A lot has happened in the last year – or 50 weeks give or take a day. We had five greyhounds stolen from the kennel. Two weeks later we won the Derby with Wildcat and then in August saw Towcester close which led to a major re-think of how we operate.
Thankfully we got all the greyhounds back and, in hindsight, it could have been worse. Moopaige Lalee was five years old and so we retired her straight away. Ballyregan Jimmy returned to the track but was retired with a wrist injury.
Millroad Susie left the kennel but has continued to run well for Phil Simmonds, while Jovial Monk, who was away from the longest has only just been retired with a shoulder injury. We are currently looking to re-home him.
Ballymac Osby, who was also among the five, should be among our Derby team of probably seven or eight runners this year. With respect to all the others, I would have to put Dorotas Wildcat and Magical Bale as our only serious contenders – at least on what we know so far. I think all the owners are realistic enough to know that.
I honestly don’t think Wildcat has lost anything in a year; the same early pace, the same running style. Once we got him over the bacterial infection, he looks as fresh and powerful as ever. The way he opened up on Druids Busy Man between the first and third bend in his recent trial was just sensational.
Bale came back from Ireland in great condition but needed his early trials and was not strong to the pick-up but I couldn’t be happier with him.
Apart from minor niggles, the worst of which was only damage to a tendon sheath with Bale, neither has had serious injuries or have been over raced and I am very happy with the pair.
(Wildcat and Bale both trialled on Monday night)
The other likely runners would include Madabout Philip, Kingsbrook Glyn (who looks a very good future stayer), Ballymac Fargo (still a pup), Ballymac Diego (returning from injury), Drive On Hunter and Bull Run Bandit*.
(*Druids Busy Man who would also have been in the team broke a hock at Nottingham on Monday night. Kevin reports that the dog is comfortable and being operated as this story went live.)
It was nice to get a first major race of the year under our belts with Dalcash Behold winning the Henlow Maiden Derby for owner Mike Bandurak.
Local parader June Hughes stepped in to collect the winning trophy on behalf of Dalcash Behold’s connections from Henlow’s ‘Clarkey’. Kevin says: “June often helps us out. We reckon she’s worth two lengths in a final.”
Mike is a great owner who does a lot for retired greyhounds. He also understands them and knows that in Behold, he has a nice dog, who is not really a ‘competition’ dog.
He has about a dozen graded races at Monmore, of which he has won four or five, but that is pretty much his level. We might enter for Sunderland or Yarmouth, but until then he will remain in top heat at Monmore.
Naughty Molly, who won last year’s Maiden Derby has just been retired after picking up a gracilis injury at Sheffield. She is destined for the sofa.
Henlow track record holder Forest Chunk has also gone back to owner Mike Burton. Chunk came off sore in his last run and has already mated his first bitch.
We still have three or four waiting to be re-homed but with the refurbishment work on the kennels nearly finished, we are in a position to move forward.
We have set an optimum of 55-60 racing dogs and have just started getting some new dogs in. One that I really like is Headford Ranger, who is an October ’17 half brother to Argentina and Calzaghe Flash owned by myself and Dave Usher. He qualified in 28.74 at Galway, we also have a litter brother who qualified in 28.90.
While Wildcat races on, his sister, the Irish Oaks winner Forest Natalee produced her first litter at the weekend. It was a protracted labour but mum and 11 pups by Droopys Jet are all doing well. Half sister Dorotas Star is due to produce on Friday from a mating to Magical Bale
