It seems like every week this year we are talking about the weather and again last week we witnessed some searing heat as temperatures again went over 30 degrees for 3 or 4 days and those look set to continue for the next couple of days at least. Needless to say it’s difficult to work in and all the dogs really don’t like it. We try and start a bit earlier in the morning when temperatures are lovely and cool giving them plenty of time out in the paddocks then apart from the odd walk in the shade from mid morning until late evening we keep to a quick turnout as they are much better in the kennels which are reasonably cool and when needed we have large fans blowing some cooler air around. There is no concern for the dogs but the staff are certainly overheating but have got nice tans this year! The biggest problem is travelling as no matter how cool your vans are if you get stuck in traffic or anything everything seems to overheat. We do our best to find routes that keep the vans on the move and touch wood I don’t think we’ve had a problem yet. More of a worry is the tracks who, no matter how hard they try, are struggling to keep the racing surfaces to a level that is needed for racing to be 100% safe and no natural water means this is nigh on impossible. Apart from a deluge a couple of weeks ago we have had no rain virtually since mid April, I hate to be boring but I say again, it has resulted in a large spike in injuries and we have had more than our fair share of bad luck. That struck again on Saturday as our prolific sprinting bitch Shlowdown Sally, who broke well in a hot 260m open, halfway on the run up disaster struck as she clearly broke a hock. She was of course strapped up and looks likely to be having a long operation today to repair the damage. She will definitely be used in the breeding paddocks when she has recovered and hopefully will throw a nice pup or two. She is a real kennel favourite (they all are really) and there’s a definite sense of real frustration at the bad luck we have had this year from everyone at the kennel.

 

More positive news is the form of Bombers Bullet. On Thursday he took his semi final of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic at Monmore in fine style and now lines up in his second consecutive major stayers final and this follows a place in the Greyhound Derby Final. For a long way in Thursday’s semi final we had the first three with Roswell Romanov pinging the lids and leading with Bombers Bullet in pursuit and Garryglass Champ just in behind. Bombers Bullet got to and passed Romanov off the last bend but Hayley Keightley’s Roxholme Poppy was flying at the finish pipping both Romanov and Champ for second place 2 1/2 l lengths behind Bombers Bullet in a good 37.50 who was in turn a length clear of Roswell Romanov with Garryglass Champ just missing out in 4th by a length,. It's a hot final and our two missed out on the prime trap 1 or 2 boxes drawing trap 3 with Bombers Bullet and trap 4 with Roswell Romanov. The latter makes his second Category 1 final of the year after being runner up to the much missed Murray’s Act in the Essex Vase at Romford back in March. Both will need to be at their very best if we are to land another Category 1. If Bombers Bullet was lucky enough to win he would be a very early contender for Greyhound of the Year but there’s a long way to go yet before the end of the season.

 

 

A debut run from Glory Snake at Nottingham tonight in a 500m Maiden.

 

A big night on Thursday as Roswell Romanov and Bombers Bullet bid to land the Category 1 Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic at Monmore and we have a couple of runners in the Ladbrokes Gold Cup.

 

Saleen Ash and Garryglass Teddy go in the final of the Doug Tyler Summer Cup at Romford on Friday and we should have a few runners in the opens at Towcester on Saturday.