Greyhounds News / Editor / 06 July 2009 / Leave a Comment

All the latest from an action-packed weekend in the North East and a good turn-out for latest Stow protests...

The draw for the Dundalk International on Sunday is: 1 Kinda Ready, 2 Cash Dream, 3 Shelbourne Aston, 4 Accordello, 5 Ballymac Ruso, 6 Skywalker Queen.

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Ardkill Tunoco, fresh from his victory in the Tyneside Derby at Newcastle which supported the TV Trophy, is aiming for more glory in the north-east.

Julie Bateson's dog set the standard in the heats of the 450-metre William Hill Classic, which forms part of the Northern Festival of Racing, at Sunderland on Saturday.

Leading up, Ardkill Tunoco clocked 26.80sec, which was the fastest of the six heats won by Glenroe Ginger (26.91), Jogadusc Ace (27.41), Lenson Express (27.19), Westmead Osprey (27.41) and Droopys Bogart (27.19).

Quickest in the supporting William Hill Grand Prix was Crown Rover's 39.33sec, who helped make it a good night for trainer Jimmy Wright, whose Hurleys Hero (39.39) also won his 640m heat.

The other Grand Prix heat winners were Lenson Joker (39.58), Wordsandatune (39.97), Droopys Carvalho (39.84) and East County (39.81).

It means that Lenson Joker and Lenson Express are still on course to complete a remarkable double having won, for trainer Tony Collett and owner Len Ponder, the Classic and Grand Prix 12 months ago. Both won their heats at the weekend.

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Shelbourne Aston and Kinda Ready, winners of the Irish and English Derbys, are set to clash in Sunday's Dundalk International.

The race is also set to include College Causeway after a flying trial at the border track, and Ballymac Ruso, beaten favourite at Wimbledon.

However, Wise Thought now goes straight to Shelbourne for the Champion Stakes and then the Derby after connections decided the shorter run to the bend at Dundalk would not suite Martin White's dog.

Meanwhile, after College Causeway's 28.02sec Dundalk trial for 525 yards, Pat Buckley's dog is down to 16.5 to grab gold at the Dublin venue in September.

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Southern Sunset, a popular open-racer and regular, faces a period on the sidelines after breaking down in a race at Nottingham recently.

Tony Hackett's bitch, a Derby heat winner, had taken up the running when suffering an injury at the first bend.

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Stuart Ray has been the trainer to follow at Newcastle recently with no less than 14 winners from his runners at the last two Bags meeting.

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Former Hull, Catford and Wembley racing manager Mick Smith is to return to Belle Vue where he will take up the racing manager's position behind GRA chief RM Bob Rowe.

The switch follows the closure of Hull and a vacancy arising in the racing office at the Manchester track, which was in the news recently over a wrong result during a Sky programme.

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Around 150 people turned up outside Walthamstow Stadium on Saturday to launch another series of protests over the sale of the track to a housing association.
Hopes still remain that plans to build on the famous stadium will not get through the planning stage, allowing a bid for the track to be made by a group of local businessmen.
Walthamstow last raced in August last year.

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