Second in the Derby Final, Opens at Swindon

This blog was sure due an update, so here we go!


Derby Final night, and what a night it was! For those that missed it, it was a really good spectacle of top greyhound racing, with the classiest dogs in the country taking to the Wimbledon stage. I'm not the biggest fan of Wimbledon, however I cannot deny that they put in a really good show, and by all accounts the night ran much better than it has in previous years. Of course, Wimbledon has an unfortunately large grey cloud hanging over it at the moment. I just hope that, one way or another, it's future is set in stone, rather than being up in the air.


As for the final itself, our representative, Farloe Ironman, ran a stormer to finish second to Blonde Snapper. Matt Dartnall's charge got clobbered out of the boxes, tangling with Coolavanny Bert, however this seemed to help into the bend, as alot of trouble meant that Ironman nipped round the inside and missed it all. Snapper had the lead down the back, but Ironman was closing. Alas, he couldn't come close enough, and Snapper went on to record a 2 length or so victory. Ironman was subject to a massive gamble before the race, with him being backed from 9/2 to 6/4 favourite (apparently subject to a seperate 'bet on who will return favourite' gamble), and the gamble nearly paid off. I do think that the initial bump out of the traps took alot more out of the dog than initially thought (not an excuse, just a suggestion!).


In any event, well done Matt and the team for having the runner up in the Derby!


As for the future, and for Swindon at the moment, it has to be said that it's a bit of a funny patch. Nick Colton has decided to quit training over here and has tendered his resignation to both Swindon and Oxford. Nick has a lovely place over in Ireland, and obviously the call for retirement beckoned! I wish Nick and Barbara all the best in their future endeavours.


Of course, losing a trainer of this calibre means that we are short of greyhounds on the graded strength at present. It's a problem that always comes about this time of year, for every track. The weather has got better, meaning the track can sometimes be a bit hard, and the sun on the dogs' back's seems to bring on seasons and problems galore. It's a headache for everyone, however it's something that we have to wade through. Unfortunately, I can't help but think that the inevitable downward spiral in greyhound racing is starting to get a bit mad.


To alleviate the issue, several opens have been advertised. These opens will feature in the upcoming GBGB calendar. We're doing all sorts of distances and races for pups/maidens etc. The prize money for these opens are £200 win, £50 2nd and £30 others. Obviously, with the opening of Coventry and the increased prize money on offer at Sittingbourne etc, competition for OR entries is fierce, so we hope that the increased prize money will help.