We arrived back from holiday in Portugal last Wednesday – I spent most of my time listening to audio books in the sun and trying to relax. But we have had to hit the ground running, there is so much going on.
Things started well when we sent out all four heat winners of the Gain Dog Foods Corn Cuchulainn at Harolds Cross. We tend to specialise in middle distance runners but we do get the occasional stayer and have had a couple of finalists in the past.
The quickest of the four was Ardrahan Zindi who was in the same heat as Tradition who went lame. At one stage I thought the race might be made void, but thankfully there was no long term damage to the favourite and I was delighted with Zindi who I mentioned earlier in the year for her potential to stay.
Jo Jo Fantasy had been running a bit below par I always fancied him to stay six bends and he didn’t let us down. He was crowded in the early stages before going on to win and I would definitely expect him to get stronger in the next round.
He is drawn up against one of other winners, Milldean Puma, in the semis. Puma had been knocked over a couple of races previously and hesitated at the bend next time out. Thankfully he got a good last week and won like the very fast dog I know he is. He has good early pace in this company and is drawn to lead up in his semi.
Our other winner Ascot Becky has come back from England to run for her owner Jack Stanton. She is the best stayer of the group, hopefully we can find enough races for her over the longer distances.
At the weekend we have two finalists in the Irish Laurels at Cork and both have decent chances if they break well.
Skywalker Manner (T2) is a very nice young dog who is still improving and is yet to get a clear run in the event. He was beaten five lengths by Must Be Jack (27.96) in the semis but was crowded on the run-up or would have been a lot closer.
Rural Hawaii (T6) is the only wide seed and is yet to get a clear run at the first bend. We know he is fast enough to win if he gets clear, and he is a definite competition dog.
I practically can’t get enough work into him and he gets himself in such a state that we have to put his racing jacket on him when we kennel him because it would take two people to hold him down before the race. He is absolutely mad, but more than good enough to win it.
We hope to have four runners in the Champion Stakes first round which starts a week on Saturday.
I was originally planning not to run Clares Rocket, and just to keep him for the Irish Derby, but after a bit of thought, decided to change the plan.
Basically, the dog had quite a bit of running leading up to the Produce Stakes Final and I didn’t want to over-race him. But then, I looked at the form and he certainly wasn’t a tired dog at the end of it; he was freshest of all the day after the final.
I trialled him back last week and he clocked 28.15 after stumbling from the traps. He was just way too fresh and is getting a 550 this Thursday which will hopefully calm him down a bit
I will also enter Skywalker Rory who came off with a sore hock in the Race Of Champions. He had gone well to the third bend and I knew there had to be a problem. He trialled back in 28.12 at Shelbourne and will also trial this week.
I also plan to run Ballydoyle Honey who has been off with a bruised toe since the Oaks semi final.
Apart from the injury, she really needed the break. We had run her in season and that 27.98 run had done her no favours at all. She took too much out of herself. She wasn’t really herself at home after the race; just a bit flat. She looks back to her best now though and did 28.26 in a trial last week
We also plan to run Highview Event who clocked 29.74 for the 550 and was a bit unlucky last time out when a dog checked in front of him. He won’t be disgraced in this company.
We also have the Youghal Oaks on the agenda where I hope to have at least five runners including Sidarian Pearl and Skywalker Pearl.
The news is not so good on Sidarian Eska who went lame in the first round of the Laurels.
He has since trialled back in 18.89 for the sprint at Shelbourne. It wasn’t a bad run, but I know he is better than that.
We are still trying to find exactly what is wrong with him. When you get him out of the kennel he props a bit in his first couple of strides before apparently walking sound, But something is definitely not quite right.
We are sending him over to vet Daniel Doherty. He hopefully won’t find anything too serious, but you can’t afford to take risks with good greyhounds.
