Nottingham reveal Monday’s Eclipse supporting opens

An exciting night of open racing is planned for Nottingham on Monday when the Gone To The Dogs Live cameras arrive at Colwick Park.

There are the seven races supporting the feature event, the pick of which is the latest head-to-head between National Sprint hopefuls Rioja Oisin and Magical Bluebeard. – the opens

No changes to PGR schedule for 2025 despite Crayford threat

There are no significant changes to the PGR Schedule for 2025 with the exception of some earlier starts of Swindon on a Tuesday evening. However, the most significant feature is that Crayford remains on the schedule despite this week’s announcement of its intended closure.

No defences at Hove

Neither of last year’s champions are set to defend their titles when Hove stage the George Curtis/Ballyregan Bob Memorial and Coral Olympic which both get underway next Saturday.

Having had a fabulous 2023 culminating in King Memphis’ Olympic winner last December 23, little has gone right for the KSS Syndicate in recent months, though seeing Memphis beaten in the 2024 Star Sports/TRC English Derby Final was not the worst of it.

“Not a bit of it” says Rab McNair, “it was Queen Joni’s broken hock in the Oaks. I was absolutely devastated. I still haven’t really got over it. You take a lot of hits in this business but that was as bad as it gets as far as I was concerned.

“I have no doubt that she was the best bitch we’ve ever had, and we’ve had some decent ones including her mum, Queen Jessiej, Queen Beyonce, Shaws Dilemma, Skate On, and the rest, but Joni was the best of them. She had absolutely everything: speed, consistency, determination and a record that was just unbelievable (35 races, 27 wins).”

Incredibly, Queen Joni’s win in the Derby Plate was the kennel’s last significant success this year.

Rab said: “Apart from Joni, we had Top Note finish with a gracilis, Capaldi picked up a wrist problem, and Memphis of course. We got to the stage that I was nervous about running anything. When we had that void race with (King) Jackson at Towcester, I was beginning to think we were jinxed.

“So I had a chat with the lads (Brendan Keogh and Simon Senek) and decided we would put Memphis away and hopefully have a dog for next year’s Derby. Dogs are his calibre are just about impossible to find. Owners are spending fortunes on dogs who are nowhere near top class.

“Capaldi has had very little racing so we will run him in the British bred Derby and we may move on some of the others. We’ve long given up any hope of the Trainers Championship. They ended when we lost Joni.”

Racing veterans will know that you are only one winner away from a change of heart and that opportunity presents itself on Sunday in the final of the English Puppy Derby, which is only the second race of the youngster’s career.

Rab said: “I don’t see him as a 9/2 chance. I wanted a draw inside Young’s dog (Bombay Birch) which we got and I would expect him to come on for the race. But maybe I’m kidding myself and I am the one who has it wrong.”

You are also just one fast pup away from a fresh start. Currently due for their first visit to Bicester schooling track on the next nice day are a 13 month old litter by Eden The Kid out of Queen Jessiej – Queen Joni’s half brothers and sisters!

 

Similarly Seamus Cahill has confirmed that Droopys Clue will not be back to defend his Ballyregan/Curtis Memorial Trophy.

The reigning Greyhound of the Year hasn’t raced since finishing lame while winning the PGR St.Leger Final at the end of September.

Seamus said: “He finished with a stifle problem, which has thankfully cleared up, but he also damaged a second wrist. The left one was the original problem, and then he did the right one.

“Listen, the dog is well and full of beans, but it is still to early to bring him back. It is possible that he will run again before the end of the year, but much will depend on the weather.

“We are away on holiday in January, so it may be February before he is back. It will then be almost six months since he raced and age will be against him. But he hasn’t been heavily raced and hopefully he will come back somewhere near right. But we wouldn’t be planning any further ahead than that.”

Givemethemoney – an appropriate £10,400 top lot at Oxford

The end of the 2024 greyhound sales year finished in style for Greyhound Trader with a very successful sale at Oxford on Wednesday.

On a frosty morning at the Sandy Lane venue, 48 greyhounds were presented for sale by auctioneer Richard Walsh with 45 of them selling for a total over £90,000.

Top lot: GIVEMETHEMONEY

Top lot on the day was Givemethemoney who sold for £10,400. A July 2023 youngster, he recorded the fastest trial time of the day when beating his litter brother by 4 lengths in 27.04. He will be staying at Oxford with trainer Richard Baker.

The litter brother he beat, Gaza Boy, sold for £5600 to Kim Billingham-Hine’s kennels and for a Greyhound Trader first it was also their litter brother Wiffen World who recorded the second fastest time of the day and subsequently fetched the second most figure on the day when selling for £7400 to join Gemma Evans.

That meant that the top three lots on the day were three brothers! Bred in the purple (Ballymac Cashout-Nice As Ice) – who was a former Open Racer for Jimmy Fenwick  – it marked a good day for vendor Ronan McCusker from Northern Ireland who counts the famed Ice On Fire amongst his previous graduates.

Usual vendors were all represented on the day with Droopys Pupil, just a September 2023 son of old timer Droopys Scolari, selling for £4700 having left plenty at the start and getting up late on the line to win in 28.14. The Dunphy family also sold Droopys Fabiola for £4000 and Droopys Theorem for £3100.

The Kennedy family also had a successful day having sold Good Queen (£3400) and So Majestic (£3300) who combine some of their best breeding with Billys Diva and Good Cody represented in either of their pedigrees.

Overall, the sales success rate was 94% with many greyhounds joining the ranks of Oxford trainers.

Greyhound Trader plan to announce their full 2025 schedule in the coming weeks.

Trials – Prices

Joe’s Friday Tips

***7.44 Romford – Fords Gamble (3pts) 3/1
**6.53 Romford – Droopys Pharoah (2pts) 5/2
*9.28 Romford – Selker Bay Berny (2pts) 9/4
One graded race and eleven opens over three distances at Romford this evening sets us up nicely for another jam packed weekend of top class action.
The Nap of the evening runs in the 400m maiden heat at 7.44pm. Trap one Fords Gamble has shown pace in abundance on his last two starts at Nottingham over two and four bends so this shorter trip could suit the lightly raced type who trialled well in 24.21 first look. He has the perfect draw to work from closest to the fence and if gaining clear run around the first two bends, his back straight pace can take him into the lead heading for home to qualify for next weeks final with a fine victory under his belt.
The next best runs in the first open race of the evening at 6.53pm the Welcome To Romford Standard over 400. Trap five Droopys Pharoah has been mixing it with the best at Romford for the past few months so takes a fair drop in class this evening and can get back to winning ways. A vacant box on his inside in trap four with Brinkleys Ginger on his outside in trap six who he should hold to the bend, Droopys Pharoah can find himself in front off the second bend where he can go and put the race to bed.
The third bet of the evening is trap four Selker Bay Berry in the Winner Of One Standard at 9.29pm. Selker Bay Berny had On The Banks and Divine Rule comfortably behind him last week when finishing second to Without Time. After breaking moderately from trap three, Selker Bay Berny paced up nicely to the bend but Without Time was away and gone. However if he can trap well tonight, I would fancy Selker Bay Berny to lead and make all.

OPENS

Today: Romford
Saturday: Hove ♦  Monmore  ♦  Oxford ♦  Perry Barr
Sunday: Crayford ♦  Sheffield ♦ Towcester