It was great to finish second on the Trainers Championship last year, though I am not convinced that there is any real significance to it. That isn’t an disrespect to Mark (Wallis) by the way. It was another great performance from him. Beyond the points though, is there any real benefit to it?
We start this year with some young dogs who you hope will improve to become something special, and a number of older dogs who are seeing out their final days on the open race circuit.
I try to be realistic and think I will probably only have two possible Derby entries, Bockos Doomie and Seaglass Phantom and a couple of likely entries in the Midland Puppy Derby in Goldies Nayim and War Admiral.
Nayim is older and more experienced with four wins from seven races. Admiral, who is a half brother to Desperado Dan, looks possibly our most exciting prospect, though as an August pup might be a bit too young to do himself justice. There are others too like Seaglass Express and Drumcrow Jodie who have shown some potential.
The one thing that you hope for is that dogs exceed expectations. For example, if this time last year you would have told me that Goldies Ginola and Goldies Hoddle would win 23 opens between I would never have believed you.
The other dog who falls into that category was Seaglass Tiger. Even at this stage last year if you had told me he was capable of running second in the Puppy Derby and win a Gold Cup at Monmore, I would have found it very hard to imagine.
Incidentally, he had his first trial back at Romford on Tuesday after a broken hock. He did 13.75 for the sprint. He came off a little sore, but that often happens on the first trial back so we will keep fingers crossed.
We have four entries for the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket first round on Saturday – there would have been five if Affleck Lady hadn’t come into season – and they have been drawn in just two heats.
Skilful Sandie is ‘head and shoulders’ our best chance but is drawn in the very tricky fifth heat along with Goldies Hotspur. With three of the shorter priced dogs in the competition also in there, Stardom, Micks Little Gem and Antigua Fire also in there, it couldn’t be much tougher.
But I think a great deal of Sandie. She went very well in her trial (45.04) and clocked a very good first sectional and 380 split of 23.04. I think she can lead that heat and if she does, she will take some catching.
Goldies Hotspur is now five years old but she has made the final twice. She needed the blow-out for her last race and will definitely have benefited for the run.
Affleck Bolt and Desperado Dan both go in the third heat.
I have no idea with Desperado Dan will see out the extra distance, though he has won over 642 metres at Central Park.
He has certainly got stronger as he has got older as you could see at Romford over the 575 metres. He was also more than comfortable over the 630 metres at Monmore.
But Crayford is a front runners track and you look at a dog like Shotgun Bullet, who was also a great Romford 575 specialist who stepped up and think, why not?
You look around and think, what else is there? I could have run him in the Winter Derby, and might have done if it had been over the 515, but we all know he needs further.
We were also short of options for Bolt. I have no doubt that Bolt’s ideal distance is Hove 695 metres, and he loves the big tracks.
But he did 33.40s in a 540 metre trial and although 714 metres is a little bit further than he wants, it is a comparatively easy step up at Crayford.
We have just returned from a holiday in Australia and it made me realise that they are probably 30 years ahead of us.
I went to Wentworth Park in New South Wales, Albion Park in Brisbane and Cannington Park in Perth. The first thing that you notice is the prize money. They are running for $1,400 in the lowest grade. There are Category Three events worth $17,500 to the winner.
With due respect, Cannington in Western Australia, is quite isolated from the rest of the big tracks, and less high profile. I suppose you might call it Australia’s Belle Vue. But they have one-off races worth $7,000 to the winner.
The Perth Cup is worth $150,000 with total prize money of $225,000. Then there are a whole string of other events worth $40,000 each.
But it isn’t just the prize money, it is the whole way racing is run, so thoroughly professional. We stayed opposite Carrington and saw them take four and a half hours to prepare the track. Although the weather was sweltering, they didn’t have to water the track throughout the meeting and the surface was immaculate.
Unlike ours, their whole racing schedule is mapped out for months in advance. The way the dogs are drug tested with a swab in the mouth as soon as the race is over, brilliant. There is complete transparency with all stewards enquiries in the racecard. Although there were some fines, there were a lot of suspensions for offenders, a month, three months, and so on.
Kenneling time was precise. Turn up a minute late, you are a non-runner. You can automatically book trials, not wait to see if racing offices are prepared to give you one.
The track staff have to go on a course to learn to prepare the track. You aren’t given a training license without having worked in kennels for experience and then you have to go on a course. Even a decent property with room for a kennel of dogs would only cost in the region of half a million pounds.
When you get back here, you feel quite deflated. To be honest, if I was ten years younger, I would be off there like a shot.
