Roxholme Sheik put his name among the serious Derby contenders with a sensational 28.20 (-10) run for Perry Barr’s 480 metres on Thursday – the fastest run over course and distance in three years. It followed a 28.28 run over the similar Nottingham trip last time out. It has all home as a huge bonus to Mark and Hayley Keightley following a shocking run with injuries.
Formely known as Bright Rory, the brindle looked far from a natural for the Roxholme team on the basis of his Irish form, four defeats in novice/A3 company last autumn at Limerick.
Mark Keightley said: “I watched him run and he was devoid of early pace and had no middle. The only thing to recommend him was a devastating clock from the third bend home. I thought we might have a possible Kristof, if he stayed.
“We didn’t buy him, we stole him, and when he arrived at the kennel I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought we had bought a greyhound and he arrived looking like a bull mastiff. I phoned the lad in Ireland and he said ‘well we do like to keep a good back on them here’. He wasn’t kidding.
“He had qualified at around 37.7 kilos and had been racing at around 36.8 kilos. It wasn’t long before Hayley and Craig got hold of him and started to slim him down. He got to just over 35 kilos and was looking better but Hayley thought there was probably another half a kilo to come off.
“The results are there to be seen. He looked very good at Nottingham and then looked as though he had been put in his place by Kilara Lion next time out. That could be true. The only thing I would say is that he went to the bend a yard behind Kilara Lion, lost greyhound around the bends and then maintained that.
“To give credit to the winner, he doesn’t always come away like that. But when he does, how many does in England or Ireland are going to make ground on him? But Sheik has continued to improve with the extra weight off him. He was 34.5 kilos last night and is now looking like an athlete.
“We are not going to swerve the Laurels, but the priority is going to be Towcester. We’ll give him the odd trial if he needs it but we won’t have too many more races. The old boy Hiya Boyo is a possibility (for the Derby), but we haven’t got a lot else.”
Among the tales of woe are Roxholme Olaf. Unbeaten in four races in Britain including the Henlow Maiden Derby and a heat of the Birmingham Cup, he was withdrawn lame from the second round at Perry Barr with damage to the ligament which attaches to the stopper bone on the foreleg.
Mark said: “He came back about a month ago and did a very decent sprint trial at Nottingham but came off with two chips to the small bone behind the wrist. He has been operated on but has been strapped up and is now on three legs. Hayley has had some success with these type of injuries in the past, but it will be a long time off.”
Litter brother Roxholme Kristof returned to the track with a sprint trial at Perry Barr on Thursday. He clocked a respectable 16.55 (-05) but his future lays in the balance.
Mark said: “He was originally injured with a severe laceration at Crayford. It was really bad. Literally, you could have dropped a marble through the hole in his foot. Vet Mike Galliard has done a brilliant job cutting back both webs and sewing them back on themselves. It looked a great job but Kristof had opened it all up when we came off the track last night.
“We will persevere and give him time but with injuries like his and Olaf’s, you know you are odds against getting them back, not odds-on.”
