The first major event of 2024, the Arc Racing Company Cesarewitch, gets underway at Central Park in their new Saturday early evening open race slot (Oxford’s BGBF British Puppy Cup starts the same day) – and it is instantly intriguing writes Floyd Amphlett.
The most notable absentee among the 24 entries (it advertised for 36) is Droopys Clue who would almost certainly have started as ante post favourite. (They would have probably achieved the 36 if that scrap of information had been widely known). No defending champ Cochise either!
What is blindingly obvious is the serious intent of the MWD Partnership who have five big hitters among the two dozen. They are, the highly rated Irish arrival Garfiney Blaze, his litter sister and established marathon star Ballymac Taylor, Grand Prix winner Coonough Crow, the prolific Jacktavern Magic and the hound whose lung bursting finish so impressed in the Bet365 Challenge Cup Final, Mad For Sterling.
Gutsy Jet, who finished one place back in third is also entered along with the enigmatic Bradys Bullet, Boxing Day Marathon winner Bubbly Scorcher and the four year old legend who is Bellmore Sally. (Jimmy Fenwick will probably be setting out from Bothal at some stage this afternoon!)
There might only be 24 runners – but there are no makeweights in there.
The four Cesarewitch heats are backed up by another four good quality minor opens which include a fabulous two-bend clash featuring crack sprinters Quarteira, Farneys Trend and Hopes Knight.
Irsh Stats 2023
The Irish Derby dominates the prize money lists with winner The Other Kobe and joint owner Brian Clare heading the respective lists.
From a training perspective, Graham Holland was again dominant with more that double the prize money haul of runner-up Pat Buckley. The main contributor to the Holland haul was Clonbrien Treaty winner of the Kirby Memorial and St.Leger, with kennelmate High Trend (Irish Laurels).
With a downsizing of the Star office due to take place shortly, we have reluctantly decided to break up the Star archive.
It will commence with the sale of our photograph archive which runs into several thousand photos, compiled over decades. It includes original pix from the old Greyhound Magazine, hundreds of Sporting Life, GRA and Bord na gCon photos plus numerous collections from individuals. Many of these photos are absolutely unique and will be the only ones of their type still in existance. A unique visual history of greyhound racing in Britain and Ireland (with a few dozen from Australia and the USA!).
It will be impractical to sort through them (please don’t ask) given there are two ‘full to the brim’ filing cabinets plus various assorted boxes. One collection includes a compilation by a very good friend of the Star, the late George Boulton, which specialised in photos of dozens of tracks long since gone (English and Irish, NGRC and flaps), many of which include press clippings and racecards. Some of them have been included in our ‘Remember When’ articles.
Anyone wishing to make an offer for the whole collection is invited to do so by contacting us on [email protected].
Absolutely no time wasters please!
(Any photos submitted by individual photographers can be returned on request)
