Rattlin can star in Puppy marathon

THE COMERFORD Cakes National Puppy Stake ranks very high on my list of favourite greyhound stakes of the entire year but even allowing for that, this year’s renewal has a scent of the old adage that too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

The competition was originally set out for 96 dogs but, after struggling to get entries, it had to be reduced to 48. That’s not a major issue, more a sign of the times, but the real puzzle came in the fact that a decision was made to still run the stake over five rounds.

Allowing for non-runners, 44 youngsters of varying degrees of promise started out with the hope of lifting the €15,000 winner’s prize but, after the completion of the first round, 36 still remained. In short, eight heats were run to knock eight dogs out.