Hope springs eternal for the vanquished of the coursing field

Hope springs eternal, and at the end of another superb National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel, why not?

It was day three of this annual event, finals day, it was also the first day of spring, and what a day we got for it – blue skies, sun shining, birds singing. Those weren’t the only reasons for the thousands who had just witnessed the grand finale of the Meeting – the Boylesports.com Derby final – to leave with hope in their hearts, however.

In that same event last year, the 2011 Derby final, the hotly fancied Kyle Ranger put in a brave but futile effort before losing out to Central City. Ranger, you see, had been injured in the semi-final, and up against a dog of such quality, up against the hill of Powerstown, there was only ever going to be one result.

Kyle Ranger was trained and owned by the Field family of Patrickswell and they were devastated, Michael and his wife Marie (Ranger’s owner) trying to put a brave face on things at the top of the course, daughter Elaine in bits as she nursed Ranger on the buggy-ride back to the van.

Yesterday the Field family were back in Powerstown, and so was Kyle Ranger, coming in as a late reserve but winning the prestigious Champion Stakes, his kennel-mate, Kyle King, withdrawn (understandably) in the final.

“It’s a marvellous achievement,” said Michael, “To bring back Ranger after the injury of last year, the disappointment. He’s a great dog – a lot of pressure today but he stood up to it.”

Now we look at this year’s Derby final. All week Blueview Sam had been by far the most impressive dog on view, clocking consistently better than everyone else – until the semi-final. He won again, just getting the better of Solid Monk who lost ground when changing sides, but his ‘clock’ was more than 20 points (over 0.2 of a second) slower than he had done to then. Within 20m of the start of the final we learned why – Sam was injured. Like Kyle Ranger last year he kept going, showed his big heart and kept hunting, but like Ranger he was well beaten, ended up having to be carried back down the field in the buggy.

As with Kyle Ranger last year, Blueview Sam is owner-trained, by the Collins family from Drogheda. “They’re the epitome of the coursing family,” explains Ger O’Callaghan, who takes the dogs to slips for them; “There isn’t a year goes by that Jim (father of the clan, trainer of the dogs) doesn’t have two or three dogs but that’s it, no more. Every year he rears a few pups and has the dream; this year he had only two, Blueview Dan and Blueview Sam, but between them they’ve won five cups.”

Before the final Jim’s daughter Suzanne (joint owner along with her mother, Bernadette) was trembling, fretful. “I had a baby in September, had to have an emergency C-section, but I’m more nervous now than I was then!” she said. “It’s for my Dad more than anything – he’s up early every morning, putting in huge time and effort. He came so close so many times here, often beaten by just a whisker, but he has finally broken his duck on the last day, got to the final.”

Alas, what might have been! Now Suzanne sits where Elaine Field sat last year, nursing Blueview Sam on the long trip downfield, and like Elaine last year, she’s heartbroken for Sam, disappointed for her Dad. But, there is that hope, isn’t there? There is that dream, as proved by the way Kyle Ranger came back, as proved even by the dog that beat Sam – anything is possible, isn’t it?

Go Home Hare – who saw this fella coming? Certainly not John Paul Fitzgerald, one of the 12 unlikely apostles who got together in a bar in Clonmel last year and formed the Mel Syndicate, their aim to buy an ould dog who could compete in their local duffer stake in Glin, but ended up with a Derby winner.

“I’m shocked,” said John Paul, “Can’t believe it. We were in the bar, half-drunk, decided to buy a dog. We got this fella, my father and myself, €1,300, brought him home to Glin and he stayed with us for five months; he went up then to Dessie Kerrigan (trainer) in the north and all we asked was that he’d come down to run in the local (the duffer in Glin), which he did. He won that, then went on to win a Trial Stake, and now this – he’s won everything.”

The Glin gang did it, the Fields did it – why not Sam and the Collins family? “Congratulations to Go Home Hare, he’s a terrific dog,” said Suzanne, “But we’ll fight back and hopefully give the Champion Stakes a good run next year.” Spring, and hope eternal.