18.7.22. As we take an enforced two day break from racing due to the exceptionally hot weather, there is plenty of time for a kennel update.
SUPREME ODIN (pictured cooling down at about this time last year) is on the verge of returning from a one month rest. In June, such has been the shortage of wide runners in certain grades, Luigi appeared on an advance card in trap 6 with a wide runner tag! Before we could take him out he injured himself in the paddock (again) and so he was given a month off to recover and recharge his batteries. He should re-appear on the graded strength at about the end of July – but not as a wide runner!
If there’s one dog that doesn’t mind the heat so much it’s NODUFF ARIA, as evidenced by him having won twice from his last three outings, taking his tally to eight in all. It doesn’t look like Fred will break that 29 second barrier now. Fred does a very good job of keeping out of trouble – which should add to his longevity as a racer – but he’s not getting any quicker. He’s just won in A7. He would be able to win an S3 but it’s been many months since there was one. Hopefully that might change.
t’s now mid-July and NODUFF BELLAGIO would have been trialling by now following her long injury lay-off but the gallop is rock hard due to the weather and there’s only so much you can do in the pool or on the walker. Bonnie was due for a sprint but then the very hot weather intervened. Hopefully it won’t be much longer.
NODUFF DUNES came into season at the same time as Bonnie and Absinthe (isn’t that so often the way!) It’s taken Mia four trials to get back on the racing strength but on her second start she really showed us what she can do. She missed the break but still pulled herself to the lead at the second bend and just faded into third on the home straight due to lack of fitness post-season. She looks to be a good thing next time out as long as she doesn’t turn in the traps again as she has been seen to do!
NODUFF EXCALIBUR previously won two A1s in 28.50 but you can’t stay in peak form forever though and Jock built up a losing run of six, dropping to A2 in the process. Having been getting a run every week that then stopped and he was upped to open company after an inexplicable gap of sixteen days leaving him with an impossible task. He needs to be drawn in trap one again in an A2 or even an A3 and he should then regain winning ways.
It seems a long time since March and April when NODUFF FLAMINGO won three from four and looked highly progressive. Raspberry tries incredibly hard (she’s probably the keenest in the kennel) but she hasn’t won since. She is devoid of early pace and really needs eight bends to show her best but there’s no chance of a graded marathon when we can’t even get an S3! She has been tried in S2 but that’s also too fast for her so, for the timebeing, we just have to watch her tumble through ther grades again, running on very strongly but too late. Maybe an S3 will come along one day.
It seemed a good idea to send NODUFF GRAND to Hove for a trial as 500m/515m could well be Wallace’s perfect trip as 540m around Crayford somewhat taxes his stamina. He recorded a 30.25 off a modest sectional which was OK without being earth shattering and Jim decided he should have a second look as Hove is difficult to run first time up. He was slated to trial again nine days later but shortly before departure he was bitten by his kennelmate and that outing had to be cancelled in favour of a spell of sick leave!
NODUFF HACIENDA seems to have altered his running style with age. Ridley is showing less early but is coming home better and so we decided to have a go at six bends. It took forever to organise a trial so, in the end, he ran in a 630m maiden instead. That turned out to be an incredibly hot race and he was drawn in trap 4 so it was mainly a case of fingers crossed that he made it round unscathed! Happily he did and he wasn’t disgraced and broke 39 seconds and can obviously do better. Here’s hoping for a suitable S2 in the near future!
NODUFF IMPERIAL reappeared from seasonal rest on 25th June and, as at today, Absinthe has had four runs post season. She stayed on a lot better last time, as expected for about twelve weeks out of season and should be winning in the not too distant future. She is downgraded to A9 for her next run and could well go close.
NODUFF JOKER was another very progressive pup but that progress has rather abruptly come to a halt and the kennel is looking into why. Rum trialled over six bends as that was seemingly ideally suited to his running style but he was a bit one-paced. A return to A6 didn’t show the expected improvement for the longer outing and he seems a little lethargic. Maybe he really doesn’t like the very hot weather.
NODUFF KLONDIKE recorded a double and was looking immensely exciting for a September puppy but couldn’t follow up and land the hat trick next time out. Jake hasn’t repeated those sub-29 second times since and is getting outpaced early in A4 before flying home. He all but won last time out but was hampered all the way to the second bend which proved the difference between victory and second place. Hopefully he will get clear next time and get back to winning ways. He needs to be drawn close to the fence.
NODUFF LUXOR is our latest addition. Formerly known in Ireland as Tir Chonaill, at the time of joining us he’s had only two trials at Derry and is a blank canvass for Jooles and Jason to work with. He is to be known in the kennel as Timone who, Jooles tells me, is a character in the Lion King which looks like some kind of weazle. This beautiful black dog certainly doesn’t look like that. Timone should be trialling soon but it looks like the Racing Office may have mislaid his Irish book so a further delay looks on the cards!
CHASING LANDY’s spell on the sidelines didn’t work the oracle and he dropped to A3 without success. He then had a terrible looking fall when he slipped on the hare rail having got into the habit of running even wider than normal. Happily nothing was broken but Cooper certainly felt sorry for himself afterwards and was treated to some steak for dinner. Another spell of holiday now ensues which is no bad thing given the weather!
MUSTANG HIGHWAY ran three opens following his last brace of graded successes but without looking likely to win. So many sprints are lost in the first couple of strides. The Racing Office were asked to put Wilson back to graded company but they struggled to put together a suitable race and he hasn’t had the number of races we would have liked or would have had over four bends. Happily he is now rostered for another D1 and we will see if he can get back to winning ways.
GLENSIDE ANCHOR has become something of a kennel star, notching up three wins already. Sailor’s last time out victory in A8 was particularly special as he had to come from behind to win having previously led all the way. He was pulling away at the line so it will be interesting to see how much further up the grades he can go.
EIRE SLEATY was recommended to us by the kennel as a replacement for another dog that didn’t quite manage to grade on. Ronan didn’t take long to hit the ground running, winning just his second race at Monmore in a decent 15.67 over the sprint trip. He stays on strongly over two bends and it wouldn’t be long before he was upped for his 480m debut. Indeed, his two trial efforts went very well and an A8 debut is both awaited and looks well within his compass.