It sounds as though life in England is pretty much the same as here. We are waiting to hear if there is any easing on the lock down on May 5. The police are running checkpoints to make sure people aren’t doing unnecessary traveling – like visiting their holiday homes. But for the kennel, the routine hasn’t changed, apart from not going racing.
We have our three kids all back here, with Christopher preparing for exams on line and Rachel doing her school work on line. But the extra time has given us chance to jet wash the whole place, kennels have been painted, and we have just laid another 48 tons of sand on the gallop.
The kennel routine hasn’t changed. The dogs continue to go out five times a day. We have some half acre and two acre paddocks so the dogs can use themselves if they choose, and every racing dog is galloped on alternate days.
We haven’t changed the feeding regime in any way because it takes so long to get the dogs right again. I haven’t weighed a dog since we stopped racing but I guess that most are probably about a pound or so down from their racing weight. They will lose a bit off their backs and put the extra weight back on, probably two to three pounds of muscle, when they are in full training.
So basically, we could start racing tomorrow. The dogs aren’t fully race fit, they can’t be. But they are fit enough that they would give a decent account of themselves. They shouldn’t struggle to get off their beds the next morning or dehydrate. One race would put them right.
They are probably three or four races from peak fitness and I plan to keep them as close to that as I can. I have always believed that if a dog is off six weeks, it will take him another six to return to peak fitness. I don’t want to be saying to my owners, ‘we can start racing next week, but your dog won’t be ready for another six’.
The great unknown is what happens when racing resumes.
At this stage we are assuming it will be behind closed doors. It is unclear whether dogs will have to re-trial, or be out of time. But in the shut-down, the Board have introduced a new scheme where trials can’t be paid for in cash. They want everyone to have a debit card. I can see that causing problems for some of the old dog men.
It seems to me that the whole prize money payment system in Ireland needs looking at. You have to pay to enter dogs but then get your money back if you finish down the field! I suppose the benefit is for trainers like me in that we get a percentage of the prize money, but surely that could be taken into account? I am assuming that there is something written into the industry regulations that prevents common sense prevailing.
My biggest concern is what happens to the top open racers. How long would it take to organise some decent competitions?
We planned to come to the English Derby, but how long would it take to organise that? And even if it was arranged in the next three months, will there be restrictions on travel?
Greyhounds have a relatively short time at the peak of their careers and the prospect that the likes of Newinn Taylor or Lenson Bocko would lose three of their peak months would be a tragedy.
