Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 16:20:19 GMT
Tomorrow will see the final appearance from one of my all-time favourite greyhounds when the old boy goes to the traps for the 136th time in his own retirement race.
Two weeks short of his 5th birthday, Mcilhatton will fittingly be one of Kath Harris’s last graded runners at the track. He was bought as an 18-month-old pup from Pat Rosney in March 2011 when it was clear he wasn’t going to make open class. Kath had just joined Belle Vue and I had promised her that I would get a couple of dogs to help fill the kennel – Bower Osprey was the other one.
Mcilhatton was named after a song written by Bobby Sands MP about a legendary poitin maker Michael Mcilhatton, immortalised in Christy Moore’s 1984 rendition.
Mac is a son of Premier Fantasy out of Breeze Hill Juli, one of the UK’s most prolific ever brood bitches. Both sire and dam have a reputation for breeding sound greyhounds whose longevity is one of their main traits and Belle Vue has been a major beneficiary of this dam line for many years.
Consider the number of races run by some of this litter alone at Belle Vue over the last few years;
Mcilhatton 136, Belfast Child 103, Nite Runner 97, Seathwaite Cash 80
Remarkably two others in the litter, Seathwaite Champ and Seathwaite Clip have also run 229 races between them at Peterborough.
Most of you will also remember some of the dam’s previous progeny who have graced the local track. Lively Cheyenne (103 races), Seathwaite Omega (132), Seathwaite Town (78), Lively karina (81) and of course the six year old Townbrow Moth , who tomorrow incredibly runs her 175th race split between here and Sheffield.
Mcilhatton is far from being the fastest greyhound I have owned but is without doubt the most genuine. He may have only won 19 races but his record of finishing second 42 times, and last on only 6 occasions shows just how hard he tries. He actually thinks he’s won nearly all his races as he is usually in front at the pick-up and he can often be seen jumping up at the fence to try and get back on the track as the paraders drag him to the paddock.
He has twice reached the heady heights of A2 and caused me major embarrassment in December 2012 when he was upgraded to A3 after winning an A5. I sent a long irate email to Bob Rowe protesting how unfair it was and how he had no chance in that grade, only for Mac to make a complete fool of me in winning the A3 by 2 lengths at 7/1. Some humble pie was eaten that day, I can tell you.
It would be great to go out with a win tomorrow and the racing office have been more than fair in giving him a real chance. In any event he’ll be on the podium to present his trophy and as usual he’ll think he’s won.
It goes without saying that it is only the skill and care shown by Kath and Dave at Starmount kennels that has allowed the dog to keep going for so long and he’ll be spending the first part of his retirement with them until we find a special home for him.
Two weeks short of his 5th birthday, Mcilhatton will fittingly be one of Kath Harris’s last graded runners at the track. He was bought as an 18-month-old pup from Pat Rosney in March 2011 when it was clear he wasn’t going to make open class. Kath had just joined Belle Vue and I had promised her that I would get a couple of dogs to help fill the kennel – Bower Osprey was the other one.
Mcilhatton was named after a song written by Bobby Sands MP about a legendary poitin maker Michael Mcilhatton, immortalised in Christy Moore’s 1984 rendition.
Mac is a son of Premier Fantasy out of Breeze Hill Juli, one of the UK’s most prolific ever brood bitches. Both sire and dam have a reputation for breeding sound greyhounds whose longevity is one of their main traits and Belle Vue has been a major beneficiary of this dam line for many years.
Consider the number of races run by some of this litter alone at Belle Vue over the last few years;
Mcilhatton 136, Belfast Child 103, Nite Runner 97, Seathwaite Cash 80
Remarkably two others in the litter, Seathwaite Champ and Seathwaite Clip have also run 229 races between them at Peterborough.
Most of you will also remember some of the dam’s previous progeny who have graced the local track. Lively Cheyenne (103 races), Seathwaite Omega (132), Seathwaite Town (78), Lively karina (81) and of course the six year old Townbrow Moth , who tomorrow incredibly runs her 175th race split between here and Sheffield.
Mcilhatton is far from being the fastest greyhound I have owned but is without doubt the most genuine. He may have only won 19 races but his record of finishing second 42 times, and last on only 6 occasions shows just how hard he tries. He actually thinks he’s won nearly all his races as he is usually in front at the pick-up and he can often be seen jumping up at the fence to try and get back on the track as the paraders drag him to the paddock.
He has twice reached the heady heights of A2 and caused me major embarrassment in December 2012 when he was upgraded to A3 after winning an A5. I sent a long irate email to Bob Rowe protesting how unfair it was and how he had no chance in that grade, only for Mac to make a complete fool of me in winning the A3 by 2 lengths at 7/1. Some humble pie was eaten that day, I can tell you.
It would be great to go out with a win tomorrow and the racing office have been more than fair in giving him a real chance. In any event he’ll be on the podium to present his trophy and as usual he’ll think he’s won.
It goes without saying that it is only the skill and care shown by Kath and Dave at Starmount kennels that has allowed the dog to keep going for so long and he’ll be spending the first part of his retirement with them until we find a special home for him.
