From the Romford enthusiasts point of view, we might have won it with the wrong one – but I was thrilled with the first and third in the Coral Champion Stakes Final.
It is ironic that Patchys Kerry won the final from Franks Dream because it was owner Frank Taylor’s dream to win the event having been one of its original instigators of the competition.
I think I have known Frank for as long as I have been in this industry and he is a true greyhound enthusiast and supporter.
I thought Kerry had a decent outsider’s chance and I said in this column that I thought her success was draw dependent. When she drew trap one, I knew we were in business.
She seems to have learned as the competition has worn on and I was pleased to see her come around the outside to win the race.
That will be her lot for the time being. She was on the edge of being in season yesterday and broke this morning.
In the longer term, I think she could make a very decent stayer. I thought she showed ‘category one class’ finishing ability in the first round and even Adageo Bob couldn’t make any ground on her in the later stages of the final.
I realise that 80% of the public were probably hoping Adageo Bob would win it, and we prepared him as well as we could.
It is ironic that despite his record of 43 wins from 82 races, and having broken 35.00 no less than 14 times, he just hasn’t been at his peak when it really mattered in the Romford finals.
He is getting on now and there aren’t too many more races in him, but I am sure he can bounce back with a performance in the Essex Vase later in the year. The first plan though is to give him a few weeks rest.
I hope some of my fellow trainers will reconsider their position on Sittingbourne with the announcement that the track will host the Trainers Championship again next year.
Until the end of the year, we don’t know which six trainers will be qualified to compete, but assuming Pat Rosney and Seamus Cahill are among them, we could face a similar issue to this year when they refused to take part.
I agree that the track had a few critics eighteen months ago, but they have made a good effort at making it as safe as possible and deserve another chance.
I really hope that the top six, whoever they may be, will all support the event. Last year’s meeting was outstanding and even though it was one of our toughest nights, and a great one for Kevin Hutton, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
The only concern, given the slightly earlier date of late February, must be the weather. At that time of the year, you could be in the middle of a mild spell or faced with a frozen track.
We still have two in the East Anglian Derby semis and they are drawn in the same race.
I am hopeful that they could both get through and we could end up with an interesting scenario if Calco Flyer is among the finalists next Wednesday.
He is owned by 24 members of a golfing syndicate and we all fly out for a golfing break the night before the final.
I can just picture the 24, plus the other eight members of the group, all frantically dashing around the Portuguese bars trying to find a TV showing SKY Sports.
Billys Bullet is still progressing well. We have targeted the first week in October for his first handslip. If that all goes to plan, then he will be trialling before the end of the month.
I was very sorry to hear of the BHB decision concerning Kevin Ackerman at Towcester.
I had previously had several chats with Kevin and know how aggrieved he feels at how he has been treated.
From a greyhound perspective, I think he has been absolutely brilliant for Towcester and this industry in general.
