Well we got seven of our 20 entries through to the second round of the Derby, with four winners, pretty much what I expected.
I suppose Adageo Bob was probably the highlight because he represented a Baldrick cunning plan that worked.
Everybody knows that Bob ideally wants further, but because we know the old boy so well, we knew that to qualify, we had to bring him fresh into the event.
We had given him a sprint trial in preparation. He never trials well in a sprint and this was no exception. But in almost every other case, we would have followed up with a four bend trial.
But we decided to treat the first round as the trial and to see him win in 28.36 was immensely satisfying.
He has a tough race in the second round but I would still expect to qualify.
Evanta Fantasy ran her heart out, as she always does, but she has drawn the ‘heat from hell’ on Friday, along with our other dog Blue Moment. With Lenson Sanchez and Swift Hoffman also in there, we probably have the two outsiders.
Evanta Evita ran a cracker – as she always does – to beat Millwards Davy in her heat and she is up against another of our runners, Van Frankie, on Saturday. It won’t be easy, but I hope they can both make it through.
I suggested that Ballymac Sinbad was a good improving sort before the competition started and although he was returned at 10-1, we were quietly confident when he won his heat.
He has only raced five times for us and won four. How could you ask any more of a young dog?
Blonde Nipper was beaten in his heat but battled through to qualify. I don’t think his second round is any tougher than the first so we have to be hopeful.
The biggest disappointment was the elimination of Swift Whirlwind, who was one of our five third-placed runners. He was in one of the six-runner heats. Had it been a five-runner race and he’d finished in the same position, I would feel less aggrieved.
At this stage, I think you could pick any ‘six from 25’ to make it to the fiinal, with another dozen, not far away.
I watched all the heats, either live, on TV at home, or on screen from Towcester.
Apart from my own runners, I thought the two most impressive winners were probably Clares Wonder and Farloe Blitz.
Clares Wonder was electric from the boxes and then cut the bend brilliantly. Farloe Blitz just blew them away.
It’s a very good Derby.
I was at Wimbledon on Wednesday and Thursday and the atmosphere was soulless. What can you expect when racegoers can stay at home and watch it on TV?
That’s fine. What I do have a problem is with owners, trainers and greyhounds being exploited by the betting industry and the Derby is a great example of it.
Owners are asked to pay £250 entry fees. They are running for £110 if they win, £55 if they are eliminated with no travelling expenses. Meanwhile the betting industry in Britain and in dozens of countries around the world makes huge profits on our dogs.
It is immoral, particularly with companies like Betfair who are parasitic on the greyhound industry by not paying into the BGRF.
This industry continues to go backwards.
I remember when Walthamstow joined BAGS and the Stow management told them that they would have to pay £50 per runner – in addition to prize money. They got it – and that was more than ten years ago.
They could afford it then – but nobody – not even at the best paid BAGS track, gets that sort of money now.
Needless to say, the Walthamstow management soon cottoned on and continued to cut BAGS payments and prize money ‘because they could’.
What nobody ever talks about is the effect on welfare of the betting industry selling us short.
I am the champion trainer. I was previously assistant to another champion trainer. I think I can claim to have some experience of handling greyhounds and in my view – the bookmakers failing to pay their way has a direct impact on injuries to greyhounds.
I am not claiming that ALL injuries are influenced by financial factors. The most successful dog in the kennel, Billys Bullet, broke a hock through no issue that anyone could have foreseen. It was a racing injury. Sad, but career ending injuries are a rare and unwelcome downside of greyhound racing.
Billy is happy and doing very well. Fingers crossed for a successful return to racing.
No – what I am talking about are the major injuries that are caused by a build-up of other problems that could have been prevented.
One of the most time consuming parts of my job is checking over and treating little aches and strains. In a decent sized kennel it takes hours but is vital to the wellbeing of the dogs.
Ideally, like most trainers, I would like to employ more staff to ease the burden but the finances simply don’t allow it, particularly if you want to take on good quality reliable people.
Many trainers might look at me and think I have it easy. It isn’t. Its bloody hard. Twice last week, I almost fell asleep on my way home from racing. At one stage I missed my turn-off and ended up nearly 15 miles out of my way.
But this isn’t about Mark Wallis. It is about everybody who does this job and the greyhounds that we look after. I know there are some people even worse off than me, all struggling to find the time to do the right thing for their dogs.
I hope that the new GBGB chairman Tom Kelly can convince the bookmakers and the Government of how serious this is.
If he does get extra cash by convincing the Home Office that we are just as entitled to share of the ‘racing right’ as horse racing, I hope he can ensure that it isn’t siphoned off by the track owners.
The media want to talk up the big prize money and glamour of the Derby, but the day-to-day reality for trainers is considerably bleaker.
