How's everyone doing? Seems like an age since I've posted on here, so I thought it was due some of my literary spiel. This period of greyhound racing is always an exciting time, what with the Derby taking place and all. The Greyhound Derby is the pinnacle event in our sport, and lets be honest its the one competition that everyone strives to be a part of, or their goal is to be in. And, for £125,000 to the winner, I wouldn't blame you!
This year is certainly a case of quality over quantity, with this for me being one of the key highlight years. You've got so many cracking dogs around at the moment, and the hope is that all the best ones end up in the final (of course, that probably won't happen!). Whilst we are in this twilight period of greyhound racing, I don't know why they don't try to get the best of the best together for a race.
Every sport has it, Tyson vs. Lewis, Hogan vs. Rock, Utd vs. City. People strive to see the best come together to compete, so why on earth no one has jumped on the wagon is beyond me. Imagine this race for a second:
1) Taylors Sky
2) Droopys Jet
3) Eden Star
4) Silverview Perky
5) Milldean Panther
6) Razldazl Jayfkay
Now those are only my picks as they are, at the moment, my favourite dogs and the fastest in my opinion. Who wouldn't want to see this race? To see who is the best of the best? I bet if a sponser picked this race up, the bookies would make a ruddy fortune on the betting, Sky would get some pretty decent viewing numbers, and everyone would get to see the classiest race ever go into a trap. A win win scenario surely? Now obviously the 6 competitors would probably different to mine, and actually I would probably take out Perky and Jet and make it a 4 dog race, but still it's just the sheer class that greyhound fans like myself crave to see on a track.
And as for the track it would run at? Why Swindon of course . . . .
Now, staying a bit closer to home, we have the Produce Stakes right round the corner. Again, it's got this time of year, and I start looking around at the OR scene and other tracks to see what British Breds are about. I'll be honest, I'm a tad concerned. I think the whole downfall of British Breeding is really to catch quite a strangle hold as, to be honest, there aren't that many decent british breds around nowadays. A few years back, you could look at the likes of Nick Savva and see a bucket load of Westmead's, and more recently Dave Firmager has produced some very classy dogs. But this year to me it doesn't look like being the most classy of competitions. Now I'm all for the Produce Stakes, and actually I think Swindon's dogs have a great chance in it this year, but you do have to look at the forecast in British Breeding and gulp just a little bit. There isn't a whole lot of class being produced here nowadays, which is very sad.
In this sense, can you remember who won the Produce last year? And what they went on to achieve? Exactly my point.
I find your remarks regarding British Breeding quite derogatory.
ReplyDeleteLast Years Produce Final included 1 of my pups who has contested 4 Group 1 Finals as well as being invited for Select Stakes, is currently in Derby 3rd Round and won Greyhound Stud Book Trophy, he also broke your clock twice and but for a bump would have rattled it 3 times on the spin.
Go Go Sonic got knocked out and then won Notts Produce, he then went on to finish 2nd in this years Juvenile giving a start and a beating to 1 of your Dream 6 Runners.
With regards the Winner, Looks like he got injured.
The 3rd is Flying right now http://www.gbgb.org.uk/RaceCard.aspx?dogName=Romeo%20Patrol
The 4th is in 3rd round of English Derby
All in not a bad return for mediocrity.
Why not grab the positives and Run with it instead of being negative, far too often do British Breeders get over looked in favour of our Irish counterparts, no real surprise why we end up calling it a day.
Watch This Space!
The blog in no way meant to be derogatory against British Breeding. I am all for British Breeding, as you can see in previous posts having bigged up the Sofem, Swift Jade pups, aswell as providing a 'Swindon Special' on the subject. I was also the commentator at the British Bred Festival at Harlow last year, and am keen to visit the show again this year.
ReplyDeleteThe conversation it was meant to provoke was that the competition compared to other year's, to me, doesn't have the quality of previous years.
Go Go Sonic has been a cracking dog for connections (tipped him to do well in the Juvenile to my friends), and I am in moderate contact with Mark My Words' owners throughout the Arc and Produce Stakes, and regard him as one of my favourite dogs.
The Produce Stakes is a vital competition for British Breeding, and for the breeders, as it is THE competition that people can aim for and win what is a substantial amount of money.
I appreciate your feedback, and good luck.
Chris, sadly it comes across that way and in all honesty does'nt exactly get a novices juices flowing on reading it, if anything they are likely to say " No point going to track to watch that comp "
DeleteThankfully I need not worry for too much longer as I have decided to get out of the Breeding, far too many want everything for nothing, if only more would try do a litter themselves and they be more appreciative of what goes into it and why they take umbridge with certain comments.