When Eden The Kid became the first greyhound to break 28.00 for Wimbledon’s Derby trip, breeder Craig Dawson’s first thought was for the hugely popular and greatly missed Northern Irish breeder Dessie ‘Farloe’ Loughrey writes Floyd Amphlett.
The black pup was bred by Dawson at his Roxburghshire kennel out of former Kinsley A1 runner Cabra Jade.
Craig said: “When I first took out my licence I was running a few at Kinsley and Jade was just over a length outside the 462m track record. But I really bred with her because she was a daughter of Cabra Dancer.
“The pups were a few weeks old when I took a phone call from Dessie Loughrey who I didn’t really know. He was concerned that I was paying too much for a couple of dogs that were his breeding but had been sold on.
“He basically said, ‘listen, I don’t want you paying twenty grand for dogs that I would have sold you for six or seven’
“The friendship developed and he invited me over. I spent an amazing few days with him. We were staying up until gone midnight every night, just talking about breeding. He taught me so much. A lovely lovely man.
“While I was there he pointed out a couple of bitches who were out of Cabra Dancer. He was very excited by them and he said he thought the Cabra Dancer line was the best in Irish breeding at the moment.
“I told him that I had just bred out of a Cabra Dancer bitch and when I got home I sent him over a pair of black pups for his hospitality. He said he couldn’t accept them.
“I insisted and told him, ‘if they are going to be any good, there is no better man to prove my brood bitch’
“As time drew on, Dessie grew increasingly ill with cancer and I visited him on several occasions. At one stage he said, ‘I think you had better pick your pups up’, but I reminded him, that they were his.
“As it turned out, he wouldn’t take them and I ended up paying £1,500 each for their rearing.
“Eden The Kid won three of his first five races for me and did 29.20 at Newcastle which is a cracking run for a pup. I was concerned that he didn’t have enough early pace, so I decided to sell him. His sister Eden Jade is going to make a fantastic stayer when she is old enough for six bends.”
There were eight in the litter, and seven have won races. The eighth, Craig’s favourite, was injured in a kennel accident and died under anaesthetic.
Of the remainder, Calzaghe Lisa has won three opens for Ted Soppitt with other graders at Mildenhall, Monmore and Newcastle.
The dam has since produced a litter of seven pups by Tullymurry Act who were due to be earmarked today.
Presumably they must be worth big bucks?
Dawson said: “They might have been but they were all sold at two weeks old for £1,500 a pair and I won’t go back on my word”
So how does it feel knowing that you have let a Wimbledon track record holder slip through your fingers?
Dawson replied: I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve had lots of big races finalists, but I get way more nervous when one of my pups runs. I’ll be cheering him all the way. I just wish Dessie was here to see it.”
Eden The Kid is by Westmead Hawk out of Cabra Jade (Head Bound-Cabra Dancer). The litter included Galway Grand Prix finalist Tyrur Speedy. Dancer (Spiral Nikita-Spaner Dancer) was a 2005 Tipperary Cup finalist. To Westmead Hawk, she threw Irish Oaks/Dundalk International runner-up Cabra Millie and Ballymac Cait (dam of Ballymac Bobyjo). To Big Daddy Cool she threw Scottish Derby winner Carbra Cool, Wooder Memorial winner Cabra Boss, Pall Mall finalist Amazing Value, Southern/Munster Oaks winner Cabra Tiny, plus Cabra Fly (dam of Strategic Review) and Cabra Midget (dam of Boyelsports Hero).
