £20,000 races have made a huge difference.”
In fact, this year’s prize money plundering is far from over. On Friday night, Ruinart takes her place in the Bet365 Challenge Cup. After a few hours sleep, Diane will be back on the road head to Hove for the Ballyregan Bob/George Curtis Memorial competition with Regera, Beau and Volcano.
Diane said: “While they are running well it seems silly to rest them. Regera and Ruinart were originally supressed but I think it affected their performance. I took them off the suppressants and it made a significant difference. They will be retired when they come into season.
“Duke will probably go for the PGR All England Cup at Newcastle. We know he stays 480 and with the way he is running, it is something I would really like to do.”
However many races Duke has left, his home for life is already sorted. As is Volcano’s, whether or not she ever has pups.
She will join a lengthy list of pensioners all seeing out their days on the Yorkshire/Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire borders. It is headed by the dog who first put Diane in the spotlight of GBGB racing, Ten Large Down, who will be 15 in February.
It was the Henlow Puppy Derby winner who first attracted Kevin Boothby’s attention of the Yorkshire lass who could do a dog as well as any of her male counterparts. (And you can imagine – that hasn’t always gone down well with some!!).
But had Boothby not shared his trainer’s beliefs about retired dogs, she would never have trained for him.
She said: “Nothing upsets me more than the owners and trainers who have a nice dog and can’t wait to discard it when it is too old. I’ve even seen it with dogs who have been great servants on the track and at stud and it sickens me.
“I hear a lot of people comment about Kevin. Love him or hate him, he hasn’t changed since he nearly went skint trying to run Henlow. He is first and foremost a dog man before he is a track promoter. He wants to win competitions and loves nothing more than being around his retired dogs.
“He has got loads of them at home; though I do keep telling him that there must be room for at least one more.”
ADELES DUKE on his way to Kent Rose Bowl victory to complete Diane Henry’s memorable Cat1/Cat1/Cat3 treble. Photo: © Steve Nash
SAVANA RUINART (t4) takes up the running at the second bend from wide running Peejays Forever (t6) in the Ladbrokes Gold Collar Final. Photo: © Steve Nash
SAVANA VOLCANO on her way to victory in the Cesarewitch Final. Photo: © Steve Nash
Diane Henry with her Ladbrokes Gold Collar winner Savana Ruinart. Photo: © Steve Nash
