I had a thoroughly enjoyable, if quite a long, day at the Chelsea Glass Trainers Championship lunch.
I was down at the kennel at a quarter to six to get the triallers ready and then didn’t get to London until 10.30 and had kept everyone waiting.
After the lunch we went to the Strand for a curry and it was a very late night before I got home.
We are now looking forward to the meeting itself next Tuesday at Sittingbourne. We have had some mixed draws, some good, some horrendous, and I think Kevin (Hutton) will start favourite.
Looking at our runners, the only one who is really making up the numbers is Ilewin Allot in the sprint. He has never been a pure sprinter and is getting on a bit, but the race has come too soon for the young dog I had in mind and every point counts. Experience could prove invaluable.
We need to be there or thereabouts coming into the second half of the meeting and hoping for a power packed finish with Roswell Iceman, Domino Storm and Billys Bullet.
Storm has trialled really well, Iceman missed his break in his trial or would have gone faster. Bullet was ‘okay’ in his last trial but then he has never been an impressive trialler. I think he needs race conditions to bring out his competitive spirit.
We will be doing our best, but from a punting perspective, the Trainers Championship meeting is a bit like the FA Cup – anybody can win it.
If you look at the SPs of the last 10 winning kennels, I reckon they must average at least 6-1 to 8-1. We’ve won it twice and were 10-1 each time.
Finally on the subject of the meeting itself, I hope it can return to its initial format next year and be moved around the country.
It has been incredible generosity for Len Ponder to come in and sponsor the competition, but I think the burden should be shared.
We know that the betting industry will turn over well into seven figures on the second busiest meeting of the year behind the Derby. Several of those races would make category one finals.
Why can’t they put a few quid into it instead of leaving it to Len?
I would have loved to see all six of the top kennels from last year taking part and you can understand, given how many winners Jimmy Wright had at Newcastle on Tuesday, why he didn’t travel to a track where his dogs would have no experience.
Its one of the great night of the racing year and deserves a special platform in my opinion.
On Saturday lunchtime we have the three semi finals of the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket and it makes a pleasant change not to have two of mine in the same qualifier.
I was very pleased with Patchys Kerry’s win in the first round. Her time was back a little on her previous race but the track was running slow because of the rain and going allowances can only ever be general. They affect some dogs more than others. She came off well and has a good draw with an empty trap on her inside and I would expect four to turn right as she comes out.
She is very well, and although I would be very hopeful of her getting through, that would change if the white jacket wasn’t in front by the second bend. I can’t see her coming from behind Droopys Tamera or a couple of the others.
Black Francis is a ‘bang on’ railer and will love trap one in the first semi final. He reached the final last year and ran well in his heat, albeit it was a bit messy.
This will be Aayamzamodel’s last competition and she will be retired after a great career (wins included the Bussey Memorial and Coral Ladies Trophy), albeit we might run on final night if she doesn’t get through. She has been a wonderfully game greyhound and I hope she can qualify. But like Kerry, will need to get to the front early on.
On Friday night RPGTV are honouring Adageo Bob with a race in his honour at Romford. Bob was their Greyhound of the Year and owners Dick and Ann Barfoot are really looking forward to it. We have Blonde Razor running for us, so it is fingers crossed. . .
Bob is doing well at stud with his breeder John Marriott who tells me he has had three or four mating with the first one heavily in whelp. Sid (Huett) is off to see Bob on Saturday and is taking along Fairest Royal for a mating. She is very well bred and won the first ever race at Towcester.
