It would be impossible not to have enjoyed these last few weeks. The experienced dogs have been running well, we have some excellent young pups coming through and in the next few days we have runners in three Category One Finals.
The first is on Saturday where we have two in the final of the Ladbrokes Guys And Dolls at Crayford.
I know the small circuit isn’t everyone’s favourite but I am a huge believer in ‘horses for courses’ and in Magical Houdini and Seaglass Shadow we have two runners who run the place really well.
On that subject, I have to say that there has been a huge improvement in the running surface at Crayford. Last year I took Kilmore Lemon there and the track condition was very average. This year is a different proposition entirely, way way better.
I believe Magical Houdini is roughly joint favourite with Giselbertus who is running exceptionally well. To win it, Houdini has to find half a length from the boxes. I honestly think he is the quickest dog in the race, but unless he comes away quicker he won’t make the bend in front.
From that point, it becomes very hard to win. If he did come away, I think Houdini is capable of a 23.00 run. He actually gets a bit further and the Yarmouth Derby looks a possibility later in the year.
I would have chosen our two traps for the final; three is exactly what I wanted for Seaglass Shadow. I think she can lead up and at that point will take a lot of beating. She had a lay-off and is still improving with every race. I think she can do a 23.20, and that might be good enough on the night.
Shadow doesn’t stay quite as well as Houdini and I would be concentrating on Crayford or the Romford 400 in the future.
On Sunday we are at Henlow for a very decent puppy final. In my opinion, both Droopys Cannon and Dower Product have big race competition wins in them, I just hope they don’t come as soon as Sunday.
I really rate Doomie as being among the best young dogs I have ever handled. He was really too young for the Derby and then picked up the cough, but is now fully recovered.
I don’t think Henlow is his ideal track, but form there holds up, and not many dogs will go better than 27.32 in a year. I think Doomie is capable of even quicker than that, now he is finding his way around the place.
Next month, we’ll be heading back to Nottingham for the Puppy Classic.
Then on Tuesday we are at Sheffield with Seaglass Celine in the final of the Gain Three Steps.
At the start of the competition they were betting 12-1 the field. We are down to six runners and it is still virtually impossible to pick a favourite. All the serious stayers were knocked out at the ‘480’ stage and we are left with six ‘blown-up four-benders’.
It was an obvious competition for Celine who loves the place. She won there in the Trainers Championship meeting and the 660 metres is her ideal trip. It is a bit bizarre because she doesn’t stay the 642 metres at Central Park, thought the times tell you more than the distance.
She is a 39.70 bitch at Central Park I think Celine has a 39.30 Sheffield run in her, but only if she leads. In fact, it looks like a ‘who leads, wins’ type of race. It is a short run to the bend and if you can get clear and cut across to the rail, you will take all the beating. I think we have a decent chance, but I expect the connections of the other five to feel exactly the same.
Looking further forward, we have a couple coming back from injury including Goldies Hoddle who I really rate. He did 15.33 in a trial at Monmore and looks back to his best.
Droopys Biker also had a small setback after the 34.77 run at Romford. I had hoped to run him in the Classic at Monmore but the Champion Stakes looks a more realistic target.
It takes place at the same time as the TV Trophy which will probably mark the end of the career of Goldies Hotspur. She was beaten on merit by Micks Little Gem last week and although the winner looks a very good bitch, Hotspur is also clearly a bit past her best.
But she had been magnificent over three seasons for us and would have been retired already if she didn’t love her racing as much as she does.
It will be her third TV Trophy and when she comes into season we are planning to have litter out of her.
There has been plenty of talk about the Derby and I would really love to see it staged at Central Park. In my view, it and Hove are the best two tracks to stage the event.
I have nothing against Nottingham whatsoever. When I worked for Mark we had certain dogs who ran it better than anywhere else, Ronnies Champion and Eye Onthe Storm particularly spring to mind, and I plan to enter runners in the Puppy Classic, but only ones who suit the track.
But, in my opinion, without more banking, wide runners are at a disadvantage as we saw with Droopys Biker. He beat Skywalker Logan on numerous occasions in Ireland but at Nottingham I think he would struggle to win A1.
But I don’t see any bias in the going at Central Park and the site is big enough to accommodate a decent crowd with good viewing.
We are now well into the second half of the year and more people are asking whether I can win the Trainers Championship. Maybe. I have a lead on points and a kennel of good dogs.
As for Mark (Wallis), he knows and I know, that at the moment, his dogs simply aren’t good enough. He has two or three who are top class but not enough. At the end of the day, we are all only as good as our dogs.
That is not to say that he won’t make a battle of it, he always does.
