If you had to place money on the most successful British bred litter in 2022, you can be pretty sure that the Jan ’20 bunch by Magical Bale out of Forest Natalee would be the ante post favourites.
All of which is relevant with the first home bred confined event closing tomorrow at Nottingham, the BGBF British Breeders Stakes.
Team Hutton hope to have eight of the 36 first round entries including four of the Bale/Natalee bunch. The litter first grabbed the attention with a 1-2-3 in the BGBF Puppy Cup at Towcester last October where Moments Of Magic led home favourite Signet Denver and Sleek By Design.
In his post race interview on this site, Kevin predicted that the virtually unseen Signet Otis would ultimately prove the best of the litter.
Since then the early pacer has finished runner-up in both December’s British Bred Derby and January’s Blue Riband, where he was beaten a short head by Ivy Hill Skyhigh. Derby winner Thorn Falcon has three quarters of a length third with Otis’ litter sister Sleek By Design a similar distance back in fourth.
Otis and Denver both trialed at Nottingham last week and clocked identical times – 30.07 with Denver producing a slightly quicker split. Sleek By Design is currently off the racing strength but the brothers will be joined by Moment Of Magic and yet another sister No Worries, who has recent A1 wins at Towcester.
Denmark had already joined Tom Heilbron before making last year’s final but Taylors Sky/Terminator littermates Boca Junior and Houston Main will be part of the Hutton team along with Coppice Flyer and Westwell Bake.
Kevin said: “We’ll really be looking to go for the British bred races this year with the Natalee litter, including the Produce Stakes of course where we would hope to be well represented.”
The £10K British Breeders Stakes gets underway on Monday with semis and final on the following two Mondays.
The kennel have four runners at Monmore on Saturday in the Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby, including littermates Coppice Fox and Coppice Brewer.
The June 20 sons of Droopys Sydney and Sizzling Daisy were unraced in Ireland.
Kevin said: “Fox was held back in his preparation with a tooth problem and to begin with, I didn’t think there was much between them, particularly after Brewer won in 29.30 at Towcester. But it now looks as though Fox could be significantly better.
“Fox in particular possibly lacks a yard of pace to the bend but should be well suited by the 500 metres at Towcester.
“Annual Sydney is owned by a bunch of lads from SIS. From what I have seen of him, he needs to lead to be at his best. Magical Richie won his only race at Clonmel, I don’t know whether Monmore is his ideal track though.”
With so many well bred champions having passed through the kennel in recent years, the Oxfordshire based outfit have been buying less are becoming more self reliant on their own breeding.
Jim Quinlan, breeder of the Irish ‘Bull Run’ hounds is currently schooling a British bred Droopys Sydney litter out of the kennel’s 2019 Oaks winner Bull Run Byte. The dam also has a four month old litter by Magical Bale.
Kevin said: “Owner Gilbert Anderson has sold some on but if there are some good ones among them, and I gather they are looking very useful, we would hope to see them here.
“Gilbert has has a young litter just starting schooling with Dave Pruhs and reared by John Mullins. They are by Ballymac Best out of Lovee Dovee. She only had a short racing career with us but looked promising and is very well bred (Barcia Bale-Droopys Smasher).
However the most exciting news concerns the kennel’s outstanding brood Forest Natalee who has been mated to top Irish sire Droopys Sydney.
Kevin said: “We are having her scanned tomorrow but I’m convinced that she is in whelp. She is due on or around April 3.”
Irish Oaks winner Forest Natalee – she has Cat One winners in two of her three litters to date
Natalee’s most successful son to date, Signet Ace is close to a return following injury. Winner of the 2021 Winter Derby, Select Stakes and Eclipse, Ace damaged a TFL muscle in preparation for the Blue Riband.
Kevin said: “It all looks good at this stage and we hope to trial him in about a fortnight.”
