BUCKLEY’S JUVENILE INTEREST
Thursday, December 18th
Irish trainer Pat Buckley has expressed interest in running his Puppy Derby winner Droopys Noel in the Racing Post Juvenile Championship at Wimbledon on March 3rd.
Said Buckley: “I’d love to get the invitation to run at Wimbledon and I think his form in the Irish Puppy Derby would give him a great chance in the Juvenile”.
It is very early days when considering the Juvenile as it will be run much later in 2009. Formerly run in early January, it was then switched to February but won’t be run next year until March 3rd.
AMY’S OAKS UPSET
Tuesday, December 16th
The Kim Billingham trained Meenala Amy sprang a 10-1 upset in the final of the Williamhill.co.uk Oaks at Wimbledon on Tuesday night.
The daughter of Droopys Shearer and Lassana Jenny flew out of the two box and was left clear when the inside runner Droopys Quinta moved wide on the bend and caused crowding.
Meenala Amy was clear down the back but Droopys Quinta and Ravello Drive closed rapidly around the bottom bends. Ravello Drive came home strongest but Meenala Amy held on for a neck verdict in 28.99. Droopys Quinta took the third spot, a fine performance from the April ’07 puppy.
IRISH INTEREST ENDS
Saturday, December 6th
Irish interest in the William Hill English Oaks ended at the second round stage at Wimbledon on Saturday when both of Dolores Ruth’s raiders failed to survive.
Razldazl Jewel missed the start and had to check on the second bend before finishing fifth behind Karen Sim’s Lochbo Meg (Fortune Mike/ Lochbo Cedar) in 28.85.
In the very next heat Cool Cousin Suzy missed the start and was then in first bend wars as she finished fifth behind the Richard Rees trained Ravello Drive (Crash/ Danis Princess) in 28.66. The hotly fancied Droopys Quinta was caught in the final stride in this heat when going under by a short head.
The first heat saw the Dave Mullins trained Dangerous Lady (Larkhill Jo/ Lughill Angel) just hold off Steady Scholes by a short heat in 28.81, while the other heat saw the Kim Billingham trained Meenala Amy (Droopys Shearer/ Lassana Jenny) lead all the way for a length margin over Ontheriver Queen in 28.76.
The semi-finals will be run on Tuesday but the Seamus Cahill trained Droopys Quinta remains the favourite narrowly ahead of Lochbo Meg.
RUSO IN TOP FORM
Saturday, December 6th
Irish Derby finalist Ballymac Ruso was in highly impressive form at Monmore on Saturday when setting a new record in the final of the £2,500 Cotswold Scaffolding 480.
Patsy Byrne’s dog flew from traps and was quickly clear. His stride was shortening from the final bend but he still had a length and three quarters to spare over Marbeck Wonder in a time of 27.79, an improvement of two spots on Blonde Dino’s previous mark.
RUTH PAIR QUALIFY
Wednesday, December 3rd
Dolores Ruth’s two challengers for the William Hill English Oaks safely negotiated the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
First into action was Razldazl Jewel in Heat 2 and she survived early bumping to finish third, beaten almost five lengths by the David Mullins trained Dangerous Lady (Larkhill Jo/ Lughill Angel) in 28.93.
Cool Cousin Suzy contested Heat 5 and rode a bump to lead between the opening bends. However Kim Billingham’s Meenala Amy (Droopys Shearer/ Lassana Jenny) proved too strong as she beat Fabulous Azure and Cool Cousin by three parts of a length and a short head in 29.27.
Trainer Seamus Cahill made an outstanding start to the classic as he completed a treble. He turned out Sean Dunphy’s Droopys Quinta (Droopys Vieri/ Macy Gray) for a most impressive four length margin over Droopys Nicola in 28.75.
Droopys Lotto (Droopys Scholes/ Droopys Briney) equalled that time when holding Killough Belles by a neck in Heat 8 and the third Cahill winner was Kilelton Rose (Honcho Classic/ Saleen Dawn) as she led all to beat Imeldas Princess by two and a half lengths in 29.05.
The other heat winners were Ontheriver Queen (Top Honcho/ Midway Tomscout) in 28.97, Special Liberty (Droopys Maldini/ Matriarch) 29.05 and Adamant Mojo (Droopys Kewell/ Gragane Lady) 29.17.
ERNIE’S DREAM VASE
Tuesday, December 2nd
There was a major shock in the final of the Coral Essex Vase at Romford on Tuesday when Brickfield Dream ran out an 8-1 winner of the £10,000 prize while favourite Bubbly Totti came home fourth of the five runners.
It was a very disappointing effort from Bubbly Totti as he had every chance throughout but just couldn’t seem to handle the tight Romford circuit.
Meanwhile the Ernie Gaskin trained Brickfield Dream got away smartly and led all the way to win in a very exciting finish. He held the persistent challenge of Bomber Blue by a head in 35.67, while it was just a short head to the unlucky Droopys Carvalho which was absolutely flying home after early trouble.
Brickfield Dream is a February ’05 son of Boherduff Light and Kehers Friend and was bred by Anne O’Brien in Kilmallock.
WISE ECLIPSES RIVALS
Thursday, November 20th
Wise Thought confirmed his standing as one of the best the British have to offer when claiming the Betfred Eclispe for Martin White at Nottingham on Thursday. Sent to traps the 2-5 favourite, the wide running blue gave his supporters a few moments worry after a tardy start, but he quickened up well to lead from the second turn.
Once doing so the result was never in doubt and he maintained a strong gallop all the way to the line to beat the fast finishing Romeo Maldini by 2 lengths in a fast 29.62. Bawnfune Mal was a further length and three quarters back in third spot.
WINNER ON TARGET FOR THE CROSS
Thursday, November 20th
Flying Winner remains on target for the Ted Hegarty Marathon at Harold’s Cross next month after a facile victory at 1-10 at Nottingham on Thursday night. The brilliant bitch is simply different class to her rivals over eight bends across the pond and she will now bid to prove her worth on this side of the pond.
Despite finding traffic problems on the opening lap in the Betfred League Of Legends Marathon Cup, the daughter of Flying Penske eased clear to comfortably see off her rivals in a new track record. Speaking after the race, her handler Chris Lund confirmed she would be making the journey to the Cross.
BOHERNA PROVES BEST
Wednesday, November 12th
There was a thrilling finish to the William Hill All England Cup over 480 metres at Newcastle last night and the £10,000 prize was claimed by the Barrie Draper trained Boherna Best, as he contained a very persistent challenge from Dotland Hit Man.
Boherna Best, a son of Pacific Mile and Always On Air, was adding to his victories in the Betfred Laurels and the Monmore Gold Cup and he went about it the best way possible – by flashing out of traps and leading to the bend.
Dotland Hit Man moved well to be a close second on the bend but was forced wide and lost vital ground. To his credit, Dotland Hit Man ran on with real determination and gusto but Boherna Best was brave and held his run by what looked a generous three parts of a three parts of a length verdict in a very fat 28.32.
FLYING A LATE WINNER
Wednesday, November 12th
Staying sensation Flying Winner produced another big performance when overcoming traffic problems in winning the Open 895 at Newcastle last night.
Chris Lund’s daughter of Flying Penske and Wise Winner broke fast but lost her place around the first few bends and took a few bumps through the race. However she came home really strongly to head fast starting Genesis Alix on the run-in for a length and three quarters verdict in 55.93.
It was a performance that proved the bitch is fully geared up for her return to Harold’s Cross, the track where she began her career. She is an intended challenger for the Ted Hegarty Marathon over 1,035 yards next month.
ibetX.com SCOTTISH DERBY GO-AHEAD
Tuesday, November 11th
After the off-on-off-on sagas of recent years, it is refreshing to learn that an early commitment by sponsors ibetX.com means that the 2009 Scottish Derby will definitely go ahead at Shawfield.
The classic will be run over the 480 metres distance and the early indications are that the event will be run between Tuesday, March 31st and Saturday, April 11th.
Last year’s ibetX.com Scottish Derby was won by Tyrur Kieran and he went on to finish second in the English Derby. In the Shawfield final Tyrur Kieran won from Bubbly Totti, which went on to win the St Leger, while in third place came subsequent English Derby winner Loyal Honcho. It certainly was a remarkable pointer to future happenings in the major classics.
RAZLDAZL SATISFIES
Monday, November 10th
Dolores Ruth duly gave her charges their planned spin around Wimbledon on Saturday and expressed herself as satisfied with the exercise.
She travelled over on Saturday with the dogs and Razldazl Em clocked 29.25 for the 480 metres, while litter brother Razldazl Romeo covered the 460 metres in 28.18.
The English Oaks possibles Cool Cousin Suzy and Razldazl Pearl clocked 29.49 and 29.63 for the 480 metres.
Dolores said on Monday: “It was a long old trip but everything went fine with them. The two dogs will go for the Comerford Cakes and the bitches will run in the English Oaks. I will stay over with them but I have made no arrangements yet”.
ALL ENGLAND FINAL
Monday, November 10th
It will be interesting to see how Dotland Hit Man fares in the final of the William Hill All England Cup at Newcastle on Wednesday.
The dog was temporarily based with Seamus Graham and produced a few big runs over here but he is now back with trainer Andrew Bell and is a very close second favourite behind Boherna Best for the final.
Graham passes on his best wishes to the connections of the dog. He said: “Andrew and the owner were on to me about travelling over to Newcastle on Wednesday but it is a bad night for me and I won’t be able to make it over. However, I wish them the very best of luck. He is a lovely dog and he was unfortunate to pick up an injury when here”.
Dotland Hit Man won his semi-final in impressive manner on Thursday where Eye Onthe Brave and Afflect Elite dead heated for this spot. The two dogs had a run-off on Saturday and Eye Onthe Brave caused an upset when winning easily in 28.53.
The draw for the final is: 1 Eye Onthe Brave; 2 Boherna Best; 3 Coolavanny Smoke; 4 Dotland Hit Man; 5 Eye Onthe Pulse; 6 Droopys Carvalho.
TOTTI’S LEGER STROLL
Tuesday, October 28th
Ted Soppitt’s Bubbly Totti was a very comfortable winner of the £13,000 William Hill St Leger at Wimbledon on Tuesday but he had things made very much easier by virtue of wholesale crowding on the inside in the early stages.
Irish challenger Droopys Arsene totally missed the break and it was the normally slow starting Midway Skipper that showed in front from traps. Midway still led approaching the bend but the inside runner Lenson Earl was barging outwards and all five inside runners were crowded.
Ted Soppitt’s hot favourite Bubby Totti had the freedom of the track on the outside but still just got the bend and quickly opened up a big lead over Midway Skipper. The latter began to close from halfway down the far side but Bubbly Totti had too much of a lead and he ran out a three length winner from the gallant Midway Skipper in 41.06 with Lenson Earl taking the third spot.
Bubbly Totti is a son of World Class and Droopys Seville and was bred by Sean Dunphy in Portlaw.
ARSENE BIDS FOR ST LEGER GLORY
Monday, October 27th
With the Boylesports Champion Stakes and the paddypower.com Irish Derby already safely tucked away thanks to Shelbourne Aston, Pat Curtin will bid to add the William Hill English St Leger to his growing collections at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Droopys Arsene is the Curtin representative and, while he is quoted as high as 14-1 by the firms, he is well capable of making a major bid for honours.
Droopys Arsene has fine early pace and is likely to cut out the running. Curtin expects him to come on a few lengths from last week’s semi-final. “He did get tired in that race and I would expect him to find a few lengths. If he gets out front he will have a good crack at it”.
However the obvious favourite to take the top prize is Bubbly Totti, a litter brother to Droopys Arsene. Ted Soppitt’s dog has been running extremely well in this classic and on best form has the winning of it. The final will be shown live on Sky Sports at 9.45 p.m.
Curtin’s Arsene in Leger Final
Wednesday, October 22nd
Pat Curtin’s great year moved on another step on Tuesday when he qualified Droopys Arsene for next Tuesday’s final of the William Hill St Leger at Wimbledon.
Droopys Arsene has been running really well in the 668 metres classic and he qualified comfortably in third place behind his litter brother, Ted Soppitt’s odds on favourite Bubbly Totti (World Class/ Droopys Seville) and Midway Skipper, beaten four lengths in total in 40.85. Arsene’s time of 41.18 was considerably faster than the winning time in the second heat.
This second heat saw the shock elimination of Lenson Joker as he finished last behind his kennel companion Lenson Earl (Top Honcho/ Gold Seacrest). Joker was bumped on the first and third bends but Earl took up the running on the fifth bend from Go Big Hitter and went on to beat that rival by three and a half lengths in 41.36, with Lavenders Grant three parts of a length third.
The draw is: 1 Lenson Earl; 2 Go Big Hitter; 3 Droopys Arsene; 4 Lavenders Grant; 5 Midway Skipper; 6 Bubbly Totti (w).
Gary Baggs –RIP
Greyhound Racing lost a great servant and friend at the weekend with the untimely death of leading English trainer Gary Baggs.
Gary had fought a brave and lengthy battle against cancer in recent years but he passed away on Sunday. He is survived by wife Brenda and children Darren and Stacey.
Baggs, who won the English Derby with Signal Spark in 1987, had been a very regular visitor to Ireland over the years and had a wide range of friends in this country. We pass on the sympathies of the Irish greyhound industry to his family on their devastating loss.
William Hills St Leger
Tuesday 21st October - ARSENE CAN QUALIFY
Pat Curtin’s extraordinary year could move on a further major step when Droopys Arsene contests the first semi-final of the William Hill St Leger at Wimbledon on Tuesday evening.
There are just five runners in this contest and Bubbly Totti will go off a red hot favourite to lead them home. Totti is quoted a best price 4-9 for the contest and is the likely winner. However Droopys Arsene is well housed on the inside and is a likely leader. He can give the favourite plenty to do but should at least qualify for the final.
In the other heat Lenson Joker is best priced at 1-2 but his current form suggests that this may not be the bet value in the world. He looks the likely winner but his last couple of runs have not been quite up to the standard of his earlier running.
William Hill St Leger
Friday 17th October - ARSENE IN SEMIS
Pat Curtin maintained his interest in the William Hill St Leger at Wimbledon when Droopys Arsene ran a big race in Friday’s second round, dividing the ante-post favourites Bubbly Totti and Lenson Joker in the second of the four heats.
Droopys Arsene, a 10-1 chance, led to the second bend where the Ted Soppitt trained Bubbly Totti (World Class/ Droopys Seville) took it up. From here the evens joint favourite went on to win by 3 lengths from Droopys Arsene with the other joint jolly Lenson Joker a half length third. The time of 41.12 was the fastest of the round.
Droopys Arsene has landed a favourable draw as he will occupy the inside trap in the five-runner opening heat where the clear Leger favourite Bubbly Totti goes from five.
The opening heat saw Division Belle (Spiral Nikita/ Urla Melody) led all the way before holding off the late run of Carbarns Tom by a shot head in 41.63. In the third heat the Paul Young trained Lavenders Grant (Swift Star/ Lavenders Vieri) got the better of Brimardon Star by a short head while the concluding heat was won by Tony Collett’s Lenson Earl (Top Honcho/ Gold Seacrest) as he beat Midway Skipper by a neck in 41.66.
Shock St Leger Withdrawal
WINNER’S FREAK INJURY
The brilliant stayer Flying Winner has been withdrawn from second round of the William Hill St Leger to be staged at Wimbledon on Friday night.
The bitch would appear to have picked up a freak injury in her kennel overnight on Wednesday. Trainer Chris Lund was left with no option but to withdrawn the bitch. Irish challenger Droopys Arsene runs in Heat 2 in the second round and faces very formidable opposition in the two market leaders Lenson Joker and Bubbly Totti.
William Hill Northern Puppy Derby
KEZ TOP PUPPY
Droopys Kez continued Ted Soppitt’s amazing record in the event when running away with the William Hill Northern Puppy Derby at Sunderland on Thursday.
Soppitt has now won three of the last four runnings of this competition and he didn’t have too many anxious moments on this occasion as Kez justified odds of 4-6. Droopys Kez broke fast from two and immediately moved very wide, bumping Confident Kermit, Crown Rover and Count Busty by the opening bend. But his manoeuvre also saw him consolidate his position and he was five lengths clear on the second bend. Raving Black ran on very well from here but Droopys Kez still had three and a quarter lengths in hand at the line in 26.99 for the 450 metres. Droopys Kez is an April ’07 son of Brett Lee and Quare Star and was bred by Teresa Maguire in Roslea, County Fermanagh.
William Hill St Leger
ARSENE ON THE MARK
Solitary Irish challenger Droopys Arsene got his St Leger challenge off to a winning start at Wimbledon on Saturday but his reward is a second round meeting with the two ante-post favourites Lenson Joker and Bubbly Totti.
The Pat Curtin trained Droopys Arsene (World Class/ Droopys Seville) ran a very game race when coming from four lengths down to pip Capel Tom Dooley by a short head on the line in 41.63. Curtin must also have taken satisfaction from the result of Heat 3 where the Brian Clemenson trained Shelbourne Tiger was a three length winner from Well Park Lady in 41.23. Tiger is a son of Just The Bet and Queen Survivor and so is a litter brother to Curtin’s Irish Derby winner Shelbourne Aston.
Fastest Leger heat winner was Ted Soppitt’s Bubbly Totti, a litter brother to Droopys Arsene. He led early when beating Midway Skipper by over four lengths in 40.93, the other winner to dip under the 41 mark.
Ante post favourite Tony Collett’s Lenson Joker didn’t set the world on fire when winning Heat 8 where he led all the way for a two length verdict over 33-1 outsider Larkhill Dipper in 41.10.
Lance Burford’s Iceman Brutus (Toms The Best/ Chewing Gum) led from the first bend in Heat 1 as he surprisingly beat slow starting Flying Winner by a length and a quarter in 41.12.
The other heat winners were the Richard Rees trained Division Belle (Spiral Nikita/ Urla Melody) in 41.06, Charlie Lister’s Carbarns Tom (Jordans Elect/ Elect Me Misty) in 41.18 and Bubbly Sally (Token Prince/ Flashy Sal) in 41.64.
SECOND ROUND DRAW
The second round of the William Hill St Leger will be run on Friday and the draw is:
Heat 1: 1 Go Bit Hitter; 2 Bubbly Eagle; 3 Division Belle; 4 Chosen Man (m); 5 Shelbourne Tiger (m); 6 Carbarns Tom (w).
Heat 2: 1 Droopys Arsene; 2 Well Park Lady; 3 Lenson Joker (m); 4 Larkhill Dipper (w); 5 Westmead Tommy (w); 6 Bubbly Totti (w).
Heat 3: 1 Capel Tom Dooley; 2 Flying Winner; 3 Lavenders Grant; 4 Bitofamonkey; 5 Wise Maldini; 6 Brimardon Star (w).
Heat 4: 1 Lenson Earl; 2 Iceman Brutus; 3 Midway Skipper; 4 Bubbly Sally; 5 Romeo Turbo (w); 6 Rockchase Samy (w).