“I decided I had better take the long route home from Swindon. It gave me a bit longer to apologise to King Sheeran.”
Assistant trainer Rab McNair was understandably in great form after seeing four of the kennel’s home breds make it through to Saturday’s 73rd British Bred Two Year Old Produce Stakes Final.
In his column on this site before the second round, Rab had suggested that King Lennon could potentially give his brother Sheeran a start and a beating. He was wrong. And was he wrong again today!
The wide running brindle produced an astonishing front running performance to clock the fastest 480 seen at the track in three years – 28.32. Lennon, found (caused) first bend trouble and was eliminated. The opening heat had seen a 1-2-3 for the kennel with King Cash leading home King Dylan and Queen Cher.
Rab said: “Joking aside, I can’t believe that run from Sheeran today. This is a dog still running with two screws in his leg after the operation by ‘Big John’ the Folkstone vet. It wasn’t the worst hock injury I have ever seen, not that there is such a thing as a good one.
“It is great to have four in the final but we are taking nothing for granted. There are two greyhounds in there who could still teach us a lesson. As far as the draw is concerned, I’m very happy with Dylan in two and Cher in three. I would have preferred the five and six the other way around, but I still wouldn’t expect them to get in each other’s way.”
The race might have been Lennon’s last over four bends for a while. Rated by his handler as an outstanding prospect for distance racing – even in defeat in the second round, he took four lengths off Sheeran from the third bend home – he is likely to be tried over Monmore’s 630 metres, along with Dylan, with the Stayers Classic in mind.
The kennel also plan a significant raid on the Gold Cup at the same track.
Click on results to watch videos
King Cash (T6) leads up in the first semi final – pic Josh Sealey
King Sheeran (T6) leads up – Josh Sealey
