Timing is everything in greyhound racing. Whether it is having a bitch returning after season when the handicap marks are being dished out, or chasing a £1,000 bonus eight days before Christmas.
Just ask Shaun Moore whose Coyote Bud landed the Gain Greyhound Nutrition Christmas Handicap Final at Sheffield on Tuesday night.
Bud (Deigo Meister-Sneezys Lizzy, Apr 17) went to traps as the 4-7f from trap five (off 3 metres) and weaved her way through the field to take the four figure prize. Click on result to view video
Winning trainer Shaun said: “I bought Bud at the sales and the guy who sold her to me reckoned she would make a very good stayer and possibly a TV Trophy bitch. She won her first race for me in A3, albeit she was a bit lucky, but then came into season.
“It has taken her quite a while to regain her form and the handicap came along just as she was starting to look back to her best. She was very impressive in the heats and semi finals and was just over 18 weeks for the final.
“She made quite hard work of it after hitting the traps, and she ran into all sorts of trouble but she ran on strongly. They will probably put her into A1 after that, and understandably so, but it might be time to run her in a maiden stayers race and she how she goes.”
Based near Mansfield and a construction manager by profession, Shaun leaves the day-to-day handling of the dogs to wife Lesley.
He said: “She does all the hard work during the day and I couldn’t have the dogs without her. I promised her the money if Bud won the final. She deserves it.”
The Moores have around 10 runners, mainly under the ‘Coyote’ prefix and bred a decent litter out of their brood Aniseed Twist.
Shaun said: “She was from that very good litter than included Billys Bullet and Touch Tackle and she produced a nice litter for me by Droopys Jet. Two of them won opens and the rest of the litter were all good, between A1-A3. The dam has since had another litter of two dogs and two bitches by Ballymac Eske who I am looking forward to getting onto the track.”
Sheffield’s Dave Perry present the trophy and cheque to Shaun and Lesley Moore after Coytote Bud’s victory
