2013: WILLIAM HILL.COM DERBY at WIMBLEDON.

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Sidaz Jack: battled to get to the front after early bunching



Sidaz wins a seventh Derby for King Lister



SIDAZ JACK took the £150,000 WilliamHill.com Derby final prize in stunning style for trainer Charlie Lister, and owners Daren Johnson and Simon Wooder.

He showed exceptional pace and bravery, despite his tender age, to battle his way to the front after Ballymac Vic had appeared to set to turn ahead following a cavalary charge to the turn between the inside three of Sidaz Jack, Droopys Jet and Ballymac Vic.

Bunching behind meant Sidaz Jack took up a clear advantage down the back, and although Ballymac Vic tried to close, eventually a late run from Airlie Impact saw the rank outsider snatch second by a short head.

It was a seventh victory in the world's greatest race by the event's greatest trainer.

Sidaz Jack won by a length and a quarter in 28.37sec.

The bowser went around earlier before the sixth race - the William Hill Champion Hurdle final, which saw an easy win 29.26sec for Rick Holloway's Soviet Military from kennelmate Westmead Meteor.

Musical Gaga ran away with the Dorando Marathon for the connections of Sidaz Jack. Holdem Spy snatched a thrilling short-head win over Hather Geroge in the Derby Invitation.

The omens looked good for Ballymac Vic after his brother Ballymac Jones took the opening sprint, and Bouncy Bocko, whose trainer Graham Box has hosted the Dowlings, won the 687m open - Farloe Tango ran on to take second, setting up a possible rematch when the Leger starts later in the year.

Lemon Pluto cheered Charlie Lister fans in the second race over 480m, winning in 28.31sec

Glenpadden Post battled hard for team Draper to take the William Hill Derby Plate final, swooping on the run in past Castlelyons Cofi.

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SIDAZ JACK the 2013 £150,000 WilliamHill.com Derby final winner in full flight

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TAKEN FROM THE RACING POST.COM



An airbourne Sidaz Jack begins to make progress on the run-up



TRUE JACK POT FOR KING CHARLIE



FOR so long it appeared Ireland had a tight grip on the coveted William Hill Derby trophy.

A first triumph since Loyal Honcho’s memorable success for Seamus Graham in 2008 surely beckoned?

Droopys Jet and Ballymac Vic, the perceived big guns in Saturday’s 480-metre shootout, were duly sent off 7-4 favourite and 9-4 respectively. It all looked so straightforward.

And then along came Charlie Lister. A proud ­Englishman with red, white and blue coursing through every vein. A man who throughout his life has risen to the big occasion.

In perhaps the most awesome of all his magnificent seven Derby triumphs, the Newark-based training genius unleashed a wholly inexperienced pup on the back of just six career runs to break so many Irish hearts and snatch the £150,000 prize from their grasp with Sidaz Jack.

Draped in a Union Jack, King Charlie was in his element afterwards, holding his hands skyward, pointing to the flag, embracing his family, hugging the dog’s owners Daren Johnson and Simon Wooder, and signing autographs for the legions of racegoers who revere him.

Both Droopys Jet and Ballymac Vic are greyhounds of the highest calibre, blessed with a priceless ability to make people get up from their seats and cheer them.

Their trainers, Fraser Black and Liam Dowling, had both entered Wimbledon’s final-night cauldron declaring “there would be no excuses”. And there weren’t. The best dog on the night won.

The fact that June 11 whelp Sidaz Jack could land greyhound racing’s greatest event despite such inexperience is testament to both the dog’s extraordinary natural ability and unflappable temperament plus, of course, the titanic talent of now seven-time Derby legend Lister.

Driven by an insatiable desire to continue to be the best, 73-year-old Lister’s determination to add to his remarkable tally grew even more intense after reading an article last week that Sidaz Jack “wasn’t good enough”.

Always at his most dangerous when he has been wound-up or written off, Lister yet again rose to the challenge, proving his point by getting Sidaz Jack to produce the performance of his young life on the night it mattered most.

“The little dog won on merit. There were no excuses from the others,” he said. “All people seemed to talk about in the build-up were the Irish dogs. I couldn’t believe it when I read he wasn’t good enough.

“When Ballymac Vic beat him in the semi-final my fellow was taken out of his stride down the back. He’s still very green. I think he’s a good dog. I’ve said it from day one, but he didn’t have hardly any experience.

“He hit the right note on the night. I was really pleased with him in the week leading up to the final, and he was ever so well on Saturday morning. I couldn’t have got him any better.”

According to Lister, Sidaz Jack has “no nerves, no fear; he’s so placid he rarely even wags his tail,” and the handsome white and blue son of dual Derby champion Westmead Hawk duly took the parade in his stride.

While it was almost pandemonium all around him from a sea of people packed like sardines into Plough Lane’s one-sided stadium – the crowd was well over 2,500, up ten per cent on last year – Sidaz Jack didn’t turn a air.

Pre-race talk that such a young dog might miss his break amid the Derby roar was silenced after just one stride. The a 6-1 shot broke cleanly from trap one, and flew to the corner level with Droopys Jet and Ballymac Vic, who had both reserved their very best breaks for the final.

Fears that Droopys Jet could be crowded at the corner were realised and, without room to manoeuvre, he dropped back as Sidaz Jack and Ballymac Vic slipped clear.

In their semi-final seven nights earlier an almost identical situation had developed, from which Ballymac Vic produced a supreme burst of middle speed to power past Sidaz Jack at halfway en route to a comfortable success.

However, a week is a long time in greyhound racing, particularly with the greatest trainer of this or any other era firmly on side. This time Sidaz Jack was primed to perfection. At no point did he ever give the impression he would let Ballymac Vic get by.

“Thou shalt not pass” is a motto many of Lister’s greyhound greats could have shared over the years, and Sidaz Jack became the latest glorious example. He broke the ultra-game Ballymac Vic’s resolve straightening for home.

There was just one more challenge to resist. Bittles Bar had never been able to get competitive, while Screen Critic ran a great race without ever being able to land a blow, but 14-1 outsider Airlie Impact was in full flow now, and beginning to make relentless headway from off the pace.

However, not even the runner-up’s staunchest supporters could have expected him to reel in Sidaz Jack, and the red runner kept on powerfully to score by a length and a quarter in 28.37sec. Ballymac Vic was a short-head away in third.

“He’s very much a dog for next year,” added Lister, who paid tribute to his long-time friend Clem Lynch for buying Sidaz Jack for him. “He won’t have his legs run off this year. I think 480 metres is his trip.

“He wouldn’t be suited by 550 yards in Ireland. He’ll get stronger and stronger, and even better as he gets older. Next year he’ll be in his prime.”

Lister, who admitted to “getting the most enormous buzz” out of the win, will continue to work seven days a week and get up at the crack of dawn each day doing what he loves.

“I had a bit of a lie-in, though, this morning,” he conceded. “I’m looking forward to a few Yorkshire puddings and some nice roast beef from my butchers at lunchtime. That’s my way of celebrating.”

Johnson and Wooder were certainly celebrating on the night. “I’m just so pleased for Simon that he has won the Derby,” said Johnson, whose Kinda Ready denied Wooder’s Fear Zafonic the 2009 Derby crown.

“He’s magnanimous in both victory and defeat, and has a real touch of class about him. I’m having so much fun with the dogs we share, and there’s obviously so much more to look forward to with Sidaz Jack. To do what he did at this stage of his career is incredible, really. Hopefully there will be many more great nights like this ahead.”

As for the gallant runner-up, trainer Paul Young yesterday paid tribute to his dog. “He ran a great race and has come out of it well,” he said. “He got checked up at the third as he was really starting to get going, but I don’t think it would have made any difference to the result.

“It was a good track, a proper track and suited the front-runners, and Charlie’s record speaks for itself. They’ll have to make him the Mayor of Wimbledon soon!”

Young is hoping for a Select Stake invite at Nottingham for Airlie Impact. “The track and trip are naturals for him, and we’ll look to give him a trial there.”