I have always loved the Coral Regency and we have been lucky enough to win it three times with Blonde Fletch (2011), Billys Bullet (2016) and Aayamza Breeze (2019). The last two are particularly fond memories since both finals were won by greyhounds who had been nursed back from broken hocks.
Not only that, but it wasn’t the first attempt for either. Bullet actually broke his hock in the first round of the event, and Aayamza Breeze got as far as the semi finals the previous year.
I only mention it because I am hoping for some more bouncebackability from Antigua Fire who reached the semi finals last year. I thought he ran a great race first time back after lockdown when second to Kevin’s very good stayer Southfield Code (see video, full form and Regency ante post).
I don’t think the short run to the bend particularly suits him, though the track and the distance does. In fact, I think he may go further and we might even consider a tilt at the TV Trophy later in the year.
In the fourth heat we have two runners. Glassmos Sis and Schooldays. Sis is just back from injury and won an S1 at Henlow last time out. In all honesty, she has been a bit rushed back for this. Her longer term aim will be the TV Trophy. She would probably have been the no.2 string to Bumblebee Bullet, who we very sadly lost, so Sis becomes the number one string.
I mentioned School Days in the column when he first arrived in the kennel and he has progressed nicely. He has a few steering problems but he is still quite unexposed and at 125-1, he looks a nice each way bet on the ante post. Although on all known form both he and Sis are behind Antigua Fire, they would both be good enough to make the final.
No Can Boogie is a nice S1 dog at Henlow but good enough to qualify. Passing Stranger has won at Hove and has plenty of pace but finds a lot of trouble in racing.
It is a decent team but for Covid intervening the original team would have been so much stronger. Ava Storm is just recovering from season, and we lost three of the runners to Ireland. Apart from the unfortunate Bumblebee Bullet, Aayamza Express and Aayamza Royale will both be running at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night.”
Racing managers often get criticised for disqualifying dogs too quickly so great credit to Daniel Rankin for not marking Antigua Breeze’s card for fighting at Hove last week. He would have been entitled to do so.
Breeze was marked ‘awkward’ which was being lenient. To be fair to the dog though, him and one other, got themselves so far behind Bockos Doomie in a very tough race, and they wouldn’t have been able to see the hare.
Nic and Amanda Jeal have had their fair share of bad luck lately with Antigua Rum breaking a bone in his wrist. Hopefully Antigua Romeo will be back shortly. He dislocated a toe in his last race at Sheffield before lockdown and was flying in his comeback trials at Towcester when he damaged a monkey muscle. Fingers crossed he will be back in another two to three weeks.
Nic and Amanda are great supporters of the game as they showed by sponsoring the Brinkleys Pet At Stud Gymcrack. We are expecting a couple of Nic’s dogs over from Ireland shortly. He is keen to have a decent puppy to take part in his own competition.
We have a few nice ones coming through. Playbook clocked the fastest time of the year at Henlow last week and will be entered in the bitch’s competition at Hove. Ivy Hill Skyhi came through the grades at Towcester and is now in the Sussex Cup, while puppy Sober Express, who clocked the fastest time of the week at Towcester last week, should be one to progress in the coming weeks.
