ICE TO REKINDLE THE FIRE?

When you have just experienced seeing the best dog you ever laid hands on – retired through injury – and then a younger half brother burst onto the scene with – possibly – the same potential – it must take very ounce of your will power not to start making comparisons. Jimmy Fenwick and Dave Spraggon have the sort of problem that most trainers and owners can only dream about.

Cold As Ice produced a second stunning Towcester performance on Tuesday night when clocking the fastest time in the Star Sports English Greyhound Derby. Never headed, he covered the 500 metres in 29.53, an identical (calculated) recording to his previous outing.

Jimmy said: “I know people will start making comparisons with Ice On Fire, but I wouldn’t want to do that at this stage. For a start, Cold As Ice was less well schooled than his older big brother. He had some unofficial sprints around Drumbo, and did 17.25 in his first sprint trial at Newcastle. He did 28.72 in his first ever four bend trial and that left us with a problem. He was going to be an unraced pup going into A1 at Newcastle.

“We had few options and I opted to run him in a puppy race at Nottingham when he was knocked over. It was a very messy race but thankfully he seemed none the worse for it. I trialled him at Newcastle and he did 28.55 off a 4.55 sectional, on a track that I personally thought was on the slow side. And yes, I will admit it, I couldn’t help but be excited, for myself and also for Dave. We have shared the ups and downs of the last few months.

“I saw the race was coming up at Towcester and decided to enter him. He ran in a two dog trial and didn’t lead, which did him a big favour. He tried twice to pass the bitch in front on the inside and she shut him off and I think it helped his education. He then came out in a trialstake and really pleased me. He didn’t trap quite as well on Tuesday but showed plenty of pace.

“I realise that people will want to start making comparisons with Ice On Fire, it is natural. Dave and I are just trying to remain level headed. If he continues to improve in the semi finals, and God willing, went on to win the final, then I think we might start to think further ahead. But we have been through such a lot with Ice Of Fire, and suffered the disappointments, that we are determined not to get ahead of ourselves.”