“We always have a bit of banter at Central Park, and Rab McNair was winding me up before the race telling me how he was going to beat us. I told him he would have to break the track record to do it. Although Hawk was a eight spots outside the clock, I was delighted with the run.”
Luke Morrison, who only took out his professional licence in January after an extensive apprenticeship CV that includes spells as a kennel hand or assistant trainer that reads ‘Kibble, Hutton, Hannan, Peterson and Colton’, landed his first major competition on Wednesday night.
Favourite Signet Hawk (Ballymac Vic-Dorotas Irena, May 17) was and impressive and worthy winner of the £4,000 BGBF Sprint at Harlow.
He ran from trap two and was the even money favourite.
The winner’s time was 14.66 (Chopchop Hope holds the 238m clock at 14.58). The winning distance was just under four lengths from Queen Izzy. She will be returned to the breeding paddocks. She had been retired once but failed to conceive from her first mating.
The winner is jointly owned by her trainer, Kevin Hutton, Matthew Carpenter and Jonathan Miles.
Luke said: “He is never the type of dog to break two clear, I just wanted him to come out level and knew his early pace would do the rest. He is such a determined dog, and that has got him into trouble, he puts so much into his races.
“That is the reason that we will probably avoid the British Bred Derby at Sheffield and go for the National Sprint instead. He tends to pick up niggles over four bends.”
Attached to Central Park, Luke is based has a range for 23 greyhounds next door to Jenni March kennel at Boxted near Colchester. Apart from Signet Hawk, the kennel’s other star is Millroad Susie, who landed a six bend competition at Central Park on Sunday.
Her trainer said: “She is getting on a bit but her record at Central Park is four wins and two seconds – to two very good dogs – in six races. She is due in season in December and will be sent back to Ireland for a litter.”
Luke is hoping puppy Westway Donald will take her place on the open race circuit.
He said: “Donald won a D1 and we got quite excited but he has since shown how green he is. Hopefully he will learn from the experience and turn into a half decent open racer.”
