Former open racer Planning has become an internet celebrity after a photo in which he features finished runner-up in a competition run by the Kennel Club.
The pic of ‘Ray’ was taken by photographer and Towcester paddock manager David Yanez and the results were highlighted by, among others, the internationally popular boredpanda website.
Yanez said: “I have mixed feelings to be honest. It was great to finish second from 16,000 entries but it was the second time in four years that I have finished second. The previous time was in a ‘working dogs’ category and was an action picture taken from behind the traps at Coventry. There have been some great comments about this picture which hangs in the kennel club art gallery and I may take Ray along for the media day later in the year.”
Planning, a brindle son of Kinloch Brae and January Dew, was trained by Mark Wallis and won a string of opens and reached the finals of the Essex Vase and Henlow Gold Cup.
Yanez said: “I was working at Coventry at the time and took a real shine to Ray. I said to Mark that I would give him a home at the end of his career, assuming it would be two or three years. But about a month later, Mark told me that Ray had picked up a small tendon injury that would actually be career ending. He has been with me ever since.”
See more of David Yanez’s photos on Facebook
