After having had the ante post favourite in Newinn Yolo last year, it is a bit disappointing not to have a runner in this year’s William Hill Derby.
The event is the pinnacle of the sport, but if you don’t have the right dog at the right time, there is no point in chasing it. History shows that with the odd exception, the Derby does not suit puppies or bitches.
Travelling from where we are based (near Preston), getting the dog to traps for the first round*, along with the entry fee, will set an owner back around £500 and I can’t justify that unless I feel we have a realistic chance.
The event proved a disaster for Yolo last year. For those who don’t remember, he did 28.03 in the second round and then broke a bone in a collision with Farloe Blitz at the first bend in the third round.
That injury has had a terrible effect on him. Although we brought him back and he trialled well at Perry Barr late last year (28.12 – 480m), he has never regained his condition.
Although he still isn’t officially retired, I think we know he is 99% there and he is due to cover his first bitch at Merefield Stud this weekend.
We didn’t have a lot of luck with Swift Hoffman at Wimbledon either. He was knocked out in the second round after being sideswiped at the first bend but fortunately came off okay and he bounced back to win the Gold Cup.
Hoffman left the kennel just under a fortnight ago to join Richard Culley in Rathangan. It was a sad day but he has already covered his first bitch in Ireland.
While he was still with us Hoffman covered Little Flame (dam of Take The Crown and Blissful Scolari) and she has been scanned as definitely in-whelp with at least five or six pups.
We were out at Monday (Nottingham), Tuesday (Sheffield), Thursday (Hove), Friday (Perry Barr) and Saturday (Newcastle) last week but it isn’t a chore if the dogs are running well.
I was thrilled by Blissful Scolari’s run at Hove on Thursday in the Brinkleys Champion Unraced heats. I had said in a previous column how much I thought of the dog though even I was a bit surprised by how well he stayed.
He has trap three in the toughest of Thursday’s semi and at this stage I would settle for him reaching the final.
We have some really good youngsters coming through at the moment and Newinn Champ has already shown how good he is by winning the puppy final at Shawfield a couple of weeks ago.
It was a tremendous race and it is a shame that the TV cameras didn’t really pick up the atmosphere from the race. He had a tremendous buckle with Slippy Perry and the noise from the crowd was unbelievable in the second half of the race.
If all goes to plan, Champ must have massive potential for a six-bend career when he is a bit older.
I was disappointed that Newinn Blitz failed by half a length to reach the Betfred Gymcrack final when third in his semi at Kinsley. Blitz was the dog who I mentioned in this column as being for sale when he was only 13 months old but we didn’t get any takers.
But he is only a September ’14 whelp and I think he has a very exciting future in front of him. He trials at Nottingham this week.
I thought that the Gymcrack was a brilliant competition and Droopys Trapeze, also a September pup, was an exceptional winner.
Everyone always goes on about the hospitality at Kinsley, and rightly so because they are in a league of their own. But the whole place is a class act, including the racing office and how they treat trainers.
Kinsley always had a slightly questionable reputation with its tight bends and downhill run to the bend, but it is now emerging as a damn good track in its own right.
Look at the trainers who entered runners there and the Gymcrack itself goes from strength to strength with every passing year.
Yes it does suit a certain type, a ‘handy’ dog, a bit similar to Sunderland. Or in Irish terms, it’s a bit like Kilkenny. But I have always put my dogs where my mouth is, so to speak, and ran Newinn Yolo and Swift Hoffman at Kinsley.
I wish they ran more open races, particularly on a Sunday. Asking around among other trainers, I know they would be well supported.
As for criticisms, there is probably only one. I would like to see them improve the bedding in the racing kennels; ideally with the type of mats that they use at Nottingham.
Given their attention to detail on everything else, it is probably just a matter of time . . .
*(The original draft of this copy stated ‘a trial’ when it should have read ‘getting a dog to traps’. This was my error and an inaccurate summary of several sentences of dialogue. My apologies to Pat for the misunderstanding – Ed)
