Rab McNair is hoping that “a great week” stretches into a second as five time Cat 1 winner King Turbo makes his return to racing following his Coral Winter Derby victory.
Turbo takes on Martinstown Band, the fastest dog over Nottingham’s Derby course this year and with a recent record of five wins and a second (sh) in his last six races, at Colwick Park on Monday night. His traveling companions will be ‘Kings’ Dylan and Cash.
Liz McNair’s assistant trainer said: “I couldn’t be happier with Turbo, he looks as though he is adapting to the track. The time was a little bit back but I thought the going was heavy, particularly on the inside and he was blowing heavily when he came off. He had also gone down on his nose when he came out of the traps.
“Chris (Akers) had said he was thinking of giving his dog (Martinstown) a rest so I hoped to avoid him, but I am not too bothered. It is all about giving him plenty of opportunities to know the track.
“King Dylan did a very good trial over the 480 on the same night. He needed the run because we had been treating a shoulder problem. But he was the opposite to Turbo and wouldn’t have blown a candle out after the trial. I think that once the Derby is out of the way we will be thinking about moving him up in distance.
“I said a few weeks ago that I thought the whole litter were showing signs of progress and that would apply as much to King Cash as any. I thought he was unlucky at Central Park when he was beaten half a length by Droopys Gold, along the backstraight I thought he was going to win it. And that last run at Central Park on slow going was Derby class in my opinion.
“Lots of people have asked me to compare the pups as to which one is the fastest and I honestly don’t know.”
King Elvis is currently the 11-8f to land the RPGTV Golden Crest at Poole and thrilled as he was by the dog’s performance – running to within one spot of the track record on his first visit to the track – that wasn’t his handler’s greatest memory of the night.
Rab said: “It was absolutely brilliant how many local trainers came up to me before the meeting and just thanked me for running Elvis at the track. I felt so proud that so many people were so keen to see him win.
“After the race, a lady came over with her ten year old son and told me that he had refused to go to tennis practice that night because Elvis is his favourite dog and he wanted to see him run. I invited the young lad onto the track to have his picture taken with the dog. It was brilliant to see such enthusiasm.”
The kennel have three contesting the BGBF Puppy Cup at Sheffield on Saturday including fastest heat winner – and the pup Rab rates as highly as any he has introduced to racing – King Idol.
There was even more good news at Central Park on Wednesday with three runners trialling back after lay-offs.
Rab said: “They all had sprints. Queen Beyonce, who has been resting, did 16.34, King Sheeran, who was having his first trial after a broken hock did 16.48 and King Lennon, who hasn’t been on a track in three months due to a toe problem did 16.56 – all on .10 slow going.
“I think those three gave me as much satisfaction as any of the race dogs. It’s been some week.”
