Monday 14th September 2009

DROOPYS ZACH (Zach)
(Knockabout Wok-Droopys Darlene)
October 06- W/Bk Dog

Owner - Andy Pelley/Sarah Whippey
57 Races - 22 Wins (19 Opens)

This year's leading open racer from our kennel with 13 wins is enjoying a fabulous year that has seen him land two competitions, both at Monmore, including the Category 1 Summer Stayers worth £7,500, and a stack of open races including a track record at Sittingbourne over 642m. In all 'Zach' has only finished out of the first three 7 times in his 57 race career to date

'Zach' like a number of top open racers started his career in humble beginnings in P8 grade at the much missed Walthamstow when trained by the now retired John Sherry in a race in which he finished 2nd. The promise shown was realised in his next race when romping home by 5 1/2 lengths in a calc 29.02. A three grade upgrade only just stopped him when he was 2nd and away days at firstly Romford (4th) and then Harlow where he won his first open by 3 1/2 lengths in 26.35. Unsuccessful in his next 4 opens he returned to the grades where he picked up an A4 and an A3 before taking the Puppy Open on Walthamstow's final meeting last August in 28.73 (+10) a race which caught my eye. To say I was pleased that John Sherry recommended to owners Andy Pelly and Sarah Whippey that he should have our kennel train him was an understatement and he joined us that month.

His first race for us was in a hot Manchester Puppy Cup heat where he qualified in 2nd but was knocked out in the semi's. With only one win in his first 7 races for us we could be forgiven for thinking he was only limited but the step up to six bends was to prove the making of him.

After winning at Romford on his staying debut over 575m he followed up with a win at Mildenhall coming from way off the pace to collar the leader that left some racegoers amazed. This was followed by some mixed performances at Romford and Harlow before a sensational 7 length win from a good field at Henlow over 550m at the end of 2008.

His first race in 2009 was in the Coronation Cup at Romford where he won his heat and semi-final before being out-gunned in the final behind Droopys Carvalho. Some near misses followed before a scintillating victory at Coventry in 39.16 (+25) prompted a call up to our Trainers Championship team at Sheffield where he finished 2nd to Tyrur Rodge over 660m. Never far away in his next few races, including a couple of more wins at Coventry, saw him enter the bigger stage when running a blinder on our glorious Derby Final night coming 2nd in the 660m.

In his first Category 1 event at Monmore, the Ladbroke Summer Stayers, he had some ardent open race fans perhaps fairly questioning his temperament when he should have won both heat and semi-final, however the final was a different story as a focussed Droopys Zach demolished his opponents by 7 lengths in a blistering 37.57 earning a quote from Racing Post's Jonathan Kaye 'as good a training performance as the Derby winner'.

Getting no run at Sunderland in the festival's Grand Prix when eliminated in the semi's, another win at Coventry followed by a breathtaking track record at Sittingbourne when he won by 7 1/2 lengths in 39.64 before taking in the £5,000 to the winner Ladbroke August Festival. With kennelmate Corrig Vieri being made favourite and leading off the last bend 'Zach' produced a stunning finish to catch and pass him to land the spoils. More wins at Sittingbourne, Coventry and Yarmouth have seen this majestic and friendly son of Knockabout Wok a real crowd favourite and with the St Leger just around the corner we may have in Droopys Zach our best chance of landing the event for the first time in the kennel's history. Now wouldn't that be a stunning double at Wimbledon this year, the Derby and the St Leger!