The greyhound derby

Care to qualify that statement Kelly lapsed into backwaters? When is the last time you have been greyhound racing?

It was a brilliant night in Wimbledon

After Romford on Friday, Wimbledon on Saturday and missing the flight home Sunday my body was so broken I could not get out of bed at all yesterday

It was a brilliant Derby final and the draw done the trick for me. Roddick ran a belter after getting awful early crowding, was always gonna happen with Peregrine Falcon outside him and Rocky inside. Hiya Butt ran his heart out, he goes Sunderland Classic next where if he takes to the track will take all the besting, Lenson Rocky ran brilliant for one so inexperienced going into the comp, the race didn't go to plan for the other 2 and they never really got into it. Was some break from Jaytee Jet considering the problems they'd had with him, done a 4:71 when it really mattered.

I miss the final myself [away on holidays ] i had a look at it when i came home yesterday on youtube , a wonderful race, i backed a few at the early stages; only falcon made it to the final for me. Glad to see you had a good time P.F. . I look forward to the irish greyhound derby [one of my fav sporting events.]

Just looking back - Maybe it was a dead heat and both were allowed through rather than having a run off or a draw for the qualifier. Slightly different alright.

Sounds crazy but I thought he did not even run the track that well on Saturday as I thought he was a little awkward around the bend and gave up ground after his great break. There could be plenty of improvement if they can get him right at Shelbourne.

Rocketfingers , have not been greyhound racing since Dunmore closed . Dunmore was probably the biggest ( and best) galloping track in these isles , but sadly went the way of numerous other tracks . I understand there is no track in London , used to be dozens . There were over 40,000 at a greyhound meeting in Celtic Park ( Belfast , the first track in Ireland ) in the thirties .

Compare that to meetings now , there are two men and a boy at the track in Ballyskeagh near Belfast ( and occasionally 3 bookies , normally less --one of those bookies verified this to me about 6 months ago ).

Gives me no pleasure to air this view , would that the sport would return to a rightful position as medium to mass entertainment , dont think it does in present mode .

Premier , figures such as mine are to make a point . That you might consider it pointless is neither here not there to me , it is a measure of how things have changed , not for the better for the doggie men ( and women) . I grew up with greyhound people , Mick Horan trained my fathers dogs and a lot of punting emanated from those quarters . Two of my fathers friends won Greyhound Derbies , Billy O'Kane and Jack McAllister . The tracks were busy then , they are not now , that is the point .

Que Wildbore telling us how angry we all are

Ok how does it qualify you for having one? You have not been for 20 years !

It's like to turn that around and ask you what makes you think nothing has changed?

the dead heat was a strange one..a lad i know laid one dog in the derby  the winner..66/1 before its easter cup win..he never looke dthe winner till last 2 metres..

Rocketfingers , stop dodging the issue , and trying to put words into my mouth .

You implied that I had no valid opinion on dog racing since I had not been to a dog meeting since Dunmore closed ( probably less than 20 years ago ) .

If dog racing has changed in its basic format in the last 20 years perhaps you could inform me ( and the rest of the forum) in simple terms . If you cannot substantiate your point , stop sniping and accept that there are valid views out here which do not warrant snipers .

Your opening post was excellent , I was the first to respond on it , yet you choose to snipe and not respond to a perfectly valid request .

Gant , the times they are different .  Any sport where there is wagering involved as part of the equation needs crowds ( and punters and layers) . Take away any of those 3 factors and you have a problem .  Sounds like Saturday was a great occasion , not least for those directly involved . Pity there are not more nights/days like that .  We certainly miss the odd big nights we experienced up to Dunmore closing ( and Celtic Park was probably more popular than Dunmore to be fair , it was after all the birthplace of track racing in Ireland ) .

Madness from Kelly coming on here and trying to preech to lads who love their dogs, you are lecturing to people after admitting you have not gone to the dogs for circa 25 or 30 years +, it's nearly laughable.

Those days will never come back, we are starting to see a real surge in crowds at Shelbourne again on Saturday nights and Harolds Cross on Friday nights but if we even get back to the days of the mid 2000s we will be doing well, it will never see anything like what Kelly describes.

pf,big crowd of punters in spark

big crowd of sightseers at hx

Aye, sure i would be the same, when i do go HRX it ain't to bet

It's been good to see the crowds start to pick up again even if it does make it a pain in the rear end to get to the bar but we need it to continue all year round and not just the summer months and Christmas time, we need it to apply to more tracks as well.
We need better policing in the game, i am not saying he or her are doing wrong with their dogs (not getting into that) but the fact that so much of the industry do not believe in the integrity of the game is a massive problem.
Then we need more prize money, get it rising towards the level is was at in the mid to late 2000s before it went crash.

Premier Fantasy is the best man on here regarding greyhounds, he makes his own prices and they are better than the lads at the track, he has already commented on Kelly's nonsense and yet Kelly can't take the hint. It must must be 35 years since he has been racing and comes on here preeching to PF and the other greyhound lads, can't make it up.