In the week that River Plate and Boca Juniors had to travel 6,000 miles to sort out the Copa Libatadores in Madrid, the ‘battling Jocks’ continued their skirmishes south of the border in the Conlon Family and Pinpoint Recruitment Laurels Final at Newcastle.
After winning the Droopys Nidge Final at Shawfield with Nadurra Ross recenty, John McLachlan looked forward to the forthcoming Laurels with his 2017 finalist saying: “We were a bit unlucky in the draw in the final, getting the five. He is a much better dog on the inside, particularly in the red hap”
Following his post race comments, the winning trainer was quick to acknowledge the sportsmanship from Jimmy Wright, assistant to Angela Harrison with three runners and Steve Anderson with the two ‘Brambles’.
John said: “I used to have dogs with Jimmy years ago and he was the first man to come up and shake my hand. It was a similar response from Steve Anderson; great guys the pair of them.”
It is a two and a half hour journey from Stirling from the builder/greyhound trainer, who like Jimmy Wright, Rab McNair and dozens of others have continued in the sport despite losing most of the independent tracks in their Scottish homeland.
John said: “Corbiewood was my home track, I could literally see the hare from my back garden. But I even had a permit back at Powderhall years ago and then at Shawfield but eventually went back to the flaps. Armadale was a big loss for me. It was where we schooled our pups and we ended up having to travel to Sunderland which just wasn’t practical.”
The McLachlan range take around 15 runners, of which half are retired and include the kennel’s former star sprinter Nadurra Cormac who ran third in the 2013 William Hill Flyer Final.
But despite having to do so much of his racing at the end of a long car journey, John’s enthusiasm is undimmed as he looks forward to the Scottish Derby with Nadurra Ross and opportunities for two of the younger hounds in the kennel.
He said: “I have a nice unraced young dog called Nadurra Dutch who came from Liam Morley in Ireland who also supplied Nadurra Ross but he insists that Dutch is quicker. He did 17.18 (-15) in his first trial at Newcastle.
“I also have a nice bitch called Spanish Maiden who won a heat of the Northern Puppy Derby. She is a half sister to Droopys Live and I think she could stay on.”
