Malcolm Daniels, one of the great characters of greyhound racing, died suddenly on Tuesday aged 62. He raced his greyhounds wherever he thought that they had a chance and was a pretty good judge writes John Forbes.
Groovy Sam produced the highlight of his career when the dog reached the final of the 2007 Irish Derby, but he enjoyed notable successes in this country, particularly with Local Call, who gave him a night to remember in Glasgow in 2006.
The dog was taking on an odds-on Westmead Hawk in a second round heat of the Scottish Derby and went to the boxes a 12-1 shot. It was the sort of situation that Daniels revelled in and he had the last laugh when Local Call came home the shock winner at odds of 12-1, a price that he had taken liberally.
Breeding was another facet of the sport that he enjoyed and particularly in recent years with his partner Liz Hall’s bitch Final Gold producing a memorable litter by Premier Fantasy in 2011 that included Young Golden, who won the Gymcrack two years later.
