It has only been five weeks since we moved to Henlow from Towcester and it has been a very positive experience.
We now have around 45 dogs graded with probably half a dozen bitches in season and dogs returning from lameness. We would always keep around 40-50 graders and a small open race string.
There have been various positives about the switch, to the benefit of both the dogs and the staff.
Having race meetings dotted throughout the week is a big plus. At Towcester, all the meetings were strung together at the weekend. If you didn’t get graded during those four meetings, you could go almost a fortnight without a race.
Some dogs only want one race per week. Others can race a bit more often, if they get the chance and it helps owners pay the bills. Having midweek meetings provides a better balance.
For the staff, the journey time is about a third less and with most of the meetings during the daytime, they are getting more evenings off, particularly at the weekends.
A standard Saturday night at Towcester meant you were never home before 2am on Sunday morning.
The only potential downside is that due to the number of daytime meetings, it is harder to attract owners.
There are a lot of trainer-owned dogs at Henlow and that isn’t a route that I am keen to take.
We employ six full time staff and seven part-timers and that is an expensive operation to maintain.
Even with Henlow’s prize money and bonuses, which is better than Towcester’s, it is the kennel bills that keep the show on the road.
I know, theoretically, it would be possible to have less staff and spend less time with the dogs.
A couple of staff can handle a lot of dogs if they are only paddocking and feeding them, but I didn’t become a trainer to go that route.
But I have several schemes running to encourage ownership including a racing club plus our breeding operation with Gary Goulden in Ireland whereby owners can buy pups and then have them schooled, transported and qualified all in the initial cost.
Owners are the lifeblood of the industry and we must do all we can to keep them involved.
BUT – when all is said and done, one fact puts all the rest into the shade. In the five weeks that we have been trialling and racing at Henlow – that is probably 100 triallers and 200 races, we are yet –TOUCH WOOD – to get a single injury. Not one.
After the sort of year we have had, it is incredible. We’ve lost more dogs with injuries elsewhere since my last column including broken hocks for Shlowdown Sally (Towcester) and a young dog I thought a lot of, Good Lad who absolutely destroyed a hock in a trial at Central Park [correction].
Apart from the big name dogs, there have been lots of graders and pups who looked destined for open class but still weren’t household names. Greyhounds like Tiffield Lad and Tiffield Lady, two of the three dogs in training owned by the same man.
I don’t know how many serious injuries we have had, probably about 18, at a variety of tracks, and probably more than the seven previous years combined.
Things have got so bad that we now have nine converted kennels which have had concrete removed to lower the beds for the injured dogs to use.
Despite all the injuries, many of which were career ending, we have not had a single dog put to sleep.
Of the remainder, some of the earliest injuries have been treated and the dogs are attempting to make their comebacks.
One I am particularly pleased with is Not So Classical. He broke his hock when five lengths clear in a two-dog trial at Romford. The dog who was second went on to record 35.40 for the 575m.
We handslipped Not So Classical and then in his first 460m trial at Henlow he clocked 27.94 which absolutely made my day.
Ninja Storm has also had his first handslip. He was particularly unlucky because he won his last race at Towester, was wagging his tail at the pick-up when another dog broadsided him and chipped his hock. Fingers crossed for him too.
When I think of all the serious injuries we have had this year: Black Farren, Bruisers Bullet, Bonzos Bullet, Towstar Arry. . . I do wonder how we have reached well over 800 points. We are still hopefully on target for 1,000 points.
Like most trainers I speak to, I also wonder how we are going to replace the good dogs.
Normally at this time of year we are talking about exciting youngsters due in the kennel. We are finding it very difficult to source the dogs, and a lot of owners aren’t as keen to buy, having been sickened by the injuries.
We have had to swerve a number of the big competitions this year because the kennel stars were all crocked and unless that changes, it will be the same next year.
At the time of writing, we have two in the semi finals of the Kent Derby. They are both up against it and I would be delighted to get a finalist.
We also have two in the SIS Doncaster St.Leger semis.
Three months ago, we weren’t even sure if Baroness Bullet was good enough to be in open class but she has improved out of all recognition.
She is a big strong bitch, around 30.5kg, and has won her last three in a row.
Bombers Bullet has won two Cat 1s already this year and would be a serious Greyhound of the Year contender if he could do something here.
He faded quite badly in his heat, though he did need the run and finished with a bit of cramp.
The distance is probably a bit too tough for him but I would expect him to come on from that run. If he makes the final, you never know. He is a Derby finalist and even non-stayers win races you might not expect if they slip the field.
I spent an hour on the phone to Charlie Lister this week and have done so probably once or twice a year for several years. It is always enjoyable and interesting. It is a shame that people don’t always see the softer side of Charlie. When I had my first licence, I used to travel to tracks like Swaffham just to watch his dogs run. We usually had to take him on with inferior dogs which was extremely frustrating. But when I was working for Linda (Jones), and then on my own, he was always kind to me personally.
He was always encouraging and helpful. When we started to get better dogs we beat him a few times and that was always special – ‘we beat Charlie Lister in the final’. I think there was a period between probably 2005-2008 when Charlie was at his peak and I think we brought out his competitive streak. We share that in common and I am convinced he raised his game when we challenged him. He certainly bought out the best in me.
I wish him a long and happy retirement.
pic Steve Nash
