Feb 2009
The Jazz Hurricane Story part1
23/02/09 17:51 Filed in: Jazz's Journal
Naming
When Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast during the Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005, it flooded 80% of New Orleans, the birth place of jazz. I knew then that we had found a name for our whirlwind puppy. A canine cyclone, Jazz Hurricane had already showed the feisty traits of her namesake: speed, power and unpredictability. Just ask Nick Savva, Alison Coxon and Frazer Black. They already knew.
Grading In
“Well? How did she trial?” I asked David. “Apparently she swung wide on the bend, ran on the grass but still clocked 16.60”. At the other end of the phone, I blew the froth off my pint.
I could barely wait for the next trial. First time out of the 515m traps. 30.06 in a solo. I drove down from London for her next 515 trial and I saw it with my own eyes. 30.17. Two local clock watchers purred at the performance from the raw novice. I kept my interest to myself and DK but if Katrina had heard their feline mutterings, she would have been on them like a flash. A week later, she came out under the lights and pulverised two local oldies in 29.91. She wanted to race the van home.
Kennels on a Sunday
“Hold on to her lead nice and tight, Stef” It seemed a struggle for the kennel staff to even put her lead on. It was like dressing a petulant child. She leapt up and down on the spot but only until she had got through the main kennel door and ever alert, off she strode with a purpose towards the paddock. Her eyes followed every falling leaf and a twittering bird would make here ears prick. Was she a greyhound or a hound of the Baskervilles? Thank God Maria had shielded her view from the fox that leapt on to the back straight of the track at Nottingham when she was parading. She would have chewed through her muzzle had she spotted him.
We used to whisper in her ear on a Sunday before an important race, “just keep out of trouble.” Of course, this “Rainman” of the canine world just stared ahead, waiting for the next leaf to blow in the wind.
First Race
Straight in to an A1. We could hardly complain about her graded entry level, given her trials but 6/4 was too skinny for a debutante. How would she cope against seasoned dogs? Would she miss it, get squeezed at the first bend cavalry charge or just bottle it against 5 other dogs? None of the above. Ping! 4.15 sectional, never headed, winning by half a length in 30.07.
“Are you the owners?”, a voice called out to us. “How about twenty grand?”. “Thanks but no thanks.” We were not in the game to trade dogs, only to share dreams.
RP Festival Puppy Stakes
Her second race was at the Festival. After a terrible trial at the Stow (based on our lofty expectations), DK took a little persuasion to enter her for the competition proper. He probably knew that she had the raw speed to keep this company, even with more experienced locals. So, with only improvement to come for the look, we took our chance. As the youngest entrant with only one race behind her, we secured a good each way price. A 29.13 fastest semi got our juices flowing for the final. I had set off for a few months in New Zealand so I had to rely on my mobile phone reception in what I could only imagine was like, “Scotland in the 50’s”. I wasn’t sure whether that insulted the Scots or the Kiwis but both had the humour to see through my shallow English quip. The fish in Lake Wanaka had a day off the hook. I shouted down the phone, standing in a boat on the lake while David gave me a commentary from the track on the finals night. She broke well and led momentarily but was bumped slightly when cutting the first corner. If only she had squeezed in front of Special Deal.
Early Days
We then moved on to a green run at Monmore in the Christmas Festival Bitches. A beaten, odds-on favourite. Her reputation preceded her lack of experience.
A trip down the road for me to Wimbledon at Christmas followed next and we saw her win by a neck in a puppy open. Her 3.82 sectional showed us again that she meant business. My mother was down for the festive season and she seemed a little coy in collecting the trophy. This surprised me as it belied her Yorkshire gambling roots. Clearly it had skipped a generation.
Nottingham followed. We met a fox and futility in the Futurity Stakes heats but qualified for the semi all the same. She never took to the track. Same again a week later in the semi. DK rubbed the sand supper off her mouth which had been fed to her by Teds Anchor. I poked my face through the fence to check she was ok and to have a word with DK. She wasn’t bothered. She didn’t know she was beaten and only ever finished last once in her career.
A month’s rest on her bed worked wonders. She was alert and fresh for her spin around Hove and 29.81 in the middle of February told us she was ready to step up. The Ladbrokes Puppy Derby was the obvious target.
When Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast during the Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005, it flooded 80% of New Orleans, the birth place of jazz. I knew then that we had found a name for our whirlwind puppy. A canine cyclone, Jazz Hurricane had already showed the feisty traits of her namesake: speed, power and unpredictability. Just ask Nick Savva, Alison Coxon and Frazer Black. They already knew.
Grading In
“Well? How did she trial?” I asked David. “Apparently she swung wide on the bend, ran on the grass but still clocked 16.60”. At the other end of the phone, I blew the froth off my pint.
I could barely wait for the next trial. First time out of the 515m traps. 30.06 in a solo. I drove down from London for her next 515 trial and I saw it with my own eyes. 30.17. Two local clock watchers purred at the performance from the raw novice. I kept my interest to myself and DK but if Katrina had heard their feline mutterings, she would have been on them like a flash. A week later, she came out under the lights and pulverised two local oldies in 29.91. She wanted to race the van home.
Kennels on a Sunday
“Hold on to her lead nice and tight, Stef” It seemed a struggle for the kennel staff to even put her lead on. It was like dressing a petulant child. She leapt up and down on the spot but only until she had got through the main kennel door and ever alert, off she strode with a purpose towards the paddock. Her eyes followed every falling leaf and a twittering bird would make here ears prick. Was she a greyhound or a hound of the Baskervilles? Thank God Maria had shielded her view from the fox that leapt on to the back straight of the track at Nottingham when she was parading. She would have chewed through her muzzle had she spotted him.
We used to whisper in her ear on a Sunday before an important race, “just keep out of trouble.” Of course, this “Rainman” of the canine world just stared ahead, waiting for the next leaf to blow in the wind.
First Race
Straight in to an A1. We could hardly complain about her graded entry level, given her trials but 6/4 was too skinny for a debutante. How would she cope against seasoned dogs? Would she miss it, get squeezed at the first bend cavalry charge or just bottle it against 5 other dogs? None of the above. Ping! 4.15 sectional, never headed, winning by half a length in 30.07.
“Are you the owners?”, a voice called out to us. “How about twenty grand?”. “Thanks but no thanks.” We were not in the game to trade dogs, only to share dreams.
RP Festival Puppy Stakes
Her second race was at the Festival. After a terrible trial at the Stow (based on our lofty expectations), DK took a little persuasion to enter her for the competition proper. He probably knew that she had the raw speed to keep this company, even with more experienced locals. So, with only improvement to come for the look, we took our chance. As the youngest entrant with only one race behind her, we secured a good each way price. A 29.13 fastest semi got our juices flowing for the final. I had set off for a few months in New Zealand so I had to rely on my mobile phone reception in what I could only imagine was like, “Scotland in the 50’s”. I wasn’t sure whether that insulted the Scots or the Kiwis but both had the humour to see through my shallow English quip. The fish in Lake Wanaka had a day off the hook. I shouted down the phone, standing in a boat on the lake while David gave me a commentary from the track on the finals night. She broke well and led momentarily but was bumped slightly when cutting the first corner. If only she had squeezed in front of Special Deal.
Early Days
We then moved on to a green run at Monmore in the Christmas Festival Bitches. A beaten, odds-on favourite. Her reputation preceded her lack of experience.
A trip down the road for me to Wimbledon at Christmas followed next and we saw her win by a neck in a puppy open. Her 3.82 sectional showed us again that she meant business. My mother was down for the festive season and she seemed a little coy in collecting the trophy. This surprised me as it belied her Yorkshire gambling roots. Clearly it had skipped a generation.
Nottingham followed. We met a fox and futility in the Futurity Stakes heats but qualified for the semi all the same. She never took to the track. Same again a week later in the semi. DK rubbed the sand supper off her mouth which had been fed to her by Teds Anchor. I poked my face through the fence to check she was ok and to have a word with DK. She wasn’t bothered. She didn’t know she was beaten and only ever finished last once in her career.
A month’s rest on her bed worked wonders. She was alert and fresh for her spin around Hove and 29.81 in the middle of February told us she was ready to step up. The Ladbrokes Puppy Derby was the obvious target.
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Sad for Sash
22/02/09 10:26
It is with sadness that I must report that it looks like Sash is reabsorbing (losing) her pups, as it is her first time being mated I always like to have them scanned for reasons like this, at 4 ½ weeks Sash was showing up in pup albeit only a couple, however my vet was a bit worried that they appeared very small and asked to see her the following week at no expense(rare I know), on Thursday she was scanned again and although there was still signs of life it appears that they are getting smaller, the Vet is adamant that no pups will be born, I will however get Sash scanned at 8 weeks to make sure theres nothing dead inside her.
If I had not got Sash scanned and she does’nt have pups we would just assume that she had not taken to the stud dog and go ahead next time around, but with this knowledge I will Definitely get her scanned next time as well and rechecked 2 weeks after, if(Touch wood etc that it does’nt happen) she should go through the same process then Sash would be retired instantly from the breeding paddocks as there would obviously be some problem inside and was not meant to be.
I know lots of breeders would’nt dream of having a bitch scanned but when your unaware of a bitches pattern I would strongly urge a scan to be carried out, if for nothing more than peace of mind, lets keep our fingers crossed that something makes it alive as it would be a bitter blow for Sash herself, below is a segment found on the internet about reabsorbing..
“Reabsortion of pups means that, after a positive diagnosis of pregnancy, no pups are found in the uterus at a later stage but there is no evidence of foetal loss by appearance of anything via the vagina (this would be classified as abortion). The pups have been resorbed internally and removed by the body's normal clearance mechanisms. Resorption of whole litters is not common in the bitch but it does occur. This diagnosis depends upon a definite identification of pregnancy at an earlier stage followed by the absence of pus at a later stage. It is more common for some pups to be reabsorbed rather than the whole litter, if there is uterine overcrowding. Stage of resorbtion is rather difficult to state but it probably occurs between 28 and 40 days gestation. However once pregnancy has been positively diagnosed, the breeder would probably be unaware that a bitch had resorbed until she failed to whelp around the appointed time. Reasons for resorption are also somewhat elusive although if it occurs repeatedly in an individual bitch it may be due to so hormonal abnormality in this individual and has been successfully treated in some cases by administration of vitamin E throughout pregnancy. Angela Bodey MRCVS”
Jazz on the otherhand has a proper bellyfull and looks more like Shamu the Whale, I’m worried that it could be double figures.
All the pups are doing very well both on and off the track and hopefully things can continue in the same rich vein of form.
I will hopefully be able to announce this years Benefit night for Macmillan Cancer Support, currently in talks with Wimbledon Stadium and on the look out for race sponsorship, all help will be very much appreciated, so if you feel you can help in anyway then please drop me An e-mail( dave@questhousekennels.co.uk ), this disease is crippling more and more families and has been highlighted recently with poor Jade Goodys illness, it brings it all back for myself and I know exactly how her family will be feeling, the help the nurses give is truly immense and i’ll continue to push for as many funds as I can possibly raise for Macmillan.
If I had not got Sash scanned and she does’nt have pups we would just assume that she had not taken to the stud dog and go ahead next time around, but with this knowledge I will Definitely get her scanned next time as well and rechecked 2 weeks after, if(Touch wood etc that it does’nt happen) she should go through the same process then Sash would be retired instantly from the breeding paddocks as there would obviously be some problem inside and was not meant to be.
I know lots of breeders would’nt dream of having a bitch scanned but when your unaware of a bitches pattern I would strongly urge a scan to be carried out, if for nothing more than peace of mind, lets keep our fingers crossed that something makes it alive as it would be a bitter blow for Sash herself, below is a segment found on the internet about reabsorbing..
“Reabsortion of pups means that, after a positive diagnosis of pregnancy, no pups are found in the uterus at a later stage but there is no evidence of foetal loss by appearance of anything via the vagina (this would be classified as abortion). The pups have been resorbed internally and removed by the body's normal clearance mechanisms. Resorption of whole litters is not common in the bitch but it does occur. This diagnosis depends upon a definite identification of pregnancy at an earlier stage followed by the absence of pus at a later stage. It is more common for some pups to be reabsorbed rather than the whole litter, if there is uterine overcrowding. Stage of resorbtion is rather difficult to state but it probably occurs between 28 and 40 days gestation. However once pregnancy has been positively diagnosed, the breeder would probably be unaware that a bitch had resorbed until she failed to whelp around the appointed time. Reasons for resorption are also somewhat elusive although if it occurs repeatedly in an individual bitch it may be due to so hormonal abnormality in this individual and has been successfully treated in some cases by administration of vitamin E throughout pregnancy. Angela Bodey MRCVS”
Jazz on the otherhand has a proper bellyfull and looks more like Shamu the Whale, I’m worried that it could be double figures.
All the pups are doing very well both on and off the track and hopefully things can continue in the same rich vein of form.
I will hopefully be able to announce this years Benefit night for Macmillan Cancer Support, currently in talks with Wimbledon Stadium and on the look out for race sponsorship, all help will be very much appreciated, so if you feel you can help in anyway then please drop me An e-mail( dave@questhousekennels.co.uk ), this disease is crippling more and more families and has been highlighted recently with poor Jade Goodys illness, it brings it all back for myself and I know exactly how her family will be feeling, the help the nurses give is truly immense and i’ll continue to push for as many funds as I can possibly raise for Macmillan.
Questhouse man Wood to sponsor Juvenile 480
17/02/09 22:25
Taken from the Racing Post Website 17/02/09
DAVE WOOD, best known in the sport as breeder of greyhounds with the Questhouse prefix, will sponsor a 480-metre invitation race on Racing Post Juvenile Championship night at Wimbledon next month.
The race - which could include Irish star College Causeway, Bubbly Totti and Lenson Joker - is to be called the Emily Wood Memorial Invitation Race, in memory of Wood's mother, who died of cancer.
Worth £600 to the winner, additional prize-money of £100 will be paid to the runner-up, and the other contestants will each receive £75, making up a total of £1,000.
Wood said yesterday: "I'd like to put something back into the sport, and this represents a good opportunity. It's a fitting race for my mother's name as well."
Stan Wolfe, Wimbledon's general manager, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that with the publicity we got through the Racing Post we've managed to find a sponsor. It's doubly satisfying that the person involved is so interested in greyhounds.
"Dave has also expressed an interest in staging a charity meeting at Wimbledon in April which is further good news."
Wood held a very successful charity meeting at Hove last year which raised over £25,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
DAVE WOOD, best known in the sport as breeder of greyhounds with the Questhouse prefix, will sponsor a 480-metre invitation race on Racing Post Juvenile Championship night at Wimbledon next month.
The race - which could include Irish star College Causeway, Bubbly Totti and Lenson Joker - is to be called the Emily Wood Memorial Invitation Race, in memory of Wood's mother, who died of cancer.
Worth £600 to the winner, additional prize-money of £100 will be paid to the runner-up, and the other contestants will each receive £75, making up a total of £1,000.
Wood said yesterday: "I'd like to put something back into the sport, and this represents a good opportunity. It's a fitting race for my mother's name as well."
Stan Wolfe, Wimbledon's general manager, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that with the publicity we got through the Racing Post we've managed to find a sponsor. It's doubly satisfying that the person involved is so interested in greyhounds.
"Dave has also expressed an interest in staging a charity meeting at Wimbledon in April which is further good news."
Wood held a very successful charity meeting at Hove last year which raised over £25,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
New Layout
16/02/09 21:37 Filed in: update
We shall be changing the lay out of the images within the galleries this week to give more recent pictures and less older pictures, as we add images each month we shall dilute the previous months down to 2 or 3 thus eventually giving us in the region of 30 pictures per page, not only will it avoid slowing the site down but it will keep it much tidier, we will be putting the oldest pictures first leading onto the current crop, i’m sure you’ll enjoy the viewing better this way.
The pups eventually got in the field at the end of last week and boy did they lap it up, to be honest it came at just the right time as they were all getting hyped up and ready to take lumps out of each other, all of them are doing well and could’nt be much happier with them
10 winners this week.. Farahs Paddy and Questhouse Kylie at Newcastle, Vote For Pedro at Belle Vue, Pendle Whojo at Crayford, Ashbys Hawk, Smoking John, Ebony Chaser, Smoking Shady, Smoking Jim and Got Any Gossip all at Hove.
Jazz Hurricane
12/02/09 17:40 Filed in: Stats
Jazz Hurricane.
I am pleased to say, that on having Jazz Hurricane scanned, she is showing up to having a bellyfull inside her, she’s very well in herself and going through the usual rituals that most expecting mothers go through, simply shes becoming choosy on what she wants to eat as simple Raw Beef will not suffice and she’s demanding freshly cooked chicken on top, whatever she wants though she shall have.
Much the same as looking at Sash’s career record, here is a look at some of Jazzs stats.
Racing 75 times of which 73 were contesting Opens, she won 37 times (49.5%), 2nd 16 times and 3rd 12 times, making her career record of reaching the 1st 3 at 87%.
Her father, the legendary Top Honcho has sired 9448 (Data) offspring and Jazz is currently 14th overall top offspring culminating in 90 points (Data) being amassed, below is a list of the major races she took part in.
I am pleased to say, that on having Jazz Hurricane scanned, she is showing up to having a bellyfull inside her, she’s very well in herself and going through the usual rituals that most expecting mothers go through, simply shes becoming choosy on what she wants to eat as simple Raw Beef will not suffice and she’s demanding freshly cooked chicken on top, whatever she wants though she shall have.
Much the same as looking at Sash’s career record, here is a look at some of Jazzs stats.
Racing 75 times of which 73 were contesting Opens, she won 37 times (49.5%), 2nd 16 times and 3rd 12 times, making her career record of reaching the 1st 3 at 87%.
Her father, the legendary Top Honcho has sired 9448 (Data) offspring and Jazz is currently 14th overall top offspring culminating in 90 points (Data) being amassed, below is a list of the major races she took part in.
Ladbroke Puppy Derby Finalist 2006
Brighton Belle Finalist 2006
St Leger Semi Finalist 2006
English Oaks Finalist 2006 and 2007
Arc Semi Finalist 2007
Sussex Cup Finalist 2007
Champion Stakes Finalist 2007.
Ladbrokes Circuit Winner 2007
Olympic Winner 2007
Brighton Belle Winner 2007
Enjoy Your Sofa Lass
08/02/09 09:34 Filed in: Stories
I received a call today to say that Questhouse Chloe had come in season and the owners have decided that she has done more than enough racing and that she deserves to be retired, Chloe has been a really good honest bitch who had 98 races, winning no fewer than 23(23.5%) and was 2nd in 28 other races, all in shes served both myself and Sean as owners with complete professionalism and I’m sure she’ll soon make herself at home on The Sofa, enjoy yourself lass you truly deserve it.
As most will know, Questhouse Sash has been mated to Ballymac Maeve and I thought it appropriate to collate a few stats for the readers, having raced 55 times of which the majority(37) were in A1’s and Opens, Sash would go onto win 16(29%) times and finish runner up a further 15 times, She won Opens at Hove, Henlow, Harlow, Romford and Walthamstow, being a Daughter of Knockeevan Major who has sired(On Database)744 Off spring, Sash is currently Majors 5th Top performer on the Track.
For the record I retired Sash in 2007 when she dropped in season and when she came in season in 2008 I had just had 2 bitches mated and I had to let her go, this time around it was Droopys Lenas turn to be missed. I always prefer to let the bitches have a season to wind down on retirement and none of my broods have ever been suppressed, I’m sure this helps them immensely and I am really excited about Sash as I truly have a good feeling about her.
January seen the kennels turn out 35 winners(635 in Total) making it a lovely start to the year, this weeks winners were Vote For Pedro(Belle Vue), Questhouse Leigh(Monmore), Farahs Paddy(Newcastle), The Last Baby, Pick n Micks and English Rose all at Hove.
As most will know, Questhouse Sash has been mated to Ballymac Maeve and I thought it appropriate to collate a few stats for the readers, having raced 55 times of which the majority(37) were in A1’s and Opens, Sash would go onto win 16(29%) times and finish runner up a further 15 times, She won Opens at Hove, Henlow, Harlow, Romford and Walthamstow, being a Daughter of Knockeevan Major who has sired(On Database)744 Off spring, Sash is currently Majors 5th Top performer on the Track.
For the record I retired Sash in 2007 when she dropped in season and when she came in season in 2008 I had just had 2 bitches mated and I had to let her go, this time around it was Droopys Lenas turn to be missed. I always prefer to let the bitches have a season to wind down on retirement and none of my broods have ever been suppressed, I’m sure this helps them immensely and I am really excited about Sash as I truly have a good feeling about her.
January seen the kennels turn out 35 winners(635 in Total) making it a lovely start to the year, this weeks winners were Vote For Pedro(Belle Vue), Questhouse Leigh(Monmore), Farahs Paddy(Newcastle), The Last Baby, Pick n Micks and English Rose all at Hove.
OXFORD DON... a story from birth to racing by Richard Coleman (Co Owner)
06/02/09 17:10 Filed in: Stories
I had owned a couple of dogs before, bought when they were two years
old, but in October 2006 I decided to 'live the dream' and buy a pup. I
was aware of Dave Wood through the Internet, firstly on Betfair, also
on Greyhound Data, and I was a member of his puppy syndicate. So in
taking that first plunge he was the obvious choice. I knew that he had
Bred Gilbeyhall Josh who was doing flying times in Ireland, and also
that Josh's mum Knockeevan Angie had just whelped a litter, a repeat
mating to Larkhill Jo. I wanted a dog pup, and discussed everything
with Dave. His one reservation, which really impressed me (some people
will sell you anything with four legs), was the fact that I race at
Nottingham. Dave thought that if the pup took after Josh and his
siblings 500m might prove too far. I decided to take that chance.
In December 2006 I took the train to Berwick, Dave met me at the
station and took me back to the kennels where I was also privileged to
meet his mum and dad. It was immediately clear they were honest genuine
folk, and the kennels were in fantastic shape, even in the depths of
winter. I made my choice of pup, which involved very little judgment,
except he seemed to be the one that concentrated on Dave's squeaky toy
the longest. I decided to call him Monty, and also persuaded my best
friend Roy to join me in the venture. It's good to share with mates,
both the cost and the whole experience.
The next twelve months were probably the least interesting for us as
owners, just regular confirmation that he was doing fine and like his
litter mates, was 'a noisy bu**er'. However as we looked forward to
something actually happening, this period was the most important for
the pup himself, a time when whatever talent he had was being nurtured
by Daves skill and care. I am sure that the role of the rearer in the
career of any dog is the most underestimated, even a hound with a
decent engine can lose its way if not looked after properly in the
first year.
November 2007 saw Monty depart for Ireland for the next stage of his
education, schooling. He was sent to Dave and Marie at Savana Kennels
in Carrick On Suir together with a brother and sister. They were very patient
and slowly introduced him to the idea of racing. His unofficial times
were nothing special but they did show that he had some ability. Dave
told me not to expect anything amazing, he always leaves plenty for the
trainer to work on as the worst thing you can do is push pups in the
early stage while they are developing mentally and physically.
Finally in late February came the call from Dave, he's ready to come
over, let me know the name of the transporter that your trainer uses. He arrived at Terry
Munslows kennels early one Wednesday morning in March after a
horrendous journey on the ferry (Cheltenham Festival was called off due
to high winds , Roy and I ended up at Oxford BAGS instead). He came
with a letter from Marie giving Terry a bit of detail about him, not
least that he was called Questy. So Monty became Questy , I dont know
how many Questys there are racing today, quite a few I expect. We
decided his racing name would be Oxford Don. Despite my Nottingham
roots I have an Oxford connection and Roy, poor lad, is a big Oxford
United fan.
Trials went well, Terry doesn't rush them so it was May when he was
ready for his first race in A6. He was the 7/4 favourite but was a
little overwhelmed, broke badly, and finished 5th. Never mind, he'll
know more next week we thought. Next week came. Disaster. He turned in
the traps, they put him back in, and he turned again. As he was led
shamefully back to the paddock, I seriously wondered if that might be
the last we would see of Oxford Don on the track.
Anyway Terry did what he did (I never asked but I think it mainly
involved bribing him with food) and re-qualifying trials went without a
hitch, as did his first few races. The only problem was, with one
exception, he wasn't winning them. His early pace took him into the
lead almost every time, but he tired badly in the home straight. Dave's
original caution seemed to be justified. After every race, Terry
repeated the same words, 'he's still a baby, he'll get stronger'.
One night in September, the penny dropped. Last race, driving rain, he
forced his way to the front at the first bend and just kept going to
win in A4 by 7 lengths. By October he was in A1, and since then he has
won 8 of his 13 A1 races, including 6 of his last 7. He has also
developed a couple of habits which prove to me how much he loves
racing. Sometimes in the paddock beforehand he is literally shaking,
and I know it is with excitement and anticipation, not worry.
As to the future, who knows, but realistically, given good health, I
would like to think that he will win an Open or two. Most important is
that he keeps enjoying his racing and he comes off safe.
I would just like to thank firstly Dave who tuned up his engine
perfectly and has given me so much good advice since I first spoke with
him. Secondly Dave and Marie in Ireland, who did a cracking job
schooling him. Thirdly Terry Munslow and his family. Terry isn't high
profile and doesn't want to be, but he has been in the game for years
and knows all of his dogs (it amazes me how many trainers sit at the
bar watching the racing on the TV and never seem to be in the paddock
when their dogs are coming off the track). And lastly “The Don “(As hes known by Nottinghams Regulars)
himself, who has given us so much pleasure the last couple of years. Oi
Oi Questy!!!
How Much More Can It Stand?
03/02/09 08:02 Filed in: update
With the lovely weather that everyone is experiencing, I wonder just how much it is affecting other Rearers what with frozen fields at times, waterlogged at other times and a complete mud heap at all times, to be honest it is a very trying time for rearers and one period that I hope we don’t have to endure for many years to come, it must be a near record for the length of damp weather we have had.
Its at times like this that I hope owners and others, that have not had the pleasure in rearing a pup, appreciate the dedication put into these pups by their respective rearers, although it’s our choice, we still give up a huge chunk of our life and on reading some articles on internet forums I really do wish that some people would experience “The Joys” of rearing pups, one thing I’d guarantee is that they would very quickly see a different side to the one they think is “Oh So Rosy”, anyhow that’s my gripe for the year.
A very happy time for me this week with the news that my very good friend David Miles will be back in the ranks of greyhound ownership, as most will know David was the person responsible for me getting involved in rearing pups, at the time I had never reared a pup albeit I had raced a few at Shawfield but that didn’t worry David, he gave me his full backing and when he decided to call it a day in ownership I vowed that the First pup that I kept, that was of the class he was used to, was going to be given to him by myself, well I’m very happy to say that Charlie Listers recent intake shall be David’s first involvement for a couple of years, her name is Questhouse Em and she is an October 2007 Whelp by Droopys Vieri x Bonjour Baby, she has just had her 3rd sprint trial and clocked 16-43 at Sheffield, Charlie is very happy with her and I really do hope that for David’s sake she goes onto great things, lots of people within this sport have David to thank as he’s put his faith in others including Owen Mckenna and kick started their careers, For as long as I live I shall always be eternally grateful to David and just cannot thank him enough.
It has been a good week for brood Miss Wonderful, Vote For Pedro (Belle Vue) and Good To Go (Wimbledon) both duly obliged, Pedro winning for the second time from 3 races and Good To Go winning at the 2nd time of asking in a great 28-51 with a lovely sectional, both these babies (Aug 07) do not need to improve much to be pushing A1 Class times, hopefully exciting times ahead for these babies and their owners Steven and Karen and Steve.
On the subject of great runs, I really must give special praise AGAIN to Oxford Don at Nottingham, once again this lad pops out in A1 and wins AGAIN, that’s 6 from his last 7 A1’s and I cannot believe he did not get picked as Nottingham’s dog of the month in The Greyhound Star, hopefully he gets a mention next month as the dog, trainer and owners deserve it.
Please accept my apologies for the delay in this months pup pictures, not only has the weather been against us but I’ve just got a new laptop and been trying to work my way around it, also a new camera so hopefully we should get improved pics.
Good To Go
01/02/09 14:00 Filed in: update
Looks like the Droopys Kewell x Miss Wonderful litter are starting to shape up nicely. After the success of Vote For Pedro at Belle Vue last week, it was his sisters turn down at Wimbledon. On only her second race Good To Go recorded a blistering 3.88 sectional (which matched the A2 on the night) and led all the way to win in 28.52. A very promising run indeed and like her brother, has plenty more to come.
On the For Sale front, all the Droopys Rosari pups are now sold and there is one dog and one bitch left to sell out of Millies Award. Click Here
On the For Sale front, all the Droopys Rosari pups are now sold and there is one dog and one bitch left to sell out of Millies Award. Click Here