Glamour Paws kick-off Derby Rd Two!

Speaking with the Glamour Paws Syndicate last October after Me Phat Daddy claimed victory in the Track Supporters/Langton Hotel Derby at Kilkenny, we learned of a syndicate of friends who had enjoyed wonderful success since Aileen & Kathleen Lennon introduced their fellow members to greyhound ownership.

Now contesting the 2017 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby, Me Phat Daddy ran with great credit despite a hefty bump to qualify from Round One and racing from Trap 1 in Heat 1 for tonight's second round, kicks-off proceedings at Shelbourne Park while carrying the Derby dreams of his enthusiastic owners who are pictured below, just in advance of his Round One appearance last weekend.

Good Luck Ladies!

**Below was the the Glamour Paws Syndicate story of October 2016

ME PHAT DADDY

Glamour girls score with a very cool Daddy

One of the most prestigious graded stakes on the entire calendar, the A1 525 Yard Langton Hotel & Track Supporters Club Derby at Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium, more often than not, requires any aspiring winner to possess talents beyond that A1 level and in 2016 the event returned a most impressive victory for Me Phat Daddy (Scolari Me Daddy/Lemon Soul) who extends the brilliant ownership exploits of the Glamour Paws Syndicate in Kilkenny.

Joining the AA0 ranks having claimed the €4,700 first prize, he delivered on his early career promise by winning three of his four heats in the competition. Recording a career best 28.79(-30) in Round 1, he completed the event with a most accomplished display from his suitable Trap 1 draw when keeping pace with 2015 Tipperary Cup winner Black Tom to the opening bend before asserting his dominance on the back-straight for a strong running five and a half length verdict.

The Glamour Paws Syndicate following the victory of Me Phat Daddy in the Langton Hotel and Track Supporters Club Derby at Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium

A third racing representative for his winning owners who began their syndicate with none other than Scolari Me Daddy in 2009, Me Phat Daddy will now target the Waterford Masters with syndicate member Aileen Lennon, daughter of trainer and prolific breeder Dinny Lennon in Threecastles, hopeful that he can continue to improve.

“He’s running great, we’re delighted with him. He’s just starting to come into his own now actually. He gave a long time where he wasn’t really right in himself, just not eating well even though there didn’t appear to be much wrong. But he came through that, was back eating and Dad said to me back in June or July, he’s right now! From that day to this, he has just kept improving, long may it last!

“He’s up in Open class now so you have no choice, you have to take them on but we’ll go to the Masters in Waterford before we think about Shelbourne. It’s a bit closer for us all going racing and it’s a very good competition to see how he can match up with the top dogs. He might lack a bit of early pace at that level but he wasn’t too far off Black Tom, who is a very fast runner, going to the bend in the stake so that’s encouraging and he’s developing to be very strong at 525 yards so you’d think that he can go to 550 in the future. His times are good at Kilkenny though and they should hold up anywhere really, so here's hoping!”

Scolari Me Daddy

The Glamour Paws Syndicate has been hugely successful and although Scolari Me Daddy’s career was interrupted with injury, the eight glamorous ladies who make up the syndicate enjoyed a wonderful start with a Derby quarter finalist who was one of the fastest of his generation. A second runner followed who was naturally always going to be a son of the now successful sire and Me Daddy Rocks was another smart sort, reaching A1 while bridging the gap to the arrival of Me Phat Daddy.

The syndicate ownership experience is one that Aileen, thoroughly enjoys and along with her family, truly believes that it has a very important part to play in the promotion of the sport.

“We had a great start in fairness and not everyone is going have a dog as good as Scolari Me Daddy who will end up at stud. I would like to think though, and I do believe, that even if the first dog had turned out to be less than average, we would have kept the syndicate going.

“With us, it was myself and my sister Kathleen that started the syndicate and we were lucky to have dad doing his best to get us a good one, which in fairness he always does for a syndicate because he wants them have a good experience and promote the sport. But our other six girls have had a great experience and really gotten into the whole thing.

“I don’t think people realise enough just how easy it is to do it. We just started off with €100 each and put €30 a month into it after that. When you think of the cost of entertainment these days, it’s for nothing! All you want after that is someone to take control of things and Aine Costello does that for us thankfully, she’s great. Poor auld Dinny would never get paid if it was left to the rest of us!

“I know we’ve been lucky but we’ve never had to put any extra into the pot, even with Me Daddy Rocks who wasn’t as good as the other two. Making money out of the syndicate wasn’t the priority  but we’ve been lucky and we are in profit, especially with the few bob coming from Scolari Me Daddy’s matings who I must thank all the Dunphy Family for. They have been great to deal with, we couldn’t praise them enough.

“Our aim every year is to have the price of a good night out at Christmas and thankfully we have been lucky enough to do that every year so far. We would take a few a quid each out of the pot after a big win like the stake at Kilkenny but otherwise it stays in the kitty so that we’re always ready for anything that might crop up.”

Me Daddy Rocks

Of the eight members, it is only the Lennon sisters Aileen and Kathleen who were involved in greyhounds prior to the formation of the syndicate but the remainder are now firmly converted race goers with Aileen explaining, “Yeah they're mad for it. Like I said, they have had a great experience so far, lucky really. But we all go racing as much as possible, none of us want to miss him racing. There was two missing for the final last week but they had good excuses. One of the girls had a wedding to attend but Karen Fitzpatrick was giving birth to her first child, a baby girl arrived who on Sunday morning!”

The previously unmentioned syndicate members are Catriona Drennan, Katie Norton who is a lone Tipperary woman amongst seven Kilkenny cats, Lorraine Norton and Aisling Maher.

Asked about the naming of their dogs and of the syndicate Aileen exclaims, “Oh Karen is the glamorous one, the rest of us just follow but we have done some agonising over the naming of the dogs. We were taking ages to come up with a name for Me Phat Daddy but the forms had to be sent away and my brother Tom, doing a bit of messing with us, named him Sugar Lollipop and sent it away!

“Now we weren’t having that and Dinny wasn’t best pleased with it either. He came back from the track after giving him his first trial and said to me, you may go and change that fella’s name fairly quick. I was happy enough to hear that because it probably meant he was decent so I tried first to get Whos The Daddy but that was a registered prefix. Now Phat is supposed to mean cool but not everyone in Ireland gets it, so we still get a bit of stick about the name. It’s still better than Sugar Lollipop though!”

The ownership history of the Glamour Paws Syndicate is a wonderfully successful story and they have shown that for minimal investment and admittedly with a touch of good fortune, syndicate ownership can be a fruitful and exciting way to be involved in greyhound ownership and we wish them all the very best of luck as Me Phat Daddy prepares for the Waterford Masters and beyond.

If you wish to learn more about greyhound ownership or the formation of your own syndicate, you will find all the help and information you need on  http://www.igb.ie/ownership/ where you can download our ownership brochure, syndication registration forms or read about more successful syndicates and their own individual approaches to owning a racing greyhound. Also don’t be shy in asking the many friendly greyhound folk you will encounter at your local track, you will find that are all only too happy to welcome new owners to the sport and help in every way they can.

7-in-a-row Rinwood?

I'll never get the Friday night Limerick tips done if I keep stopping like this but the AJMT Syndicate's Rinwood Pearl (Droopys Cain/Rinwood Niamh) surely merits this interruption.

The Des Flaherty trained bitch, defeated on debut, has been a sprint sensation at Galway as the June 2015 whelp subsequently notched up an unbeaten sequence of six wins while climbing through the grades in the west.

Successful in her S2 350 Yard final last time, she now switches to LMK for an S1 appearance in chase of a seventh victory on the spin. It would be a brilliant achievement is she could complete the feat on her Limerick debut but victory will not come easy for among her rivals on Friday will be the brilliant Treaty Cup Sprint winner Factotem Boy in a mouth-watering contest.

All Jam's first runner!

The wonderful 2014 Sporting Press Irish Oaks winner, Velvet All Jam, will see her first pup begin a racing career when Velvet Ruby (by Kinloch Brae) makes her debut on Friday evening at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.

Retired after that wonderful 2014 final display when defeating Always With Me by three quarters of a length while posting 28.42 in a thriller, the brilliant "Bitch Of The Year" award winner sees the first of five pups by Kinloch Brae (2d, 3b) contest in A7 company over 525 yards. A litter which is certain to draw much attention, Velvet All Jam looks to have solid claims to begin her breeding career with a winner!

Flying start to Derby 2017

What a phenomenal start we had to the 2017 Boylesports Irish Derby on Thursday evening. The Derby will always set pulses racing regardless of favourites winning or fast times but the opening session of ten heats already have this year's renewal amongst the most exciting and highest class ever staged.

Native Chimes is part of my three-strong betting portfolio ahead of the Derby (also Jaytee Jet 33/1 & Swithins Brae 66/1) and still available close to the 33/1 that I nibbled at, I couldn't turn anyone off a bet on Johnny O'Sullivan's powerhouse after he gamely ran down the in-form Skywalker Manner when, I thought very impressively, he began proceedings in a smart 29.69.

What followed was something that we have become very accustomed to over the past few seasons and not many would have doubted, if told, that Graham Holland would return four heat winners on Thursday; but it was the emphatic manner in which they were achieved that left patrons in awe having witnessed greyhound racing excellence, almost starstruck!

Sonic, along with breeder and owner Pat Moloney who entertained the greyhound world with lively interviews ahead of last year's final showdown, endeared himself to the Derby public before starting favourite for the 2016 decider. Some time off, a few moderate runs by his own lofty standards and a very indifferent spell at Towcester however had many wondering if he could get back to Derby contention this year. Now he gave notice that he may be ready for the challenge when mowing down Tyrur Harold in a cracker on the previous Saturday but I doubt anyone was truly anticipating that he could go within Two spots of the track record when lighting the litmus paper on Derby 2017 in Thursday's Heat 2.

It was the best that I can remember him breaking and he displayed more early pace than I believed he possessed. Trap 6 clearly suits him well but he had this over after fifty yards. Yeah Good News had some traffic problems when performing very well in second but even with clear sand ahead early in the back-straight, Sonic continued to increase the deficit and in hindsight, we should have realised that the clock must read something special.

29.12 is almost as ridiculous as it was brilliant for a first round of the Derby and made even more scary when Timmy Holland declared that "he needs races" upon accepting my congratulations. What a start, and truly magnificent to see last year's final favourite in such flying form.

Droopys Cabaye then landed more favourite odds for Team Holland as he continued his stealthy progression for new owner Larry O'Rourke and on any other night, we could well be waxing lyrical about his gutsy 29.63 success. He added quality substance to the kennel challenge before dual classic winner Clonbrien Hero comfortably justified his 4/6 quote clocking 29.65 ahead of a hugely eye-catching display from recent Tipperary Cup Final beaten favourite Cahir Castle who must be fancied for another deep run on this evidence having reached semi-final stage a year ago when just a youngster like Sonic himself was.

Then came the Rocket
The scene had been well set by the time Heat 7 arrived and the hottest dog in any ante-post market did not disappoint. I thought, and actually still contend that 7/1 is too short for any Derby favourite, especially in Ireland with a strength in depth that just can't be rivalled anywhere in Europe and before Towcester I would have said that it was definitely too short for Clares Rocket!

In my mind he went to Towcester as a racing machine in terms of speed but still had questions to answer in terms of elite level competition over five and six rounds. Could he do a Droopys Roddick or a Jaytee Jet and qualify when nothing went right from traps to the back-straight? Had you done your dough if he missed his break and got cut off at the third bend after flying down the back to give himself a chance? Well I still say 7/1 was too short but he answered so many of my questions at Towcester and I would no more tell anyone to avoid him at skimpy odds; ignoring the price, by the time the draw was made and the market appeared, he had shown everything you want to see in a Derby favourite and thoroughly deserved his place at the top.

The top may be where he is destined to stay and even though he has shortened to 7/2, I'd say that won't turn his loyal legion of supporters away. The way he demolished some very talented greyhounds on Thursday was astounding. A white streak of lightning I described him as once and that is what it was like on the back-straight as he glided across the Shelbourne sand. I audibly muttered off the second bend, "the record is gone"; it didn't need to go......the time of night, a later heat, slight changes in going...I don't know but visually, I genuinely don't think a dog has ever moved faster on an Irish track.......29.16....Whoosh!!

It's crazy to think that Tyrur Harold is not making headlines after a brilliant defeat of Toolmaker Obama in 29.46 and PJ Fahy must have been delighted with his opening effort. He along with English raider Dorotas Wildcat (29.62) were the pick of the rest and both, the former in particular, could yet be big players in this Derby as the margins become increasingly finer round after round.

It was a truly exhilarating start to this year's Derby for even the most race hardened of us.....bring on Saturday!

Saturday Aug 19th

I say at this point of every Derby, keep your heat betting to a minimum in the first round. It is always unpredictable and rarely as kind to favourite backers as Thursday's session was. That said, we are all going have a bet of some sort but mine will be a treble with fancied favourites that has real claims of clicking.

HEAT 11 JAYTEE YANKEE :- We have to respect Burnt Beans here and Brinkleys Blaze could possibly pose an early threat also but it's difficult to see a scenario where Yankee doesn't lead the trio to his inside on the run to the bend and that should bring safe passage, enough to justify favouritism at 11/10 on Boyles

HEAT 12 COLLEGE PARADISE :- These days I doubt there is very much between the selection and Jaytee Dutch on the run to the bend from a 550 yard box and the rails pitch should be enough for the Dowling runner to defend the inside line on his main rival before staying strongly for victory. 13/8 Boyles

HEAT 15 JAYTEE JET :- No disgrace in his latest Champion Stakes semi-final third and the make up of this heat gives Jet every chance to open with a win. Yes we have to be concerned about the intriguing Pension Plan and what he may achieve with a slick start but Cometwopass can cut out the running from Trap 5 which will ideally suit the selection. The Cronin runner will not drift out to inconvenience Jet and if Cometwopass sweeps the bend in front, Jet should have an ideal tow into the back-straight to set up his inevitable late surge for victory. 6/4 Boyles

Treble on Boyles pays almost 13/1

**Comment under this post with your Saturday night Derby Heat Nap (just one selection required with your name in comment) for a chance to win two free passes to next weeks Derby action. (Highest priced winning selection is declared winner. If a tie, winner settled by a draw)

Festival of Irish Greyhound Racing announced for Shelbourne Park

*Full three day Festival ticket only €30
*Free Dublin Coach Shuttle on Friday & Saturday

Three days of top-class racing action is to take place in the month of September at Shelbourne Park, Ireland’s premiere greyhound stadium. The Festival of Irish Greyhound Racing will include the Sporting Press Microdog ID Irish Oaks, Connollys Red Mills/ Frightful Flash Kennels Unraced Stakes, the Dublin Coach Puppy Derby and the highlight in the racing calendar, the Final of the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby 2017.

The Festival will kick off on Thursday (21 September) and continue on Friday and Saturday (22/23 September). Smart punters can make a saving by booking early with a full three day Festival ticket only €30 (admission and race programme), compared to the normal price of €40.

Thursday’s race meeting will feature the Opening Rounds of the Sporting Press Microdog ID Irish Oaks and the Semi-Final of the Connollys Red Mills/Frightful Flash Kennels Unraced Stakes. The opening rounds of the Dublin Coach Puppy Derby will kick off on the Friday while Saturday will feature the Final of the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby 2017.

To sweeten the deal, a free Dublin Coach transfer will be available for Friday and Saturday from Burgh Quay in Dublin City Centre.

Festival tickets can be bought online, at the reception desk in Shelbourne Park and from the night office at Shelbourne Park during racing. Great value restaurant packages are still available as normal for each night.

Speaking ahead of the Festival, Patrick Flynn Manager at Shelbourne Park added “The Festival of Irish Greyhound Racing is not to be missed. Not only will racing fans feel the speed over three nights but they can also get great value at just €30 for what promises to be a memorable festival of racing.”

National Unraced Greyhound Sales

Red Mills and Frightful Flash announced as sponsors for Let’s Get Racing 2017

The Let’s Get Racing event, which was officially launched by the Irish Greyhound Board back in 2016, sees the return of the unraced Greyhound Sales at Shelbourne on Friday 25 August.

The concept of the initiative remains the same; unraced greyhounds with at least one qualifying trial will be eligible for the Sales at Shelbourne. All greyhounds sold (or with commission paid) through the auction will then be eligible for the two sweepstakes which will be run during the month of September at Shelbourne.

The greyhounds will be rated according to their official times in the trials and the Top 24 will be eligible for the Stake A which will have a winner’s prize of €10,000 and a total fund of €21,000.
The next 24 ranked dogs will be eligible for Stake B which will have a winner’s prize of €4,000 from a total fund of €8,800.

The Let’s Get Racing initiative was developed by the Sales and Ownership Committee, which includes representatives of the IGB Regulation & Welfare Department, as well as stadia and industry representatives. This year’s event is supported again by sponsors Connolly’s Red Mills and Frightful Flash Kennels. The main Stake A will commence on Thursday 14 September, with the semi-finals on 21 September and the final on Saturday 30 September.

Phil Meaney, Chairman of the IGB commented “After last year’s successful inaugural running of the National Unraced sales at Shelbourne Park, Let’s Get Racing 2017 is another exciting and unique opportunity for the Irish public to become involved in Greyhound ownership. I would like to particularly acknowledge the continued sponsorship and support of both Connolly’s Red Mills and Michael Dunne/ Frightful Flash Kennels. In 2016, we received a very positive response and once again there’s a potential for some really promising future stars, maybe even a possible Derby winner, which would give the new owners a fantastic return on a relatively small investment.”

Another interesting condition is that there will be a special prize for the last remaining bitch in both stakes.

Cahir Castle

Speaking with Michael Farrell of the Famous Five Lads Syndicate while their Cahir Castle was launching his Derby assault twelve months ago, the impressive Owen McKenna trained powerhouse showed himself to be amongst the elite of Open class trackers before exiting at semi-final stage.

His wonderful career now sees him in top form with back to back heat wins in the 2017 Thurles Fresh Milk Tipperary Cup and he appears likely to start a warm favourite for the final this coming Saturday. It was a heartening spectacle to see his large supporting entourage as excited when he posted 28.76 last weekend as they had been on any of last year's Derby nights.

Below is the interview with Michael Farrell for the IGB Ownership Webpage and is just one of many successful syndicate stories of ownership with racing stars of varying degrees of talent across many grades.

Victory will not come easy this week but we wish all involved the very best of sporting luck.


**From August 2016

King of the Castle seeks Fame in Derby

For many in greyhound racing, the dream of being involved with a Derby runner can remain just that, a dream, which can easily elude even the hardest working owners for an entire lifetime. That could very plausibly have been the case for Michael Farrell of Cahir who resisted the possibility of a break from greyhound racing and now finds himself with a Derby contender of real merit as head of the Famous Five Lads Syndicate.

A young Cahir Castle (Ninja Jamie/Sporting Dame) will represent the Tipperary based syndicate in Heat 13 of the 2016 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby this coming Saturday at Shelbourne Park and gives Michael a first Derby runner following thirty years of ownership. Of the remaining members in the syndicate however, he explains that for three of them, this is their very first track dog!

“We’re all from Cahir so know each other for years but Philip Shealy is the only one other than myself who would have any experience with greyhounds before we formed the syndicate. We have David Walsh of the Cahir House Hotel, Michael Duggan and Kevin Fogarty. Now we did start the syndicate with a Coursing bitch who unfortunately didn’t turn out to be good enough so the lads didn’t get much good out of that when she was losing in the first round all the time.

“We were in Clonmel for the festival that year, 2015, and we were asking the question, would we start again with another Coursing dog? For the sake of the syndicate and to try get a few good nights out, I said we’ll go with a tracker instead, it would be a better experience for the lads. If he turned out to be average, he’d still win a race or two and they’d get more craic that way.

“I wouldn’t keep too many here at home, only one or two really but I would often rear a couple for a friend Mike Roe and we’d do a deal that I’d keep a pup. He sent me off to Jerry Griffin anyway this time to pick a dog and a bitch from the litter and I had a choice of three dogs, I think I came away with the right one! Anyway, it was my turn to keep a dog this time around so that’s how I came to have him and he became the next one for the syndicate.”

Cahir Castle began his career with defeat following significant baulking on debut at Kilkenny but switched to Shelbourne next time, completely demolished A3 company in a 12 runner stake when clocking a brilliant 28.15 in just his third career start.

Asked if he knew this level of performance was imminent in that May event Michael explains, “well I had given the dog to Tommy Dunford at the start of the summer because it’s my busy time of the year and I didn’t want him missing out on anything. Tommy gave him a few trials and really there still wasn’t any major clues that we had a Derby dog. As Tommy said, he was going the right way!

“I had him back myself then but he got a problem with his hock, some sort of a bite from something or other and that took a lot of time and work to fix up but I was in no rush with him. When he was OK again I gave him a trial in Clonmel and he went right well. The track was very slow the same day and there wasn’t a dog break 17.00, but he did! That was his first official mark, 16.70, and without much fitness work done so I said to myself, you can run alright!

                                                               "excited"

“I rang Owen McKenna shortly after that and asked if he would take him. He said give me a couple of weeks, I was delighted that he took him. I have to thank him for everything actually, he has been very good to us and all his family, they’re a pleasure to be involved with. Anyway, he had a trial with Owen and I don’t mind telling you at this stage it was 28.75 around Kilkenny. So when he told me, Michael, this is a top class dog, it was time to get a bit excited.”

Cahir Castle has had only seven races ahead of his Derby tilt but further enhanced his credentials in his latest outing of mid June when impressively overhauling Anopheles close home, posting 28.33 in a strong staying short-head victory. An intended appearance in the ECC Timber 550 Yard Puppy Stake was bypassed having suffered just a minor setback but Michael is not overly concerned about the lack of a recent race.

“Yeah it’s fair to say he’ll be going to the first round plenty fresh enough but Owen will have him spot on and if things went well, he should improve for his early runs. Sure all we’re really hoping for is to get through a round or two, that would be brilliant. Of course you’re going to dream but you couldn’t say that getting knocked out of the Derby would be the end of the world for our dog, whenever it comes. He only turned two in June so we have plenty to look forward to beyond the Derby.

                                                              "dreaming"

“Although, David Walsh might say otherwise. He says to me about two months ago, when we thought he was going for the ECC Timber, that he had a dream the dog won the Derby. I hope he’s right!

“Ah it’s great and I think the lads are fairly excited but in fairness you wonder if they really know how lucky they are, being so new to it all. This is a dream, you can’t deny that. I didn’t think I’d ever have a dog this good and but for Michael O’Donovan and the great Eddie Wade giving me a few dogs to school up from time to time, I could easily have taken a break from the game. My wife Elaine is a saint, she does all the walking and only for she understands the sport so much, I could be divorced long ago!

“I’m not nervous really because I’m not going to think about it. I’m just glad to have found a dog of his quality after thirty years of it all. Once he comes off the track safe after every round, win or lose, I’ll be happy! He has done everything right from the day I brought him home. He’s a calm clean kenneller and very, very genuine.”

With such an impressive start to his racing career it was inevitable that Cahir Castle would attract much attention from prospective new owners and Michael confirms that the Famous Five did turn down a substantial offer.

“We did, we got a serious offer and the truth is we called a meeting of the syndicate to discuss it. We had a ballot, each had a vote to sell or keep and all five revealed keep! So we have all bought into the dream!”

Michael watched the Derby draw live on Monday morning and despite being drawn in a very tough heat 12, expressed delight with his trap 1 draw as Cahir Castle will seek the rails at the earliest opportunity in his races. With five to qualify, the syndicate hold strong claims of progressing to round 2 and we wish them the very best of luck throughout a first Derby campaign for all involved.

Cahir Castle has already delivered for his proud owners and represents a reward for many years hard work on Michael’s part while also giving hope to every new syndicate or future owner that anything is possible when first venturing into greyhound racing.

In closing I asked Michael what was so famous about the five lads. “Nothing really, it was just one of those pub conversations about old TV shows. You remember the Famous Five and they had a dog too?!” I then put it to him that they might find fame over the next six weeks at Shelbourne Park and Michael laughed, “I hope you’re right!”

‘Strolls to GAIN Homes’

‘Strolls to GAIN Homes’ – Ireland’s Best Secret Pet

August is Greyhound Rehoming Month

Across ten cities and towns throughout the month of August, Strolls to GAIN Homes will showcase Ireland’s best kept secret pet: the Irish greyhound. Contrary to popular perception, a pet greyhound requires little exercise or special diet, many owners confess that their beloved hound spends most of their day on the couch!

This new campaign kindly supported by GAIN Greyhound Nutrition, will allow the public to interact with these loveable hounds and discover that they can make for fantastic pets.
All events are open to the public and all greyhounds are welcome. Spot prizes will be given to the best presented greyhound.

The Irish Retired Greyhound Trust (IRGT) was established by the Irish Greyhound Board and is jointly funded together with greyhound owners to rehome greyhounds after retirement and in promoting greyhounds as domestic pets. Many retired greyhounds are also rehomed throughout Ireland, Europe and North America through charities supported by the IRGT.

Barry Coleman Welfare Manager with the IGB commented “Greyhounds make for excellent pets. They shed very little fur, require little exercise or special diet and can be quite lazy! Many can go from being an excellent racer to enjoying retirement on the family couch very quickly. The public are invited to our strolls and to support us on social media using #StrollsToGAINhomes”.

A few rules for dog owners: all dogs on leads, always clean up and please bring water and bowls. For more information please visit greyhoundsaspets.ie or email barry.coleman@igb.ie

Barry Coleman (IGB), John Fox & Willie Rigney GAIN Greyhound Nutrition and Patrick Flynn (Shelbourne Park)

IGB thanks interim CEO Brady

IGB Board offer thanks to interim CEO Dr Sean Brady

The Irish Greyhound Board wishes to thank Dr Sean Brady for his term as interim CEO during an exceptionally challenging period for the industry. Chairman Phil Meaney commented “Dr Sean Brady showed consistent and steady leadership during the most challenging period of change for our industry. I want to thank him personally and on behalf of the Board for his tireless efforts and optimism and we wish him every success for the future.”

Dr Sean Brady commented “I want to express my deep gratitude to our hard working and talented staff in Limerick and at every track throughout the country. Their dedication is what drives our business and brings 640,000 patrons through our gates every year. From the track teams, EHS, Tote, Head Office and local supporters, the industry has excellent people working in it. Their efforts receive little recognition but are essential to our success.”

Dr Sean Brady acknowledged that unpopular decisions were taken during his short term but added “Some people may never agree with the decisions I have taken but they know where I stand, I am straight with everyone.”

Looking to the future, Dr Sean Brady repeated his call for all stakeholders to work together for their shared future and added “The industry faces significant challenges which can only be addressed through cooperation amongst stakeholders and unity of effort across the sector. We need all shoulders to the wheel to renew the greyhound industry. I wish my successor Gerard Dollard every success in his new position.”