Behind every champion there is always a story of hope, faith, luck and fate. Adageo Bob is no different writes Floyd Amphlett.

Dick and Ann Barfoot’s Essex Vase winning blue is a 24 carat Tyke, born and bred at John Marriott’s Thorpe Hesley kennel near Rotherham.

But John’s decision to breed a litter out of Blonde Pearl had, by his own admission, as much to do with luck, as judgement.

The Mark Currell owned black had been a very decent open race stayer, first for Charlie Lister, for whom she had won the Grolsch Grand Prix at Nottingham, before completing her career with John Mullins at Romford in March 2008.

Pearl (Top Honcho-Malta Magic) was bred by Ian Greaves and had produced two litters before hers and John Marriott’s paths crossed.

He said: “I was actually more interested in Blonde Fern who was in Aberdeen at the time. But when I picked her up, I was very disappointed in her condition, along with Blonde Pearl and Jaytee Holly.

“I explained the situation to Mark who immediately asked me if I would take all three bitches and the pups. We paid a transporter £500 to pick them all up the next morning.

“Pearl was six kilos below her racing weight when she arrived here and I had no intention of breeding with her.

“But over a period of time she gradually improved and eventually she came into season. Mark asked if I wanted to breed a litter and I agreed to split a litter. We went to the American dog Hondo Black and she produced ten pups.

“I didn’t want that many so told Mark that I would take three who all had the ‘Fearsome’ prefix. He kept the rest.

“I have four acres here but only two acres is really suitable for rearing pups. We are next to lots of farming land and although we have used that in the past, the fields get churned up by horses and leave holes which can be dangerous to pups.

“I schooled them at Dunham and within a few trials I was able to tell Mark that Bob (formerly Blonde Bobby) definitely had some ability.

“In general my pups are quite slow to come to hand and I don’t over-school them, but it was just obvious.”

Eight of the litter went on to win races with Marriott holding onto the Nottingham 925 metre track record breaker Fearsome Liberty, plus open winner Fearsome Class and Newcastle top heat runner Fearsome Mayor.

Marriott said: “Only two of the litter didn’t win races. There was a little brindle bitch who chased but was a bit iffy. She was re-homed when she was still a pup.

“There was also another dog who was Bob’s twin. In fact, when they were schooling he was at least a couple of lengths faster. Then one morning I had a call from Dunham to say they had gone into the kennel one morning and found him dead.”

It was Pearl’s final litter and she re-joined John Mullins before being re-homed by Greyhoundhomer.

Marriott said: “We only breed a litter a year; in fact all our pups are whelped in the house.

“Pearl came in season before we knew whether the Hondo Black litter were any good. She had previously had two very poor litters and we decided against breeding with her again.

“Had we done so, we would have kept her here for the rest of her days like my other broods. I understand that she actually died while still quite young in her new home.

“I remember Pearl as an absolutely wonderful bitch. She was a brilliant mother, you even had to put her on a lead and drag her away from the pups for her to have a wee.

“If all brood bitches were like her, we would all think it was easy to be Nick Savva.”