Zafonic should be feared: Charlie Lister tells Betfair Radio

/ Joe Dyer / 18 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

Four-time Derby winner heads the guests on Betfair Radio's dedicated greyhound show - live every Tuesday at 4pm

Fear Zafonic is right up there with the best Charlie Lister has ever-trained, the four-time English Derby-winning trainer told listeners to Betfair Radio's Greyhound Show on Tuesday afternoon.

The Newark handler, who has trained such luminaries as Some Picture, Rapid Ranger, Farloe Verdict and Fear Me in recent years, thinks the world of the October '06 son of Premier Fantasy who completed an unbeaten run through the Graphite Puppy Derby at Walthamstow on Saturday.

Those that tuned into Betfair Radio's Greyhound Show with Mark Sullivan - scheduled for Tuesdays at 4pm - will have also learned Lister plans to run Fear Zafonic, beaten just once in eight races in the UK, next in the Gymcrack at Hall Green, which starts on July 2.

John Mullins also plans the Birmingham event for Blonde Fern his impressive Yorkshire Oaks winner on Sunday.

The Suffolk trainer told Betfair Radio listeners of his admiration for the October '06 daughter of Hondo Black who clocked a breakneck 29.17sec in the Sheffield decider at the weekend.

On the show, Mullins also outlined plans for the upcoming William Hill UK Festival of Racing at Sunderland and hinted he may travel to Ireland with Toosey Blue and Blonde Dino, his English Derby third, for the Derby at Shelbourne Park in August.

Norah McEllistrim was voted the new chairperson of the Greyhound Trainers' Association on Monday and she gave her first radio interview since her convincing victory over Carol Grasso and Brian Clemenson to us here at Betfair.

The Wimbledon trainer called for unity amongst the trainers' ranks as they move forward at a very transitional time for greyhound racing. The sport must face up to the merging of the National Greyhound Racing Club and British Greyhound Racing Board to form the Great British Greyhound Board in the wake of the Donoughue Report.

You can listen to the show in full below.