Julie Collier Blog 11: Greyhound Derby 2022

🐶 Can somebody please tell me what happened last weekend!? Shocks galore! Perhaps not so much in the dogs who went through, one or two of who I think we have all underestimated, more in the dogs who went out. Poor Pat and Emma Buckley lost all three of their runners and Emma looked absolutely inconsolable as she walked off the track after Singalong Sally’s race. Ante post favourite Ballinabola Ed did a lot of running to get to get to a handy position out of the second bend. He’s still a young dog and I’d imagine many eyes will now be on him for the Irish Derby. Gosh the highs and lows of this sport are incredible.

🐶 The night had to go to the Hennessy’s with two quarter-final winners and both relatively unexpected. First of all, Priceless Jet popped up with a track record, 28.78sec, returning 6/1 beating Kildare. Then Hello Hammond, an even bigger surprise at 14/1, ran on strongly to win in 29.22sec. The track has been a little variable I think it’s fair to say but that in itself, offers a different test of a dog and as Susan Hennessy told me straight after she had landed the double, ‘our dogs are tough’. That, they are.

🐶 Priceless Jet I think is particularly interesting and one of those I think has been underestimated. From March to May, this dog had absolutely no work and so he kind of plodded through the early rounds – but they will have been doing him the world of good. He is, of course, an Irish Derby semi-finalist, Irish Champion Stakes and St Leger finalist, so he handles the rigours of competition well and stays strongly. He also loves Towcester having broken the track record (for the first time) last year in a Derby trial stakes and, he will always get his draw in trap six. Tick, tick tick, tick. Why was he 6/1?! He’s an August 2018 so will be a veteran in a couple of months but it looks like there is plenty of life in the dog yet! Paul Hennessy told me this week that both dogs are ‘in great shape and looking forward to the weekend as much as we are having enjoyed morning strolls around the local racecourse’. Paul and Susan are particularly enjoying this success because both dogs have ‘been around the block’ and they know them so well having had them a long time. Susan and Sarah will be back on Saturday and I wish them the best of luck.

🐶 Could a Badger win the Derby!? Maybe… he is now the 9/2 ante post favourite! I am of course talking about Romeo Magico, another British Bred by Dave Firmager, trained by Graham and Nicky Holland. He is a striking dog who their grandchild christening ‘Badger’ when he was born. He looks a very strong dog with all round pace. Surely, if he is British Bred and trained by an English couple who happen to live in Ireland, we could claim this one couldn’t we!?

🐶 John Mullins was extremely emotional after his home reared Signet Goofy obliged in the final quarter-final. Goofy heads into the semi-finals as the only dog who is unbeaten. He is so consistent from the boxes, clocking a 4.03sec sectional last week, his best yet, and, despite his doubters, he stays strongly too, beating Savana Beau by over three lengths. John wasn’t able to do an interview with me afterwards, so strong were his emotions. But he did manage to say ‘this is what my life is all about’. Need I say anymore? Also, a big shout out to Kevin Hutton who had a difficult weekend with Signet Ace and Signet Denver going out. Coppice Fox did make it through but he is equally proud of Signet Goofy having bred him, of course from his own bitch, Forest Natalee.

🐶 Pretty much through the whole Derby, the track has been in the spotlight and scrutinised with some trainers speaking out with various views, including John Mullins. But things seemed to have quietened down last weekend and it was smiles all round, as you can see from this photo I took of John and Kevin Boothby, who both qualified their dogs from their quarter-finals.

🐶 The two ‘storys’ of the Derby have made it through to the semi-finals and I don’t think even their trainers and owners can quite believe it. Firstly, Faughan Rebel who is barely entitled to be racing, let alone showing us what he is. He tenacity and grit is seeing him right through; he is such a genuine dog. Needless to say his connections are absolutely loving it, Louise Warr tweeted it was going to take the full week to sink in! The dog is looking pretty chuffed with himself too.

🐶 And Mickys Barrett is still taking his owners and trainer Jason Gray on a journey of a lifetime. I am told there is a bus of 53 of them coming down for the semi-final! Jason has been very kind in keeping me updated with the dog and also shared this photo of him when he was a puppy. Absolutely gorgeous. And great to see the press also taking an interest, the Nottingham Post writing a nice article this week. Mickys Barrett put it all in last week and was a tired boy on Sunday as you can see but Jason tells me he was checked over by George Drake on Tuesday morning and is absolutely ready for his race on Saturday.

🐶 Talking of puppy photos, I was so happy to see the breeder of Lautaro tweeting a photo after the weekend as well with the words ‘PINCH ME!!’ Breeders can sometimes be forgotten, dogs get sold and move on. In this instance, the breeder is Liam O’Keeffe from a small kennel in the South-East of Ireland. He only has three dogs he bred actually racing, now including a Derby semi-finalist in ‘Jimmy’ as he is known to connections! Amazing. Meanwhile, Lautaro has been getting the once over from Ron Mills this week and is all set for Saturday!

🐶 In terms of English V Irish (and if you count Badger as Irish), it’s now 8-4. So anyone who bet 6 Irish finalists has done their money! The two bitches to go the furthest were Bobsleigh Dream and Singalong Sally, they did the Buckley’s proud. But the final will be an all-boys affair.

🐶 All that’s left for me to say is best of luck to everyone for Saturday. I always think it’s the stage I’d least like to go out of the competition. Qualify, and a week of pure joy and excitement (as well as a Derby lunch) is ahead of you. It’s so open now, all to play for, let the fun begin.

JULIE COLLIER

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