The BAGS Intertrack Final Preview

So folks, we made it. In fairness, the group was rather easy, and we were near on expected to qualify to this final. However, this is where the test really begins, as we have some serious competition in our way if we are going to win the Inter-track. If I have my absolutely honest, non-biased head on, I don't think we will beat the overall strengths of Newcastle and Monmore, Newcastle being the team that I think will win. Having said that, we have a couple of good chances on the day, with the 53-seater coach being nearly full for Sunday, it should be a great social outing for the Swindon faithful.

There are 10 races on the day, starting with the sprint at 14:38. Each race is worth £500 to the winner, £200 for 2nd and run money of £100. When you factor in that travelling is paid also, it really is brilliant money, and kudos to BAGS for putting the comp, and the prize money, on.

14:38 - The BAGS Track Championship Sprint
My Pick: Kickupyourheels (Monmore)

The way I'll try and do this, rather than bigging up tracks other than our own, is look at who I think will win, then look at our runner. The winner here looks to be the Paul Slater-trained Kickupyourheels. He's a consistant sort, picking up wins in both the intertrack legs that he's been in. I watched the race at Monmore and was very impressed with this dog, giving the other Monmore dog Rocket Auto, who was a short priced fave, a great run. Although the draw isn't ideal, he seems to be the most consistant trapper of the wides, and if he can get in front first, it's game over.


On that basis, and with it being a sprint, really it's anyone's race this. It's a close-knit affair, with the times of all the runners being very similar. Hastetothewind is our hopeful here for Ken Mitchell. He's been running well in sprints, picking up a fab win at Poole over Primo Impact. He's found his trapping boots recently, and by the looks of the trial round there has taken a liking to the flat-fronted PB traps. If he can assert early, he can give them a run also.


Really, this is anyone's race, very close to call.


14:57 - The BAGS Track Championship Standard Bitches - Division B
My Pick: Patterdale Jazz (Newcastle) (NAP)

Newcastle have played a blinder here! Nothing to say that you had to put your best bitch in division A, just to split them accordingly. So, it a nutshell, they've got themselves a banker. Good tactical decision there (obviously, so long as you have a bitch that can run with the top-end in division A!)

Patterdale Jazz is one of the names to come out of this competition as a bitch with a future. Craig Dawson's black trialled on in a time, I believe, 2 spots outside the track record (28.09). If you factor in that she's got early pace to burn, and stays on like a steam train, you have to argue that she's the perfect greyhound! A winner in her last two Intertrack races, she's certainly going to be a very tough one to beat. Don't expect much of a price though!

Our hopeful here is Gemstone Meg for Kevin Hutton. Unfortunately the draw has been pretty unkind on her, drawing trap four. She trialled on well on Monday, posting 28.77. Anyone who knows Meg knows that you can't expect much early on from her, but that she'll be flying at the death. Fingers crossed she can find a way through and pick up some points for Swindon.

15:13 - The BAGS Track Championship Standard Dogs - Division B
My Pick: Guiness Wild (Hove)

I'm going for, what I'm gunning for, is around a 5/1 chance in the ring, in the form of Seamus Cahill's Guiness Wild. Wild, drawn trap six here, is in a race where, really, the field is quite evenly matched barring the 4 dog of Newcastle, who I'm expecting to be favourite. Wild is coming to PB on the back of a maiden open win at Romford. The time there wasn't great to be honest, however the fact it always led indicates that Wild has good early toe. The recent trial round there of 28.54, and the winning form in the good grade that is Hove shows that this greyhound is more than capable of competing here. The draw is ideal, as he should lead the 5 dog round.

Droopys Harper represents us in this race. It has to be said that he isn't out of the race at all, and at his best he could go close here. The issue is that he's a very sluggish trapper, again relying on his back straight pace and late rallying to pick up his wins. His recent trial of 28.50 reads very well, but that's in a solo! Fingers crossed for some points here.

15:29 - The BAGS Track Championship Stayers - Division B
My Pick: Liosgarbh Champ (Newcastle)

Again, I think this race is an easy pickings for Newcastle. Champ, trained by Gary Carmichael, ran a superb trial at PB on Monday, posting a time eclipsing everything else in the race by about 5 lengths, posting 39.83. What impresses me most about the look round is the sectional time, which again is about 4 lengths or so faster than what's around him. That comparison tells me that he isn't exactly stopping when he gets to the winning line, meaning staying isn't an issue! Again, a short one, but he should win

Sharp Exit runs here representing the Foster camp, and I think she has a cracking chance to score some big points here. She ran a blinder in the OR last week, running on like a steam train from a seemingly impossible position (at one point during the race, I did comment that she was running 'pants and paceless'!) but after a bumpy first bend, she flew home. Yes, the time might not read very well, but I think you can give or take 3-4 lengths for 1. the bumpy ride, and 2. the lack of course knowledge. She's going back now having had a look round (with 5 other dogs aswell last time, this being better for their knowledge than just a solo in my opinion). I'm hopeful of her finishing in the top 3 for sure.

15:44 - The BAGS Track Championship Standard Mixed - Division B
My Pick: Garryvoe George (Hove)

I've sided with the Hove dog here, soley on the draw, as this race is what you call 'a mess'. I know that in a race with 5 railers in, you have to be very lucky with the draw, but what grites me is when you get an out-and-out railer drawn in trap 5, which is what's happened here. I can see any other outcome but trouble at the bend here, with the 1 dog moving on, and the 4 and 5 trying to cut in. To me, this will leave a clear path for the Hove raider, George, to swoop round. A lack of a look round is a negative, but his sub-30sec run at Hove is enough to win this.


The main hope here has to be that Silbury Campion can get in a decent pitch and avoid and trouble. Alan McDowell's charge does have that touch of a kick of pace to the bend, but really he leaves his running until late. If he can get round handy off the second, he could score big here.

16:02 - The BAGS Track Championship Puppy
My Pick: Sidelight (Monmore)

This race is a cracker, with a lot of ways that you can look at the form. I'm sticking with consistency and experience in the form of Chris Allsopp's Sidelight. She ran a really good race in winning at Monmore, having to do things very much the hard way, yet still posting a good 28.69 round there. The times at Monmore and Perry Barr very much add up from what I've experienced, which makes sense as she's posted a 28.68 in a trial around PB. She was really unlucky in the IT race there, getting crowded over every bit of the 480 it seemed!


Aspiration is our hopeful here, representing the Dartnall camp. The lack of a trial, and to be honest the recent form, is a bit of a disappointment for me. She's been running over a maiden 6 bends, and hasn't really hit a good note over that trip yet. Since her Oxford run, she seems to have gone a bit sour, again not really running up to scratch in the most recent A1 at Swindon. However, Matt Dartnall is an expert at training, and hopefully he'll have her ready for this task.

16:18 - The BAGS Track Championship Standard Bitches - Division A
My Pick: Pookies Jess (SWINDON) (NB)

By my judgment then, we'll be waiting a little while for our first 'Oi Oi' of the day! Pookies Jess, trained by Jim Rowe, has been in impeccable form recently, scorching around Swindon in cracking times, such as the most recent 28.28 run. She caught some crowding in her last race which put a slight knick in the near-perfect form on her card. She's ran two very good trials at PB, posting 28.24 in her most recent 4 bend trial. The concern is the trap draw really, although I would rather be on the outside and moving in on the railers rather than amongst the scrimmaging. I can't envisage, either, that she can lead the 4 dog up on the run up, which actually may help her miss some of the trouble on the inside of that 4 dog. She can do it both ways, but hopefully she's our big 10 pointer of the day!


16:33 - The BAGS Track Championship Standard Dogs - Division A
My Pick: Rei Doms Evra (Belle Vue)

The first tip for the Zoo, and a good one I hope it turns out to be. Evra, trained by Darren Hampson, has some great recent form, and has the idea trap draw to asset early on. He trialled on in a good 28.38 this last week, aswell as posting a very quick 27.72 in a top graded race at the Zoo. I think that, with the competition in the race, he could be a fairly reasonable price too.


Hoots Mon represents those guys for Burford again! Hoots is a class act, doing the business at Poole in some style. He's cracking over the 4 bend trip when he's on his pinging best. He's had a decent sprint trial round PB, giving him some knowledge of the place. If he can break fast and get to the lead early, he could take some catching.

16:47 - The BAGS Track Championship Stayers - Division A
My Pick: Kielduff College (Newcastle)

Again, a really tough race this one. Kielduff College, trained by James Wright up yonder, looks to me the class act of the field. College romped up at Kinsley over 650m, and then just got there at Sunderland. The two runs were a class apart, as he led up in the first, and ran on strong in the second, showing he can do it both ways. The draw is ideal on the wide outside, and the benefit of a trial, posting a very good 40.07, looks to make him the one to beat (and the favourite, apologise!)

Ardmayle Move runs for the Primo Kennel. She's been a cracking runner for us in the competition, doing the business in the opening leg in some fashion. The issue with her is, although very fast, she looks to need upwards of 700m (though not a marathon I don't think). She'll be running on strong, but again its a case of getting through a wall of dogs. In a solo at PB, she was 9 spots off the track record, but again the trial was a solo. In an OR there last week, she ran into all sorts of bother all the way round. The good thing about the run, however, was that she only lost by 4 in the end, running on strong in the process. Again, just fingers crossed for points. With a clear run, she could hose up against this field.

17:08 -  The BAGS Track Championship Standard Mixed - Division A
My Pick: Stanton Apollo (SWINDON)

I don't know whether this is just me being sentimental, or wanting to end the meeting on a high or anything, but I think that Apollo could do the business in this race. Kevin Hutton's charge is so progressive at the moment, seemingly coming on for every run he's getting. He hosed up at Poole in some style, kicking off the 4th bend well, and he's trialled round PB really well. He's another that can do it off the front, but can also run on. Here, I can see him leading round, if he can frank the trial form. Seals Babe for Hove is the obvious danger in trap 4, and the most likely favourite, but the lack of a trial is a negative.

It took a while, but there's my preview of the days action. It'll be a great day whatever happens, being involved in something like this is a massive positive in any event. Remember also, for winning the group and participating at PB we have landed ourselves £3500 in prize money. What to do with this money, I'm not sure. I don't know what's in the rules or anything, but one idea I though of was why not do up the racing paddock?

In any event, I wish all the owners, trainers, kennelhands, and most importantly doggies, all the best of luck for tomorrow. #UPTHESWINDON!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Chris Watts.

**Anyone that's coming on the coach on the 23rd, do remember that the coach is leaving at 11:30am PROMPT. We will not be waiting around for anyone who is late, so please be at Swindon Stadium in plenty of time!**

Group Winners, The Sky Deal, Oxford Closing + More

Well, that last leg at Poole certainly was entertaining. It's amazing what this competition has bought to light. Apparently we are pretty decent at sprinting, something that I thought, and most others, thought we would be pretty weak in. The team as a whole has performed impeccably, and really all the trainers, owners and kennel hands have to be thanked and congratulated for their contribution to Team Swindon.

Of course, the issue (a nice one) is a potential selection headache for Perry Barr. Going into the final, we can potentially have a very strong team of hounds, however we're a lot stronger in certain areas than others. The races to be run at Perry Barr are:

1 x Sprint
1 x Standard Puppy
2 x Stayers
2 x Standard Dogs
2 x Standard Bitches
2 x Standard Mixed

It's fair to say that the sprint division in particular could be a real headache, as both Primo Impact and Hastetothewind really deserve to go for it. My personal view is that I'd be siding with Impact, as out of the two he has been ultra consistent. On the flip side, in the puppy division, really there is one stand-out performer in the form of Downton Flyer. Matt Dartnall's pup is in the Coral Puppy Trophy final down at Hove. Due to the change in rules, however, it means that we could potentially have a Group 3 winner running for us. Win Win for us!

There isn't that long to go now until the big final, with several of our hounds running in opens on Friday, trialling over the weekend or on Monday. Then it's all hands to the deck in picking the team!

Obviously the big news over the past couple of weeks is the closing of Oxford Stadium. It's horrible to read about a track shutting, especially a track with the history of Oxford. With every track loss, you lose a generation of owners, trainers, workers and all sorts of people. It really is a tough situation out there, with things looking only to get worse. The guys at Oxford have been dealt a really bad hand here, as everything looked to be moderately stable after what had been a rumour filled autumn (rumours that ended up being true), and to have a month to clear out is just awful, for the trainers to find new track etc.

With Oxford's demise, we welcome Gilly Hepden to the training ranks at Swindon. Previously a trainer at Swindon before, Gilly brings with her a good strength of 30 or so greyhounds, with some very decent dogs in the kennel, which should help our top end out.

Even more in the doldrums (even writing this blog is depressing me) is the impending Sky contract expiration. The thing that gets me is that people don't really seem too bothered about it, and feel that as a BAGS track, we won't be affected. Believe me, the ramifications of not having the Sky deal will be huge. With the loss of the coverage, which admittedly doesn't get the best viewing figures ever, we should expect to lose some pretty key races. Who says that without the coverage that William Hill will want to sponsor the derby? The underlying problem then is, if you lose the competitions and top races, what, as an owner, have you got to aim for? What would the point be in owning a good dog? The market would bottom out. Alas, breeding is down as it is, if the market for the top dogs also drops, that means that even more breeding will cease, which will cause a shortage in dogs. It's a mass spiral that will effect every track in the UK. Fingers crossed something that be sorted, and quick.