PATRICK JANSSENS
Although conceding that “Crayford isn’t really her track”, trainer Patrick Janssens is hoping that Goldies Hotspur can bring a difficult but ultimately successful year to a successful conclusion.
The defending TV Trophy champion will not take to the track again until the first round of the 874m Ladbrokes sponsored event on Saturday week.
She clocked 45.61 (N) on Wednesday over the 714m course where she reached the Golden Jacket Final in February. Her best run over course and distance was a 45.30 trial in January.
The Norfolk based trainer said: “I was happy with that. I was looking for a good guide as to where she is in her preparation.
“Personally I wondered whether the track was .20 or .30 slow for the eight bends but that makes no difference, I was happy with the run. We ran her in the Leger but she is crying out for a proper marathon.
“As she has got older she has lost a bit of early pace but is staying on stronger so I want her to go fresh into the heats. Ideally she is better suited to bigger tracks like Towcester because her trackcraft isn’t the best, but there is no point in moaning about it.
“Had the Shelbourne marathon been at a different time I would have been tempted to go for both, but I race in England and had to put that first.”
The closure of Towcester meant an autumn switch to Central Park, though the popular Belgian is the first to admit that it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
He said: “I am really loving it there and I always have. Even when I was working for Mark (Wallis), I used to ask him to send runners there. The track is excellent but it is the racing office who have made the biggest difference. I used to get so frustrated at Towcester, at Central Park they can’t do enough for you. Nothing is too much trouble.
“Although it is an hour and a half, they put all my runners out on a Sunday, and I would probably have been going open racing there if Towcester had still been open.”
Although fourth, and just 19 points of second place, in the Trainers Championship table, Patrick sees the kennel as being in a transitional period.
He said: “We only have room for around 15 racers in the kennel and a waiting list. But I don’t want anymore because it would mean I would have to employ more people which is self defeating.
“Among them are a lot of older dogs like Barricane Tiger and Slick Strauss who have either retired or are at that stage of their careers, and I have quite a few ’17 whelps who are still too young.
“At the moment, several are struggling to see out the 480 at Central Park, which is a tough one, so I am moving them about, I’ll be trialling five for the Puppy Derby at Henlow. But they are March pups and may lack a bit of experience.
“But I love having young dogs and British bred pups about the place. We have some exciting young dogs here including a full brother to Kilmore Lemon. He is only an August ’17 whelp but did 16.78 on his first look at Central Park.
“Lemon himself will be going for the National Sprint next. I thought he ran a stunning race to just get beaten a short head in the sprint on the Night Of Stars at Shelbourne. What a great event that is, I wish we had something similar in England.”
