Dowling to leave Vic decision as late as possible
Liam Dowling is leaving it as late as possible to make a decision about Vic’s participation and what a shame it would be should he be forced to withdraw.
Holdem Spy, who brought a bit of international flair to the competition, sustained a serious injury last week and not only will he be an absentee from what looked a gilt-edged opportunity in the second quarter-final but Carol Weatherall’s dog will be out for the remainder of the year.
Add to that Paradise Madison, who was reported to have been on the treatment table in the days running up to last week’s third round, and you get a very uncertain picture of what the premier classic holds.
It’s a stake that needs a good winner and though we could hardly call Paradise Madison new to the scene, he is, at least, fresh in Derby terms and his connections are more than hopeful that what ailed him last week might not be an issue this weekend.
“He just hasn’t been right,” admitted co-owner Dave Buckley. “We weren’t happy with the way he was stretching out and so we brought him for a check-up on Monday morning and he was found to have referred pain — an issue which stretched from his back down to his hock.
“It’s frustrating with a dog like Madison because you know what ability he’s got. There had to be something wrong. He doesn’t have great pace from the boxes but once he hits the ground he can really fly and he just wasn’t doing that — he was taking too long to wind up.
“We’ve been told that if he’s left alone, very little done with him until Saturday he should be fine. He’ll have to be because it’s a very tough heat.”
Despite having smashed the track record with a 27.67 run from the inside box late last year, his owner is convinced the dog is much better drawn in the middle this time.
“It’s a very hard race and I have the utmost respect for all the runners but I think he’s got a great draw,” added Buckley. “People keeping pointing out that he broke the record from trap one but this is a different grade altogether. He was up against pups in the Comerford Cakes [National Puppy Stake] when he did that and now he’s up against the best dogs in the country.
“He’s getting clever with experience. Last weekend, if he had tried to go up the inner of Graduation Day between the bends we could have had another situation like the Comerford Cakes, but he tracked cleverly and ran on really well to qualify.
“Ollie [Bray, trainer] has been looking after him all week and we have our fingers crossed that he’ll be back to his best for Saturday. It’s the dog’s turn to get back into it.”
Buckley also owns another quarter-finalist, Fairhill Paddy, which he trains. He bought the dog from Tom O’Neill after the son of Westmead Hawk had won three times in Youghal.
“I bought him for last year’s Puppy Derby, with the ultimate aim of getting him here to the Derby this year,” he explained. “He fractured a hock in the Puppy Derby but he’s on very good terms with himself now and each week he’s getting more and more content. You know they’re in good form when you can see that. He keeps plugging away and hopefully he’ll be able to get through to the semi-finals.
“There’s no pressure at the moment but if one or either of them qualifies on Saturday night, I might begin to feel it.”
Saturday night’s card at Curraheen Park boasts six finals, all sponsored by Greyhound And Pet World, and the sponsors have organised to bring a bit of colour to the occasion by inviting Gary Wiltshire as a special guest.
Wiltshire is a familiar face to greyhound enthusiasts who follow the British scene on Sky Sports but it’s for his exploits as a bookmaker, particularly on one infamous day at Ascot back in September of 1996, for which he is best known.
Frankie Dettori rode a seven timer that day, rounding off the meeting with victory on Fujiyama Crest for Michael Stoute. Knowing that a public tide of emotion allied to bookmaker liabilities had the horse at a false price, Wiltshire took all he could — and more — on the underpriced beast.
When Dettori made all and drove the four-year-old to a neck victory, Wiltshire found himself in a hole to the tune of stg£1,000,000.
But, with houses and cars and pretty much everything else sold, he paid his debts and brought himself back from ruin to a place in the public’s heart.
He has quite a story to tell and has done so in printed form — Winning It Back (a great read) — and I’m certain he’ll do plenty of entertaining in Cork this weekend.
The highlight of the on-track action is the final of the €5,000-to-the-winner Greyhound And Pet World A1 525, where many eyes will be on Me Daddy Rocks, owned by the Glamour Paws Syndicate, who also owned his sire, Scolari Me Daddy.
Although the latter’s racing career was cut short, he’s making quite an impact at stud and, in a time when we could do with a few new stars emerging on the scene, one of his sons, Barefoot Scholar, is really making waves in Kilkenny.
By Scolari Me Daddy, out of Luminous Flyer, the October 2011 pup recorded a brilliant 28.64 on his debut in the heats of an Open Unraced Stake and he duly obliged in the final, coming from behind to win in 28.97.
He hasn’t yet shown his father’s early pace but there’s plenty of time for him.
We may be concentrating on the Derby right now but the Red Mills Laurels, with €30,000 to the winner, is only a matter of weeks away now. The Curraheen Classic will be launched at the track on Monday and the first round will take place the week after the Derby final.
Depending on the number of entries, it could start on the Friday night, with the lion’s share of the heats held on Saturday, September 21. Entries close on Monday, September 14. The next sales at Curraheen — the Laurels Sale — will take place on September 28 and entries are now being accepted.
