Stud Dogs of Note
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By Timeform — published Monday 17 August, 2020 at 14:25
Timeform take a look at some of the established sires at present, as well as some up-and-comers, their achievements, and importantly, their impact on UK graded and open racing.
Many greyhound breeders state the importance of the brood bitch in producing quality racing greyhounds, whilst others attach significant weight to the stud dog. However, on balance it is fair to say a combination of the two, taking the best attributes of both, will likely have the most significant impact.
Below we look at some of the established sires at present, as well as some up-and-comers, their achievements, and importantly, their impact on UK graded and open racing.
Established sires:
The sire of the moment, unsurprisingly a top-class operator on the track boasting 19 wins from 38 starts. A winner of the Irish Champion Stakes, he also made the semi-final of the English Derby back in 2013. With a pedigree to match his exploits on the track, the son of Slip The Lark is responsible for a considerably higher amount of UK runners than many of his counterparts. His record is unquestionable, with an excellent win/run ratio in graded races across the vastly different tracks, his progeny’s record in open company similarly stands up at roughly 20%. Droopys Roddick (runner-up English Derby 2016) is arguably his most famous son and a successful sire in his own right.
KINLOCH BRAE
Now one of the elder statesmen of the breeding paddocks, he was a top-class tracker in his native America, a winner of the Derby Lane Sprint Classic back in 2008. Operating from Frightful Flash kennels in Ireland, his impact on breeding has been a sustained one, responsible for dogs such as Ballymac Vic & Razldazl George. The 2005 whelp remains a source of a high percentage of graded winners across the tracks in the UK, and whilst his open race percentage is relatively modest this year, his influence on greyhound breeding will remain highly significant for years to come.
Bred for early speed being a son of Premier Fantasy, and that was undoubtedly his most potent asset. An impressive individual, he was a regular on the big stage, making both the English & Irish Derby finals in 2015, leading for a long way in both, and agonisingly run down late in the day in the latter contest. Well supported by breeders such as Ian Greaves, encouragingly he’s not just an influence for early pace, his progeny doing particularly well at some of the tougher 4-bend circuits including, Newcastle, Sheffield & Yarmouth. His record with open class runners also standing up at approximately 20%.
LAUGHILL BLAKE
A son of the outstanding Brett Lee, “Blake” had an enviable C.V, winning 14 of his 22 starts, chief amongst them the 2014 Irish Derby. Blessed with tremendous early pace, his prominence as a sire has increased markedly in recent years and his record speaks for itself. Boasting approximately a 20% win rate across the tracks for his graded runners in the UK, his impact at open level so far this term has been less prolific, but that promises to change and it’s worth noting he was responsible for last year’s English Derby winner Priceless Blake.
TAYLORS SKY
The greatest son of Westmead Hawk and a Derby winner in his own right, landing the Blue Riband event back in 2011. The striking white & blue dog was also a Monmore Gold Cup winner and a Henlow Derby winner in his time. Operating from Newpark Stud in Tipperary, his progeny boast in the region of an 18% strike rate in graded fare this year. Lenson Panda, a Puppy Derby winner, is one of his best offspring, marking himself out as a top-class performer before injury sadly cut his career short.
Up-and-comers:
Had a relatively low-key start to his career operating in graded racing at Newcastle, but soon announced himself a force to be reckoned with, making the English Derby final on just his fourteenth start, having already broken Wimbledon’s 480-metre track record in May 2015. With a style of racing characteristic of his late great sire Westmead Hawk he was always worth his place at stud. To date his graded win record is very solid at around 23% and whilst he’ll surely prove an emphasis for strong-running sorts, encouragingly he has been responsible for a number of early-paced open racers already, his record in that class for 2020 standing at roughly 35% at the time of writing.
Is a newcomer to the sire ranks as a May 15’ whelp, coming from a famous Droopys damline, his mother Droopys Danneel herself an Oaks winner. A son of Ballymac Vic, he was a high-class operator over four bends, winning the English Derby in 2018. Despite limited pups in competitive action to date given his own relative youth, the signs have been encouraging. With his graded win rate standing at around 22% (admittedly from a relatively small sample) it would still come as no surprise to see him a key influence for early pace in the years to come, including at open class level.
It is fair to say he boasted a moderate win-to-run ratio, yet he made up for that with victory in the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Final as a youngster. He was also twice a Dundalk International finalist and an Irish Derby Finalist in 2015. He’s had limited runners to date but has produced some classy sorts already and, operating from the Droopys Stud, he looks sure to get a host of top class broods and is a sire to monitor closely in the coming months as more of his pups hit the ground.
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