I can’t wait for the draw for the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby on Wednesday though I am a bit nervous too. Somebody told me earlier that they already had over 50 entries and it doesn’t close until Wednesday.
We took six along for trials on Saturday. King Axle went the best of them in 28.74. King Drake beat Queen Lilly by half a length in 28.85. King Sam did 29.24 and King Bruno beat Queen Jessiej by a short head in 28.78.
All the trials were on -60 going which isn’t ideal but what can the tracks do when we get so much rain? I hear trainers moan a lot about the state of the different tracks, but some of them seem to have short memories. I remember racing dogs on straw in the winter. You also knew that there was probably four grades difference between railers and wides, but you just got on with it.
Personally, I thought Monmore was slower at the end of the session and that it was worse for the railers than the wides. I would also have no doubt that the two bitches would have both beaten the dogs in the mixed trials on normal going. But it’s no big deal, just part of their preparation.
It does make you wonder about the competition though. Imagine it next year. The Monmore surface isn’t bad, but what will it be like after it has been completely relaid in a few weeks time? Just look Hove and the huge improvements at Romford since they did their track work.
Should Monmore think about extending the Puppy Derby? If the interest is there, why not put in another round? Personally, I would be quite happy to pay £100 entry fees and really boost the prize money in the later stages (It is already £15,500 in the final-Ed)
Liz and I were badly hit by a virus when we got back from a week’s holiday in Tenerife. I spent three solid days and nights in bed and didn’t eat for six days, though thankfully we are over the worst of it.
We were just so lucky to have Davy Laird standing in for us. Davy is a great dog man, with a great history going back to Bolton days, and he did a magnificent job covering for us both when we were away and when we took to our beds.
It is such a shame that it took the edge off what was probably our best ever holiday. There was ten of us including Jimmy (Wright) and Angela (Harrison), Jimmy’s aunt and uncle, Dan Brabon and his girlfriend Charlotte. The star, without any doubt, was Jimmy and Mel Fenwick’s daughter Hannah. I didn’t really know Mel and Hannah, and while Jimmy was back doing the dogs, they joined us and were brilliant fun. So much for the supposed rivalry of the two Jimmys at Newcastle!
Liz has described Hannah as the female version of me, which I am guessing she means as a compliment!!! Hannah was the life and soul of the party. I have never laughed so much. She persuaded everyone that I was her grandad and whenever there was any karaoke, she would point me out to everyone and say ‘There is my grandad everyone. Love you grandad.’ And everyone would go ‘aaah’. Nah – I think she is madder than me.
Jimmy and Dan Brabon decided to act like kids and gang up on me and try and get me with water cannons. But you’ve got to get up pretty early in a morning to catch this particular Scotsman.
We work hard and play hard in this business and I can’t wait for the next holiday. We will just make sure we pack Hannah when we go.
The ‘big lads’ Sheeran, Lennon, Cash and Dylan are all due their first trials back at Central Park on Wednesday. It is then all full steam ahead for the Derby.
I have to say I am not a fan of having the Derby so early. The dogs haven’t even started to cast their coats yet. I understand that they wanted to beat the European Football, but do we really need to worry about them? Would the greyhound people not turn out because there was football on? I am not convinced.
But we will be there anyway and despite their ages, I am convinced that our four will be better dogs this year than last. They were three last month and they have changed over the winter. They look more mature and better able to handle themselves.
Looking ahead we are waiting for bitches to come into season to be mated. King Danni (dam of King Axle) was first off the mark and is on her way to Ron Grey’s to be mated to King Elvis. We also have three bitches in the paddocks, two out of Skate On and one out of Queen Anna, who will be schooled this summer.
Before then, we have the only pup from the King Turbo repeat mating plus a couple of pups I bought from Craig Dawson ready to be schooled. We will have plenty to look forward to.
