PATIENCE PAYS FOR THREE MORE

 

THE KENNEL HAD THREE FIRST TIME WINNERS OVER THE WEEKEND IN FIRE LINE, WORTHY ACE AND FINAL BIG PIKE. ITS ALWAYS GREAT TO GET A FIRST WIN WITH A GREYHOUND AND SADLY SOME TAKE ALOT LONGER THAN OTHERS AND AT TIMES THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIRSELVES. WORTHY ACE IS A HOMEBRED  OCTOBER 12 TWELVE PUP, SHES ONLY YOUNG AND NEEDS A DISTANCE THAT BELIES HER AGE BUT WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE HER PREVAIL FOR LOYAL OWNER ALAN BRANDOM. THE SAME COULD BE SAID OF FINAL BIG PIKE INITALLY, SHE GRADED EIGHT BUT AFTER 15 RACES (12 OF WHICH WERE DECENT PERFORMANCES) SHE WAS STILL WINLESS IN ALBEIT IN A9 GRADE. SEASONAL REST SAW HER OFF THE TRACK FOR THREE MONTHS AND WHEN SHE RETURNED THE GRADER CARDED HER IN A7 ON THE STRENGTH OF A SOLO TRIAL. HE RELENTED LAST WEEK AND DROPPED HER TO A9 AND SHE DULY OBLIGED.

KAY POWER MCGOWANS FIRE LINE MADE ALL TO WIN HIS FIRST RACE ON FRIDAY AFTER BEING RE-SCHOOLED. ALL THESE OWNERS HAVE GIVEN THEIR GREYHOUNDS AND THE GRADER EVERY CHANCE WITHOUT ONCE MOANING AND FOR THAT WE THANK THEM. THEY HAVE BEEN TRUE SUPPORTERS IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE SPORT.

 

 MARLEY ALL THE WAY FROM EIGHT

 

MARLEY WAY CONTINUED ON HIS JOURNEY FROM A8 TO OPEN CLASS BEFORE HIS SECOND BIRTHDAY WHEN WINNING THE LADBROKES.COM MAIDEN AT MONMORE LAST NIGHT. FOR HIS OWNERS THE MANLEY RACING SYNDICATE IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE AS A FLEDGLING IDEA BECAME A REALITY AT THE FIRST TIME OF ASKING. THEIR SYNDICATE IS MADE UP OF STAFF AND CLIENTS OF LOCAL BUSINESS BANBURY HEATING SUPPLIES WHOSE PREMISES ARE BASED IN MARLEY WAY.

AT IT'S CONCEPT THE LADS HAD HOPED TO HAVE A BIT OF FUN FOR SMALL MONEY AND MAYBE PROGRESS DOWN THE LINE TO OPEN CLASS OWNERSHIP IF THE SYNDICATE HELD SWAY. NOW THANKS TO THE POPULAR SON OF JA MANN THEIR AMBITION HAS BEEN REACHED TO SOME DEGREE AND THEY'VE ONLY BEEN FORMED FOR AROUND FIVE MONTHS! LIZ AND I WERE PROUD TO RECIEVETHE TROPHY MARKING THE OCCASSION (ABOVE) AND WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL INVOLVED AND A BIG WELL TO 'JAXX' ON A SUPER EFFORT!! 

 

 

DERBY FEVER BUILDS FOR SEMIS

 

THE WILLIAM HILL DERBY (200K TO THE WINNER) REACHES THE SEMI-FINAL STAGES ON SATURDAY AND THE TWELVE LUCKY OWNERS WILL HAVE SLEPLESS NIGHTS FROM HERE ON IN! IT'S BEEN A WIDE OPEN EVENT THIS YEAR WITHA BUMPER ENTRY AND MANY SHOCKS ALONG THE WAY. AFTER THE FIRST ROUND YOURS TRULY FELT SURE THAT THE PRIZE WOULD BE TAKEN BACK ACROSS THE IRISH SEA BUT AFTER ROUND THREE I FELT THE OPPOSITE. TUESDAYS QUARTER-FINALS WERE NOTHING SHORT OF BREATHTAKING WITH INCIDENT AND EXCITEMENT APLENTY. ITS NOW EVENLY POISED WITH PAT BUCKLEYS MIND THE NET THE FAST WINNER FOR IRELAND BUT MARK WALLIS'S AERO MAJESTIC SEEMINGLY UP TO THE CHALLENGE FOR ENGLAND. IT'S NOT AN ENGLAND VS IRELAND GRUDGE MATCH ITS A SPECTACLE FOR GREYHOUND ENTHUSIASTS FROM BOTH SIDES TO ENJOY IN THE NAME OF THE SPORT AND I FOR ONE CAN'T WAIT!!

WE'LL KEEP GOING  ON AS USUAL

 

IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR ALL OF US AT LILYPAD DESPITE A POOR RUN OF FORM AND A RECENT RUN OF INJURIES. THESE SCENARIOS CHALLENGE YOU AT DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE YEAR AND WE AT LILYPAD WILL JUST CONTINUEIN THE USUAL FASHION WITH OUR HEADS DOWN AND FOCUSED ON OUR WORK. WE ALL EXPERINECE A LOSS OF FORM OR A RUN OF BAD LUCK AT SOME POINT, ALTHOUGH I MUST CONFESS THAT I WAS SURPRISED BY HOW THE SUDDEN WAY IT STARTED AND THE LENGTH OF TIME ITS LASTED. THERE CAN BE MANY REASONS AND NO REASON SO WE DON'T DWELL ON AS IT ALWAYS TURNS IN THE END. 

 

 

PARADISE AND FANTASY IN DOUBLE

 

BARRY WARNER (ABOVE RIGHT) AND FORMER HANDLER COLIN CALLOW FINALLY RECIEVED SOME REWARD FOR THE PATIENCE THEY'VE SHOWN IN RECENT TIMES AS PARADISE PACIFIC AND LONGWOOD FANTASY PUT UP STIRLING PERFORMANCES TO CLAIM THE SPOILS AT MONMORE LAST NIGHT. BARRY (A LONG TIME SUPPORTER OF THE KENNEL) HAS HAD A TORRID TIME OF LATE WITH NEARLY ALL OF HIS SIZEABLE STRING OF GREYHOUNDS TAKING ENFORCED BREAKS THROUGH INJURY OR SEASON. LIZ AND I APPRECIATE THAT ITS NOT EASY GOING THROUGH THOSE TIMES AND BARRY HAS BEEN VERY GRACIOUS THROUGHOUT AND FOR THAT WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE HIS PARADISE PACIFIC SHOW SOME OF HIS FORMER GLORY AFTER RETURNING RECENTLY FROM MONTHS ON THE SIDELINE AFTER SUFFERING A CAREER THREATENING INJURY. THE BLACKS TERRIFIC BURST OF BACK STRAIGHT HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE HE RACKED A TREMEMNDOUS FOUR-IN-A-ROW BACK IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR.

 

COLIN CALLOW, A LONG TIME FRIEND OF THE KENNEL AND HIMSELF A VERY ACCOMPLISHED HANDLER, SENT LONGWOOD BOUND AND LONGWOOD FANTASY TO US LAST YEAR AFTER DECIDING TO TAKE A SABATICAL FROM TRAINING TO CONCENTRATE ON HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS. SINCE THEN BOUND HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH INJURY AND FANTASY, WHO IS FIVE NEXT MONTH, HAS RUN WELL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WITHOUT REAPING MUCH REWARD. IT WAS GREAT TOS SEE HIM BACK TO HIS OLD SELF LAST NIGHT. HE REALLY IS A CLASS ACT AND HAS BEEN A GREAT SERVANT FOR THE CALLOW FAMILY.

 

 

FARLOE 'SUPERMAN' ON THE MEND

 

APART FROM BEING A LEGEND AMONG THE SPORTS BREEDERS DES (FARLOE) LOUGHREY IS ALSO A GREAT FRIEND AND MENTOR TO YOURS TRULY. DES HAS GIVEN BOTH LIZ AND I GREAT SUPPORT AND ADVICE FOR THE BEST PART OF 14 YEARS SINCE WE WERE FIRST ASSOCIATED. AS A BREEDER/REARER YOU WILL FIND NOBODY BETTER IN THE UK AND AS A PERSON YOU'D NEED TO CAST YOUR NET MUCH FURTHER. DESPITE MANY SETBACKS IN RECENT YEARS, INCLUDING THE LOSS OF HIS WONDERFUL WIFE BERNIE, DES RETAINS ALL HIS ZEST AND ENTHUSIASM TO PRODUCE THE RACING GREYHOUND. EVERY YEAR HE WANTS NOT ONLY TO YIELD A BETTER CROP THAN THE YEAR BEFORE BUT TOO PRODUCE A DOG BETTER THAN HE EVER HAS BEFORE.

 

DES HAS UNDERGONE EXTENSIVE SURGERY OVER THE PAST WEEK AND HAS NEEDED ALL HIS STRENGTH AND COURAGE. HIS CHILDREN SAY TO ME: '.... THE TROUBLE IS PAT HE'LL NOT SLOW DOWN, HE THINKS HE'S SUPERMAN!' WELL TO COME THROUGH WHAT HE'S HAD TO ENDURE IN THE PAST WEEK HE'S NEEDED TO BE BUT THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HE WOULD AND THAT HE'LL BACK IN FARLOW LANE DOING WHAT HE LOVES JUST AS SOON AS HE'S ABLE.

 

THANKFULLY DAUGHTER JENNIFER & SON GARY REPORT THAT HE IS NOW IN A STABLE CONDITION AND RECOVERING WELL WHICH WAS GREAT NEWS. DES WON'T THANK ME FOR WRITING THIS BLOG, HE IS A QUIET AND VERY UNASSUMING MAN, YOU WON'T FIND MANY PHOTOS (ALTHOUGH YOU WOULDN'T THINK SO IN HIS POSE ABOVE! LOL) DESPITE THE VOLUME AND MAGNITUDE OF THE WINNERS HE'S BRED IN HIS TIME IN THE SPORT. BUT I FELT I HAD TO WRITE THIS AS BOTH LIZ AND I AND MANY OF OUR OWNERS ARE VERY PROUD TO HAVE MET DES AND BEEN ALLOWED SHARE HIS FRIENDSHIP. HE IS, WITHOUT DOUBT, THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON MY CAREER TO DATE AND LONG MAY HIS INPUT & MORE IMPORTANTLY OUR FRIENDSHIP CONTINUE. 

 

 

OWNERS PAY FOR THE PRIVILEGE

 

GREYHOUND RACING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SPORT OF THE PEOPLE. FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS PRE AND POST WAR IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS A  GREAT NIGHT OUT THATS ACCESSABLE TO ALL PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF STANDING. OWNING A RACING GREYHOUND GIVES A PERSON OR PERSONS A VESTED INTEREST IN THE RACING ITSELF AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET CLOSER TO WHOLE ETHOS OF THE SPORT. OWNERS PAY GOOD MONEY FOR THEIR HOUNDS AND WE AT LILYPAD RACING BELIEVE THEM TO BE AS ONE IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE. WE HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL VALUE THOSE THAT ENRUST US WITH THEIR DOGS. WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE OWNER PARTICIPATION WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF PROFESSIONAL ETTICUT TO ENSURE THAT OWNING A RACING GREYHOUND IS AS PLEASUREABLE AS POSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO PARTAKE. WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR OWNERS CONTINUED BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE AND THANK THEM SINCERELY FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

 

TRANSITION PERIOD CONTINUES

 

AT LILYPAD RACING WE ARE NOW WELL IN TO THE TRANSITION PERIOD I SPOKE ABOUT IN THIS BLOG AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. LILYPAD OWNERS ENJOY THEIR GREYHOUNDS TO THE FULL AND GIVE THEM EVERY CHANCE OF A FULL RACING CAREER AND A SUITABLE HOME. FOR THESE REASONS WE, AS A KENNEL, EXPERIENCE PERIODS OF SLIGHT STAGNATION WHEN OUR STRENGTH CONTAINS A MAJORITY OF OLDER GREYHOUNDS THAT MAY HAVE PAST THEIR PRIME YET STILL ENJOY THEIR RACING.

 

AFTER THESE PERIODS A RE-STOCK HAS TO TAKE PLACE AND AS WE LIKE TO WORK WITH AS MANY YOUNG GREYHOUNDS AS POSSIBLE THIS CAN ALSO MEAN PERIODS OF STAGNATION AND LEAN SPELLS AS THOSE YOUNG HOUNDS COME TO GRIP WITH THE MONMORE TRACK AND IT'S GRADING SYSTEM. THAT IS THE STAGE WE'RE AT NOW! MANY OF THE YOUNG PUPS THAT WE AND OUR OWNERS BRED AND BOUGHT HAVE GRADED BUT ARE STILL FINDING THEIR FEET. WE CAN'T INFLUENCE THIS PERIOD MUCH SAVE TO KEEP THE GREYHOUNDS HAPPY HEALTHY AND SOUND, THEY WILL HAVE TO COME THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE AND PROGRESS UP THE LADDER OF THEIR OWN DOING AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS WE'LL PROGRESS  AS A KENNEL TOO. PATIENCE IS VERY MUCH THE NAME OF THE GAME!!

 

 

GENT STEAMS IN & THRILL TERRACES

 

ACE HI RUMBLE PUP CASUAL GENT STEAMED UP THE HOME STRAIGHT TO THRILL THE LOCALS AND JUSTIFY FAVOURITISM IN A CAREER BEST TO DATE (28.58) AT MONMORE LAST NIGHT. OWNED BY A SYNDICATE FORMED FROM A FACEBOOK PAGE KNOWN AS THE 'CASUAL GENTS' THE JULY 12 HAD STORMED THROUGH THE GRADES FROM HIS LOWLY A7 BERTH BEFORE SEEM OT PLATEAU SLIGHTLY IN COMING TO GRIPS WITH A2 GRADE. HIS CONFIDENCE TOOK A KNOCK AND HE HAD TO ENDURE SOME POOR LUCK BUT THE DOG KEPT GOING AND LOOKED BACK TO HIS OLD SELF AGAIN WHEN DELIVERING IN A3.

 

HE IS STILL VERY YOUNG AND IF HE MATURES HOW WE'D LIKE COULD STILL HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE. ONE THING FOR CERTAIN IS THAT HE'S THE APPLE OF HIS OWNERS EYES AND TO THE THEM HE'LL ALWAYS BE 'THE TOP BOY!'

 

 

WE HAVE FAITH IN THE BLOOD

 

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE HAVE BEEN BUSY CONSTRUCTING A BREEDING PROGRAM THE FRUITS OF WHICH, IN TIME, WE HOPE TO FORM A BACKBONE FOR OUR KENNEL STRENGTH. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING SOME OF THE BROODS WE HAD IN MIND AND THE PROGENY IS NOW REACHING THE TRACK AND RACING FOR US. THE FIRST LITTER BY BALLYMAC ACE (UNPROVEN) AND PARADISE DIGICOM (UNPROVEN) HAVE ALL GRADED AND DESPITE COMING IN LOW HAVE SHOWN THEY ARE GENUINE AND WILL GO ON TO WIN RACES FOR THEIR OWNERS IN TIME. THEY SEEM TO BE STAMINA-BASED (DAM SIDE) IN THEIR RUNNING WHICH MEANS WE WON'T SEE THE BEST OF THEM UNTIL PAST TWO YEARS OLD.

 

WE HAVE ALSO BRED A LITTER BY PREMER FANTASY X ROEVIEW BEAUTY (ABOVE) AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE DAMS FIRST LITTER THE CROSS IS VERY MUCH PROVEN AND HAS THROWN MANY TOP CLASS WINNERS. THEY ARE FAST APPROACHING NINE MONTHS AND ARE HELD IN GREAT ESTEEM BY OUR REARER. WE HAVE A SEVEN MONTH OLD LITTER BY TOP SIRE HEAD BOUND TO PARADISE DIGICOM AND THESE PUPS ARE IDENTICALLY BRED AS SHELBOURNE TRACK RECORD HOLDER PARADISE MADISON. THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL TOO AND CONTINUE TO THRIVE.

 

WE ANTISCIPATE A SHORTAGE OF RACING GREYHOUNDS IN THE COMING YEARS AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO ENSURE A CONSTANT PROVEN RACE STOCK THAT WILL NOT ONLY GIVE OUR OWNERS A MORE RECOGNISED PRODUCT BUT WILL ALSO ENSURE OUR TRACK DOESNT GO SHORT ON THE NUMBER NEEDED TO MAINTAIN ITS RACING SCHEDULE.

CHANGING SKY ON THE WAY BACK

 

FLYING BLACK CHANGING SKY (ABOVE) PLEASED US IMMENSLEY WHEN POSTING A 15.52 SPRINT BEFORE BAGS LAST FRIDAY AND IS NOW WELL AND TRULY ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL. OWNED BY FOUR LADS FROM EDINBURGH (THE GTLC SYNDICATE) SKY HAD BEEN A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY SINCE HE JOINED US A YEAR AGO. HE WAS TO TAKE HIS PLACE IN THE WILLIAM HILL GREYHOUND DERBY TO GIVE THE LADS A DREAM COME TRUE BUT ALAS WAS CRUELLY ROBBED OF THAT DUE TO A FREAK TRAINING ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED HIM BEING CUT AND NEEDING STITCHES.

 

SKY HAS EXCELLED IN A1 COMPANY AT MONMORE AND IS A REAL FAVOURITE. HE WILL TRIAL A SECOND AND POSSIBLY A THIRD TIME IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO TO ACHIEVE RACE FITNESS BEFORE RENEWING HIS CAREER. WE WISH HIM WELL AND THANK THE LADS FOR THEIR PATIENCE.