TALKING dogs & horses
Wednesday February 24 2010
ARDEE tracker Ferdia Bound is among the nominees revealed last week for Marathon Dog of the Year.
He is up against Corporate Attack and Rough Quest for the gong which will be presented at a ceremony in Limerick on 7 March.
Kevin Commins' stayer certainly looks to have a good chance of coming out on top, though his owner/trainer won't be counting any chickens after the kennel's Debidee Lane was controversially overlooked for the same award a few years ago.
Unsurprisingly, the country's only sprint Classic, the Bar-One Racing Irish Sprint Cup, will have a major bearing on who takes the two-bend category.
The three nominees are last year's winner of the Dundalk event, Inny Blue from John 'Ginger' McGee's Oldcastle base; beaten favourite in the final, Aho Tony, trained by Marie Gilbert in Skerries; and Carlow's Pride, successful in the consolation final.
Skywalker Queen, as winner of the Oaks and Boylesports International, holds strong claims for the Bitch of the Year accolade.
The others in contention are Cabra Tiny and Maireads Fantasy each of whom won provincial Oaks titles in 2009.
Maybe Baby, dam of Maireads Fantasy; Cabra Dancer, who threw Scottish Derby hero Cabra Cool, and College Causeway's mum, College Tina are in the reckoning for top Brood Bitch.
Of course, the main award is for Dog of the Year. The list is headed by brilliant paddypower.com Derby winner College Causeway who electrified the game with his performances around Shelbourne Park on the way to winning the premier Classic.
It must be short odds that Pat Buckley's charge gets the nod. Who said 'remember Zaynar'?
McGee is again represented here with Oran Classic. He led the Derby final field until collared by the Causeway; and also filled the runner-up berth in the Laurels and Masters deciders.
Broadacres Turbo, winner of the Masters and the Grand Prix, would appear the outsider of three.
Worth a punt...
Possol, Kempton, Saturday
Chinned IN case you didn't know, the aforementioned Zaynar was chinned at 1/14 last Thursday at Kelso.
He went into the race as one of the favourites for the Champion Hurdle, and his shock eclipse means that Solwhit and Go Native now head the market for the Festival's first day highlight.
I wonder what connections of Dunguib make of it all? The odds-on favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle still holds an entry in the Champion.
It must be tempting to switch targets and take on the more seasoned campaigners, even though, at seven years of age, Dunguib is no youngster in relative terms.
Trainer Philip Fenton reiterated after the horse's latest triumph that everything was geared towards the race that opens Cheltenham.
Some sloppy jumping that day at Leopardstown would appear to leave the novice event the safest option, but the thing is Dunguib would likely start favourite for the Champion Hurdle if allowed to line up.
You never know what might happen. After all, New Approach wasn't supposed to run in the Derby.
- Francis CARROLL
