It still hasn’t hit home what happened on Saturday night. Just to say we have been truly touched by the fantastic support and kindness shown by everyone associated with Imperial kennels. We are planning to celebrate in style in the very near future. You are all invited. Sharing this experience with fellow owners is everything to us. Mark you and your team are awesome!

Kind Regards

Daren Johnson

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CONGRATULATIONS Mark, and the rest of your team
Debbie and Tanya

Hi Mark
So many congratulations to you and everybody at Imperial Kennels on a fantastic win and your first Derby on Saturday at Wimbledon.
What a dog Kinda Ready is and such a compliment to the kennels. He really looked as if he enjoyed every minute.
Well deserved and congratulatiOns once again
See you soon
Anne

Hi Mark,
What a fantastic feeling you must have winning the Derby in such tremendous style with the sheer pace of Kinda Ready..
I've got a sore throat from shouting and nearly put my foot through the telly when he got up and won on the line.
Give my regards to all at the kennel, you must all be so proud at your achievements.
Best wishes
John

Hi Mark,
Congratulations on the Derby win of Kinda Ready. Brilliant! It seems a lifetime away from those cold wet nights at Mildenhall when you helped us out with the training of our dogs.
I don't follow the dogs very much now but I always watch the Derby. Good to see your Dad enjoying the success. Hope Sarah and the family are well.
You've got plenty of years to catch Charlie Lister up!
Very best wishes,
Will Tate

Well done Mark - a fantastic win!
I'm so pleased for you and the whole team at Imperial kennels.
I'm sure you are snowed under with congrats but just wanted to add to them - what a fantastic night it must have been for you.
Best wishes
Carol Gray
(and Angelise - ex Imperial kennels inmate)

Hi Mark, many congratulations to You and your Team on winning the Greyhound Derby.
I thought Kinda Ready ran a brilliant race. I think he must have in built sat nav that he used to good effect at the first bend. It was simply a massive run from one so young. If ever a dog was well named then it is this one.
In all my time watching Derby Finals (I can remember back to 1970) it is one of the very best in terms of back running I've ever seen.
I bump into you and your team all over the Country with your open racers and no matter win or lose, you are a great credit to our sport. Your dogs always look a picture as well.
I only hope the GBGB take time out to speak to people like yourself. One thing is for certain if they do we will have a better sport.
All the best to you all for the future.
Best Wishes,
Keith Hall

Many congratulaions to you Mark and all the staff for such a fantastic performance by Kinda Ready last night. A dream come true for you all, and good to see all the dogs come off safe and sound. Well done Sleepy!!
From Jenny Greest

To Mark & all the team,
Congratulations on winning the Derby last night.
Well done , all the best for the future.
John Rigby

Congratulations to Mark and all the staff at Imperial Kennels, as well as the owners of Kinda Ready, on your wonderful achievement in winning the 2009 Greyhound Derby. Also thank you to Darren, Lee, Chris and Gary for sharing the moment with all the owners associated with the kennel, as it enabled us all to feel a part of the great occasion.
Of course the star of the show was 'Del Boy' himself who produced a
performance right out of the 'top drawer' so the biggest round of applause is reserved for him.
We are looking forward to next year's Derby already.
Be lucky.
Peter & Linda

Mark, Well done on your success winning the Greyhound Derby, Congratulations and hope you have many more successes from John and Julie Smith across the fields at Delph Lodge Beck Row Common.

Wally
You always were a lucky face!! I watched the final and have to say I was
willing your dog to get up even though I'd backed the one dog !!
I asked Clemo to pass on my congratulations but thought I'd write as well.
Simon asked me to pass on his congratulations as well.
You've come a long a way since Swaffham and Mildenhall and deserve to have this win on your CV.
Sean Westlake

Sorry Mark.
Yet another e mail of congratulations after kinda Readys fantastic performance on Saturday night.
I am the chap who spoke to you in the car park and wished you all the best for saturday night and most of all the dog to be safe and sound (I mentioned I know Dave Wood)
A tremendous run from a dog who wanted to win amd threw himself over the line.
I hope he has recovered well from his efforts(and all at Imperial Kennels)
Once again very well done ,you and all at Imperial Kennels deserve it.
Stewart Dobson

Hi Mark,
Just wanted to add my two penneth and congratulate you and all your team on winning the big one, although I couldnt be there...I was looking after the next champions....I watched it on the telly and you may have heard me!!
Just awesome and may it be the first of many Derby winners. WELL DONE TO ALL.
Brenda Seymour

Hi Mark,
Just wanted to say very well done on Saturday night's success. I'm a very loyal fan of the Greyhound Derby, and always have a couple of quid each way on four or five dogs antepost. This year I was fortunate enough to have Wise Thought at 14/1 and, yes, Kinda Ready at 66/1 (not to mention Cabra Boss at 150s, heartbreak there).
Anyway, I know how smug I was when withdrawing a couple of hundred quid from my Willy Hill account on Sunday morning - so I can only just about begin to imagine how ecstatic you must have been with the victory. Many congratulations on the win, and thanks for making this part-time gambler look like he knew what he was doing for a change...
All the best,
Tony Hodson
Deputy editor
Sport magazine

Well done Mark , Patrick and the rest of the staff
You made it an unbelievable evening for us ... made it worthwhile travelling over all the way from Belgium for the Derby Final.
Best of luck to all concerned ... such a young dog at the beginning of his career ... a very nice performance.
Great stamina ... intelligent runner ... he will only get better you know
Irish Derby ... watch out for "Kinda Ready" he will take the double
Best of luck
The Belgian Supporters

Dear Mr. Wallis & Team,
Firstly congratulations on the fabulous running of Kinda Ready on Saturday night.
I am pleased to say that I had a wager on the dog ante post at 100/1. Not a big bet but at those odds the return was for us fantastic.
We will be making a donation to the Retired Greyhounds.
Good luck for the future.
Kind regards,
Edwin Woodley

Mark and all the team
What a night! Congratulations to the owners and to staff at Imperial Kennels -well deserved reward for all your hard work. The (Del)Boy done good!
It was truly the downs and ups of greyhound racing after losing Wilson during the week - he was never going to win the Derby but he gave us such enjoyment and he won the hearts of all at Imperial Kennels with his wonderful personality. But Saturday was an amazing evening and great to be a part of it.
Mick Licence

Huge Congratulations on Kinda Ready's Derby Win on Saturday night!
A fantastic result for the kennel & Ready's team of loyal owners – a much deserved success for all involved.
It doesn’t seem like long ago on a cold Weds night at Coventry I watched him make debut in an A5….. and bred out of Kinda Sleepy a former Imperial Kennels Star…..You just couldn’t write it…..
Well Done & good luck for the future @ Imperial Kennels!!
Hope to see ‘Del Boy’ @ Shelbourne in September .
All the best,
Livi Noble

Hi Mark, Patrick, Pete, Sid, Linda and evreyone at Imperial kennels
Just a note from the Saracens boys to congratulate you on your fantastic Derby victory with Kinda Ready. Even though we don't have any dogs racing at the moment I still follow the kennel's achievements and read your newsletter every week.
The success that you have achieved in the last 12 months in the present climate and having lost Walthamstow is outstanding and you should all take the credit you deserve. I am so pleased for you.
Once again congratulations!
With kind regards
Paul

Congratulations to you all at Imperial Kennels - An Absolutely Fabulous Derby Win and very very much deserved.
Love and best wishes
Rachel Westwood and Andy Chick

Just to say well done to you and all the team on saturday, Kinda Ready ran a blinder, still getting goose bumps whenever I watch the race over. I hope you all had a little bit on ante-post. Gutted that I never, but had a little on final night at 25/1!!! Like they always say " you have to be innit to winnit " Well done again,
Aaron Goddard
ps, well done with my boy on thursday night, he also ran a blinder! AG

Hello Mark and all at Imperial Kennels
Just seen Kinda Ready's win in the Derby on Youtube from my home down under and thought I'd send you my message of congratulations.
An unbelievable run, you must be so proud and I still try to follow the dogs as much as possible.
Say hello to everyone at the kennels for me and I will drop by next time I'm in the country!!
Joe {Darling Slaney} Melbourne down under.

Mark,
Just a brief word to say a heartfelt personal 'well done' to you. Not just for your achievement, huge though that is, but for the way you always represent the very best of what greyhound racing should aspire to be. The many tributes are fully deserved.
While I am on, can I also say how impressed I was with the way Cheryl looked after Del Boy on parade. I watched the preliminaries closely, and at the beginning he looked almost hyper in his enthusiasm. To my eye Cheryl first reassured him, then got him relaxed and finally focused on his job. As it turned out, he needed every ounce of the energy and concentration she made sure was reserved for where and when it mattered. As another long standing owner remarked to me on Sunday when we watched the re-run, (yet again!), he looked perfectly settled as he entered the boxes. I knew then if 'we' had the luck then perhaps something special was on the cards. Imperial Kennels; top class in every way!!
All the best.
Peter (Whates)

Mark, Patrick, Pete and the brilliant parade lady
What a triumph. I was there but been away since. You deserve this for all of the hard work. You may remember Frisby Folly v Kinda Sleepy great races and Folly has not bred anything but Sleepy the Derby winner. Please tell her owners fantastic for them and best for the future for you all.
Regards
Chris Brookes
nb best regards to Mrs Jones