Bantiss Greyhounds

Half-Term Report: Top 30 Open Race Sires UK & Ireland 2009

Top Sires of Opens in the UK and Ireland Jan1 - Jun30 2009.  Figures from Greyhound Star and Den Morrin.

1	TOP HONCHO	291
2	DROOPYS VIERI	241
3	BRETT LEE	210
4	DROOPYS MALDINI	178
5	HONDO BLACK	143
6	CRASH	131
7	DROOPYS KEWELL	112
8	HEADBOUND	103
9	WESTMEAD HAWK	99
10	HONCHO CLASSIC	98
11	DROOPYS SCHOLES	97
12	PREMIER FANTASY	84
13	TOP SAVINGS	78
14	BIG DADDY COOL	76
15	DAVES MENTOR	74
16	LARKHILL JO	59
17	BALLYMAC MAEVE	57
18	JUST THE BEST	55
19	BOHERDUFF LIGHT	50
20	YEAH MAN	47
21	DROOPYS SCOLARI	46
22	KNOCKABOUT WOK	44
23	TYRUR TED	43
24	TUCKS MEIN	43
25	HALLUCINATE	38
26	ACE HI RUMBLE	37
	GO WILD TEDDY	37
	ROANOKEE	37
29	TOMS THE BEST	30
30	COME ON LLEYTON	29

Woody makes it 6

Winch Woody, bred and reared here, won an A1 at Romford last night in a very good 24.43.

The early paced blue son of Bantiss Princess by crack sprinter Ningbo Jack was winning for the 6th time in 21 starts - a very nice record.

Oi Oi Woody.

SCOLARI ME DADDY

What can I say?  I did post up not long ago that Droopys Scolari was making a big impact. Well he really IS making a big impact now.

Hot on the heels of Westmead Grant's brilliant performances at Shelbourne Park, and Exciting Dec's domination of the Oran Majestic Unraced Stake at Galway,  another son Of Droopys Scolari is the new 'Talking Dog' of Irish greyhound racing.

Scolari Me Daddy, a blue son of Scolari out of Lemon Abby, out of a long line of Lemon bitches (of Lennon fame), has simply blown the sport apart with 2 blistering runs on the last two wednesday nights at HQ.

For anyone who is not familiar with Shelbourne Park, Wednesday night traditionally runs 20 spots or more slower than a Saturday night.

Well last Wednesday Scolari Me Daddy won by 13 lengths in 28.54.  A reputed €35,000 was turned down by the all female Glamour Paws Sundicate.  Then last night, Scolari Me Daddy catapulted himself into superstar status when winning by 14 lengths in an unbelievable 28.33.  This is an incredible run - just 6 spots behind Priceless Rebel's longstanding Shelbourne Park puppy record of 28.27.

This line throws really good dogs - maybe not as heralded as other lines - but the likes of Droopys Merson and Lemon Rambo were top drawer.  Scolari Me Daddy could be the best of them all.

Top 10 Sires June 2009

Here are the top 10 sires of Open Race Winners in the UK and Ireland for June 2009

1	TOP HONCHO	51
2	DROOPYS VIERI	43
3	BRETT LEE	37
	DROOPYS MALDINI	37
5	HONDO BLACK	26
6	DROOPYS KEWELL	20
	WESTMEAD HAWK	20
8	CRASH	18
	DAVES MENTOR	18
	PREMIER FANTASY	18

Tipperary Cup 2009

I attended my local track Thurles on Saturday night for what was the first round of the Tipperary Cup. The Tipperary Cup is an old and famous competition, and this year's entry is up there as probably the best of recent years.

Times were good on a warm night at the Towns Park and the biggest crowd of the year so far witnessed some great racing.

Impressive on the night were St Louis Spirit who came from behind to win in 28.60 - the fastest of the night, Lleytons Dote who put a disappointing performance in Shelbourne the week before behind him (when I backed him) to blitz his rivals in 28.74, and Magical Stan who despite only clocking a satisfactory 29.20, did it the hard way coming from last to first. I really did not expect that from this early-paced dog. He is a half brother of Bantiss Annie and a full brother (repeat mating Magical Captain x Aughavas ) of Irish Oaks winner Ms Firecracker, who I have just purchased a pup out of for the syndicate.

What impressed me was the ongoing maintenance of the racing surface througout the night. Track staff were taking no chances with the track drying out as the sprinklers were turned on at least four times during racing, and the tractor went around between almost all races. Well done to all at the track for what was a very enjoyable evening.

Latest flying machine from Jymmi's damline

A pup very closely related to my own Bantiss Jymmi is making waves in the UK.

Taken from the Racing Post

ROMEO EXPERT recorded a flying 28.76sec in Tuesday's batch of warm-up trials over 480m for the 63rd Two Year Old Produce Stakes at Swindon.

Dave Firmager's dog was fastest of the session, and his calculated time of 28.36sec (going -40) dipped under the official clock of 28.44sec held by Rhyzome Wizard. Kennelmate Romeo On Air was next best with 29.17sec, followed by Fabulous Verity who clocked 29.18sec.

The Swindon event, for British-bred puppies, kicks off on Saturday. The £15,000 final takes place on Saturday, July 23.

2 Bantiss bred runners tonight

Bantiss Dermot runs in an open tonight at Romford, bidding to add to his win 11 nights ago when winning in 24.50 (GDRating 99).  Another runner bred here makes her debut tonight when Shoeless Julie takes her bow in a novice contest at Harolds Cross - she is from the Droopys Vieri x Highgate Albion litter that started with a bang last week when Flying Dart won in a splendid 19.20 - that merited a Greyhound Data rating of 100!

Other recent winners bred by me include Alice And Me who won in 29.43 at Newcastle on Saturday night, Bantiss Alice (28.53 Kinsley 27/6) and Black Betsy who won her debut at Longford on the 26th in 29.50.

Hawk meets his match with Nina

From yesterday's Racing Post.

SHELBOURNE NINA, winner of the Brighton Belle and Midland Oaks for Hove trainer Brian Clemenson in 2005, has whelped a litter of 11 to Westmead Hawk - ironically, the winner of the last race she ran in.

"And she might well have beaten him that night" said part-owner  Nick Budimer about the choicely-bred daughter of Knockeevan Star and Expert View, who broke down off the last bend when in front at Wimbledon on Trainers' Championship night in 2006.

"Fear Me was in the race, and Ronnies Champion, as well as the Hawk.  It was the top heat of the 480m in the Trainers' Championship and she led them a merry dance, certainly to the home straight when the injury happened.  She broke a hock.

"We'll never know if she'd have got home, but I always believe she'd have held on!"

The litter were whelped at the Shelbourne Stud in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, where Brian King reports mother and pups in fine form.  "I'm not too sure Nick (Budimer) expected so many.  He planned to keep them all, but now I think there's a plan to have them syndicated, or to sell a few," he added.

I was down at the Stud last night and saw the pup - HUGE they are at a week old.  Blacks and brindles. As most of you probably know one of these little beauties has been purchased by me for a syndicate.

Who is your real friend?

This really works.  If you don't believe it, just try this experiment. 
     
Put your dog and your wife in the boot of the car for an hour.
  
When you open the boot , which one is really happy to see you?

Flying Dart 19.20 Debut

Great news last night from Galway as Flying Dart (owned by Seamus Fahy) won his debut race - a sprint over 350yards - in a very decent 19.20.  Putting that time in context it is the same as a 17.90 spin over the 325 trip or an 18.16 over 330yards.

Of 1074 dogs to race over that trip this year at Galway, the time has only been bettered by 20 dogs. It was bettered by a similar amount last year also.  This is a very promising pup.

Fying Dart is from the December 2007 Droopys Vieri litter out of my fast bitch Highgate Albion.  'Julie' was a very fast bitch in her own right - her 29.01 run at Galway was not bettered for 2 months and she had an unreal burst of early pace that saw her more often than not at the first bend before her competitors. She clocked a 3.14 split one night which is whoooosh!  Julie's mother was the great Park Jewel who won and ran-up the Easter Cup Final as well as making the Irish Oaks Final.

Sadly Julie passed away last year when whelping a litter of pups.

This pup is the first to run in the litter.