“My glasses were steamed up and we were trying to catch the three dog who had jumped the inside fence and we were worried that he had hurt himself. I didn’t see her cross the line. The first time I knew that we had won was when Rab turned round and said ‘congratulations’.”

Non-racing folk would view the final of the BGBF Scurry as a messy encounter and a lucky winner. But the story within the story would make every dog man smile.

Wimborne based Dave Lewis has had a tough year. His local track at Poole closed down leaving him with a 180 mile round trip to Swindon. He nevertheless trekked backwards and forwards to Harlow, in the certain knowledge that there were at least three or four in the field that were simply faster than his home bred Swindon A5 runner, Dundee June.

But it was a night when hope overcame logic.

(Due to a media rights policy on broadcasting videos where greyhounds are knocked over, we are unable to show a replay of the final. It was a messy race which changed dramatically at the third bend where there was considerable crowding and bumping. King Bruno was KO’d as the eventual winner sneaked through on the rail coming from last to first. By that stage Bruno had jumped the inside fence and ran across the track before being caught. Rab McNair has confirmed that Bruno has been checked over today and is none the worse for his fall)

June was returned at 9-1 and her winning time was a very moderate 26.88 for the 415m with Ive Got Gears in second. Whizzy Diamond was third, followed by Queen Franklin and King Drake with King Bruno failing to finish.

Dave said: “She was a fortunate winner but that’s dog racing. We always thought that she had a chance as the only railer but thought she might escape any trouble at the first bend, I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be the third.

“You don’t beat Rab McNair very often. He breeds some magnificent greyhounds. But we’ll take it. June is owned by a syndicate of seven owners and they were all on the phone straight after the race which was nice.”

June is from a litter by Kinloch Brae out of Seven Of Nine. He also bred the prolific litter by Dorotas Wildcat (Ballyoak Freddie, Ballyoak Wilma etc) out of his own home bred dam Ballyoak Badger.

He said: “I have 14 racing dogs and most are my breeding. Ballyoak Badger has a young litter by King Elvis but has just been rehomed. Ballyoak Petal and Seven Of Nine have also been spayed.”

All of which sounds like a man on the point of exiting the industry.

He said: “I hate all the traveling but I will get the King Elvis litter on the track first. After that, I might just keep an interest by breeding a litter. I still have some young bitches who might make broods.”