Townview Kennels are huge supporters of the sport both on Irish soil and indeed here in England.  Regular visitors to the UK and indeed to Towcester they are a kennel never slow in loading one or two onto the van if they’ve a chance to be competitive and that kind of dedication is often rewarded.  Head of the Townview team is of course legendary Irish trainer / breeder / rearer Brendan Matthews and assisted by son Damian and his son Adam they are a team who strike fear into the hearts of bookmakers wherever they show up.  The sport is much , much more than just a betting medium to them though with a love of the greyhounds and the sport coming before anything and everything else and that shows in the results on the track and indeed the coursing fields of Ireland.  When the financial head of the team Plunkett Matthews was asked to support the Derby Plate his response was instant “How much do you need ?”.

The team have been rewarded with a quality Derby Plate Final and with a winners prize of £5000 it will be a race that each of the participants will be eager to land.

QUEEN JONI will be looking to land the Derby Plate Final for Liz McNair and the KSS team
Photo: © Steve Nash

 

 

MYSTERY TO PROVE TOO GOOD FOR FINAL RIVALS

June Harvey’s Ower Mystery is a regular winner around Hove and is a very likeable sort with a superb attitude to his racing.  He was a finalist in both the Juvenile Classic at Tralee and the National Produce Stakes at Clonmel before heading over to the UK and has since won eight opens here 7 of which have come at home track Hove and the other in a heat of the Blue Riband at Towcester.  Mystery spent a couple of months off the card between mid February and until the end of May but is 2 from 4 post comeback including a comfortable success in the heat of this Coral Summertime 515 last week.  He’s plotted up in the white jacket here at 824pm and another professional performance looks on the cards on his way to landing this.  There will be plenty of options for this May 2021 son of Droopys Sydney and Nice Mystery over the summer months and it would be no surprise at all to see him picking up a small competition or two.

Earlier on the card the top grade A1 affair is named in honour of Richard Rees Churchfield Syd who of course competes in the Derby Final this coming Saturday evening.  The ‘Good Luck Churchfield Syd In The Derby Final’ A1 can actually go to another representative of the Rees kennel in Droopys Mamba.  He has 11 wins from 37 starts around the Sussex venue and can make full use of a nice make up on the wide outside to complete the hat trick having landed his last 2 in A2 and A1 respectively.

Full card and form for tonight’s meeting at Hove can be found by clicking here.

SALACRES TEAM SWOOP FOR BALLYMAC PAIR

Salacres Racing Team headed by Peter Harnden and long time kennel investor Mark Pierrepont along with leading Welsh owner Lee Pitman have moved quickly to secure the services of two recent ‘Ballymac’ participants in the English Derby.  Ballymac Senan was a stunning first round winner of his English Derby heat before being eliminated at the second round stage whilst Ballymac Slick reached the semi final last weekend before being eliminated behind Churchfield Syd.

Peter Harnden is interviewed after Salacres Pippy’s Cesarewitch win.
Crayford 27th November 2021.
Photo: © Steve Nash

Harnden said “The deal for Slick is complete and he will be remaining at Salacres kennels after his Derby final night engagement. I’m sure he will give myself and his new team of owners which include some new investment a great deal of sport throughout the year.  My nephew Guy Pearce helps Liam a lot during his visits and the pair have taken to him extremely well so there will be no settling in issues to worry about as can always be the case with new greyhounds arriving from Ireland.  We’re on the look out for a few more top class performers with the kennel emphasis going forward to improve on the quality and reduce our numbers.  The category one successes not too long ago of our Salacres Pippy have given us a taste for more and hopefully that won’t be too long in coming”.

Opens

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday: Hove ♦ Swindon

Friday: Romford ♦ Sunderland

Saturday: Monmore ♦ Central ♦ Towcester (DERBY FINAL CARD)♦ Oxford

Sunday: Towcester ♦ Sheffield