HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ CURTIN

 

I'M PROBABLY A LITTLE BIASED BUT I BELIEVE THAT MY WIFE IS ONE IN A MILLION !! TO FIND A WOMAN THAT SHARES AN INTEREST IN GREYHOUND RACING CAN BE TRICKY, TO FIND A WOMAN PREPARED TO PUT UP WITH THE  TIME A PERSON WHO WORKS WITH GREYHOUNDS DEDICATES TO THEM INSTEAD  IS EVEN HARDER, BUT TO FIND A WOMAN WHO'S PREPARED TO STAND BESIDE YOU EVERY DAY AND WORK THEIR FINGERS TO THE BONE IN THE NAME OF GREYHOUND RACING MAKES YOU A LUCKY MAN INDEED !!

 

THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE OR HAVE BEEN CONNECTED WITH LILYPAD RACING  KNOW ONLY TOO WELL THAT LIZ DEVOTES EVERYTHING TO HER FAMILY AND THE DOGS THAT WE CARE FOR. I KNOW THE ESTEEM IN WHICH ALL OUR OWNERS HOLD AND HOW SHE ASTOUNDS MOST WITH HER ENTHUSIASM AND WORK ETHIC. APART FROM THAT LIZ IS JUST A LOVELY LADY THAT WOULDN'T BE OUT OF PLACE IN ANY WALK OF LIFE. SO FROM YOURS TRULY, THE STAFF AND ALL THE OWNERS AT VILLAGE FARM .... HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ !!!

 

 

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.