Greyhound News: Fear Zafonic back on track

Greyhounds News / The Lord / 23 August 2010 / Leave a Comment

Fear Zafonic out front

"Fear Zafonic was back by the seaside last week as he plundered the Carling East Anglian Challenge, the perfect warm-up for his return for the Betfair-backed Derby over 462m."

Greyhound of the Year set for reappearance in Betfair East Anglia Derby at Yarmouth, according to insider The Lord

Kinda Ready is just three races away from history after the 2009 English Derby winner won his third round heat of the Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park on Saturday.
Mark Wallis's star, who is being trained in Ireland by his rearers Ian and Brenda Seymour, is bidding to become only the second dog ever to win an English and Irish Derby after Toms The Best did the feat in different years in the late 1990s. No dog has ever won the two competitions in the same year.
He now goes in the quarter-finals at the Dublin venue at the weekend and is sure of mighty support as hundreds of UK-based racegoers get ready to fly out to Ireland for the latter stages to cheer him on.
However, among his quarter-final rivals on Saturday, are hotpots Tyrur Big Mike, Thurlesbeg Joker and Mesedo Blue, and connections will just be hoping for qualification.
Betfair's greyhound commitment steps up a gear over the next few weeks with the Betfair Steel City Cup, which reaches the semi-final stage at Sheffield on Tuesday, and then the Betfair East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth next month.
Heading the betting for Sheffield glory are Mill Pinpoint and Magna Venturer, who renew rivalry again in the semis after Kelly Macari's Mill Pinpoint beat the Draper dog in the heats.
Charlie Lister also holds a strong hand in the semis, with his trio of Farloe Lee, Was Not Me and Deerfield Sam all in tip-top form just now. The first three in each qualify for Tuesday's Sky final.


Meanwhile, Fear Zafonic, whose omission from the Sheffield line-up surprised many, has instead been renewing his association with Yarmouth.
It was at the east coast track last year where the Greyhound of the Year probably secured the top honour as he led home a one-two-three for handler Lister.
Fear Zafonic was back by the seaside last week as he plundered the Carling East Anglian Challenge, the perfect warm-up for his return for the Betfair-backed Derby over 462m.


Sky's live greyhound programmes resume after a short break on Thursday with the Select Stakes from Nottingham.
The richest one-off race in the UK, it was won last year by Windy Millar who is back to defend his crown after showing a distinct return to form for Pat Rosney in the last few weeks.
Hot favourite for the £7,500 spoils is Blue Artisan, the Gymcrack winner who was an unlucky-in-running second in the Gold Cup final at Monmore on Friday.


Finally, the Save Our Stow campaign is ready to turn the screw on site owners London & Quadrant.
The word on the street is that another march is being planned, this time on L&Q's offices in a bid to force the housing association into selling the land to bidder Bob Morton.
Morton, who is understood to be one of Britain's most successful businessmen, has table a bid for the site of greyhound racing's one-time premier venue.
But as yet there has been a muted response from L&Q, with a short statement released last week asking for more details of the bid. This has angered SOS's campaign leaders.
One SOS source said: "The bid is credible. It involves housing and a leisure complex including, of course, the one thing that remains synonymous with Walthamstow, greyhound racing.
"L&Q have a responsibility to return the track to the people of Walthamstow and we will be calling on them and the greyhound industry to make their feelings known."
Politically, the SOS stance is strong. It has major support in the House of Parliament from the likes of Pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, local MP Stella Creasy and new Labour MP and huge greyhound fan Ian Lavery.