“Over the years, we’ve nearly always had one high profile dog to keep us in the spotlight. Thankfully Space Jet arrived at just the right time.”
The Covid lockdown was tough on many trainers. It proved a disaster for Matt Dartnall as the first lock down followed six weeks after he lost his contract at Hove.
Matt said: “It was a disaster for us. I felt as though I had done my apprenticeship at places like Swindon, Reading and Coventry, always hoping for an appointment at a track like Hove. Our owners loved it there, especially for the opens on a Thursday night.
TV Trophy winning trainer MATT DARTNALL is interviewed after Space Jet completed her domination of the event. Photo: © Steve Nash
“A couple of beers, a couple of bets with Chas Miller, not that we have been a big gambling kennel in a long time, and hopefully pick up a trophy in the opens. It seemed to be working so well. I was gutted.”
By the time Space Jet arrived on the scene in March 2021, the kennel strength was massively depleted.
Matt said: “We lost a lot of dogs though thankfully most of our long term owners stayed with us and helped us keep going.”
That owners list would include the Vestey family, with William inheriting the peerage and his love of greyhounds from his father Lord Samuel Samuel Veasey. Bridget Byrne, widow of the that great former sportsman, Patsy also has shares in runners along with two of Patsy’s nephews.
The Dartnall Kennel (TD & MD) have handled some of the fastest dogs in training over the past 40 years. From the likes of Tiger Jazz, Long Spell, Deenside Dean, Broadacres Lad, Lauragh Exile, Cleenas Lady, Ballymac Under, Ardmayle Champ, Me Buddy, Ballymac Ruso, Blue Bee, Farloe Iceman, Rising Brandy, Brinkleys Poet, Ela Juliet . . . the list goes on and on.
Despite all the trophies and track records, probably only one hound could have been described as ‘head and shoulders the best in training, and for that you have to go back to the early 1990s.
Matt said: “I was only a kid and dad said ‘keep and eye on this one, he’s going to be special.” So I started a scrap book with pictures and press cuttings. That was Ravage Again.”
When Space Jet arrived on the scene with one race on her card in Ireland, a defeat, her superstar quality was far from apparent. On her breeding, out of the brilliant marathon bitch Volcano, she was always destined for a staying career but she was beaten six lengths in her maiden six bend open at Cenrtal Park to no great fuss.
Matt confesses, the penny only dropped for me in the final of the ARC St.Leger at Perry Barr.
He said: “We knew she was spot on and I expected a good run out of her, but you have to remember she was a big price (100-30) in the final. But when she suddenly changed gear going into the fifth bend, I couldn’t believe what I was watching. That’s when I knew what we’d got.”
Space Jet broke the Perry Barr 710m record when landing the final though it is only with the benefit of hindsight that the quality of the form really stands up.
Matt said: “The dog that she ran away from in the Leger, Night Time Danny, then went on to win the Champion Stakes in good style. The dog that beat her in the maiden open at Central Park turned out to be Warzone Tom. Look at what he has gone on to achieve.”
By the time Jet had beaten Aayamza Royale in the First Containers Marathon, nobody was doubting the form. Following a seasonal break, Matt had his plans laid out for the ‘marathon bitch they all have to beat’
He said: “We were hoping that the Towcester Marathon would bring her on after the lay-off, but it didn’t fill and it ended up as a one-off, where she got beat. She found a bit of trouble and was probably a bit ring rusty. But she also knocked up a toe, so suddenly, we were running out of time to get her ready for the TV Trophy.
That lack of preparation wasn’t immediately obvious to anyone who saw Jet beat Droopys Senorita and set a new Hove 955m track record in the Coral TV Trophy heats. She duly landed the final by just under four lengths.
Back at Hove to win a Cat One – could life get any better?
Matt said: “I thought it was a real quality performance because once again you just have to look at the field that she beat. Blueberry Bullet, recent winner of the George Ing St Leger, Droopys Senorita, runner-up in the Golden Jacket and one of the fastest 740s at Hove in years, Bockos Brandy, obviously badly hampered but a bitch with very good Irish form, and of course nobody needs to be reminded how great Aayamza Royale has been.”
Plans for Jet are fluid with Mat hoping that there will be enough marathon races in the Calendar.
He said: “They said that they would try to put on the Towcester Marathon at another time. Ideally I would like to see it run alongside the Derby. The Dorando has always been the traditional race, but it used to only be one run. The thing is, Jet has now won three Cat Ones in seven months and I hope there are enough races about.”
As for Matt’s long term plans . . are the rumours true that he is headed to Oxford?
He said: “I have really enjoyed my time at Central Park. It is a very good and safe circuit. The problem has been the cancellation of the evening meetings and open races due to the problems with the lighting. Our owners don’t want to be running in the mornings and afternoons, they are a night-out crowd.
“I always liked Oxford, it always had a great following. Even when we were at Swindon and Reading, most of our owners were people who had started out with dogs at Oxford. So to be completely honest about it, at this stage I am keeping all my options open.”
TV Trophy champion Space Jet with her connections: Standing (L-R) Terry Dartnall, owner Kurn Rushen and his partner Maggie Terry; at front, holding the cheque and the winner are trainer Matt Dartnall and kennelhand Mark Sealey. Photo: © Steve Nash
SPACE JET. TV Trophy winner. Photo: © Steve Nash
