TRAFFIC COMMAND

I heard that Rocky won his second trial at Swindon recently in 29.26. That puts him straight into A1 grade. He has had to get used to a new kennel in the UK, and get accustommed to the UK traps. I sold this dog for handy money, and I am convinced he will be a good minor Open Race dog in the UK. Go on my son!!!!!!!!!

STOP PRESS: I have just noticed in Wednesdays Racing Post, that "Rocky" is in Heat 2 of the Hunt Cup at Reading tonight. Personally I think this distance may be a bit to far for him at this stage, and not having a look round at Reading is also of further concern. Best of luck tonight " Rocky " and I know Darryl wouldnt have thrown you in at the deep end if he didnt think you were capable of putting up a good show. No luck for " Rocky ". The stats read Slow away, hit rails at 1. I would think if he is entered at Swindon in a 480 or 509 next time, it would be a good time to back him.

The Blues Brothers

These are 2 Saplings being bred from Ningbo Jack x Bantiss Princess. They are being reared by my good friend John Moyles, from whom I have had 2 very good puppies from in the past.

This picture is taken from Johns Blogsite, and the one on the left is my dog, which I have named " Gilly " because he has an ear mark GIL in one ear. I have named him NAMETAB APPOLLO

John has thought a lot of this litter from very early days, and it looks as if his instincts have been proved correct.

RETIREMENT BECKONS

Creaking Bones has been retired, and will shortly be off to Latvia. He will be greatly missed by us, but as we have a 7 year old Greyhound in the house, we cant take them all, and he is a big dog, with a beautiful nature. Even as he was waiting to go for his operation, two small cats appeared about 3 feet from his nose, and he never blinked an eye at the. Was he a good racer?? You bet he was, and it was just a shame we could never get to the bottom of his career ending injury. He was castrated, vaccinated for Rabies and Parvo virus, and micro chipped. He came out of the surgery wagging his tail and jumped straight up into the car, without a bother. I have a feeling he may be thinking like this today!!!!!!!!

FIRST TIME ON GALLOPS

Nametab Zorro ( Rooney ) black dog, Nametab Delta ( Daphne) fawn bitch and Nametab Apache ( Jack ), black dog taken on 1st November at Tommy Noonins gallop in Fethard, Co.Tipperary. This was their first time on any gallop, and they all chased up very well. They were let go singly, with around 15 metres in between. They were all whelped in October 2006.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Rooney, Daphne and Jack, are off for their first 30 minute ride in the van tomorrow. They will be taken over to Tommy Noonins gallop at Fethard. I hope take some pictures of this fine gallop. This will be Rooneys first ever gallop behind a lure. The other two have been hanslipped at Thurles already.

TRAFFIC COMMAND

Traffic Command is in the sale at Thurles on Tuesday 30th October. No particular reason for him being in the sales, except he is a syndicate dog and one of the syndicate members wants to sell him. If he dosnt fetch decent money, I will buy him back myself, as I truly believe, and so does his trainer, that this is a sub 29 second dog at Shelbourne Park, in the making. He was in Trap 1 for his trial, a trap in which he had never been in before, but this is such a competitive dog, tht all traps are the same to him. He was once again, slow away, but ran his usual race between 2 and 3, to go into the lead at 3. He won the trial by 5.5 lengths, in a fifth fastest of the day 29.58. The track was back about -30, and some dogs were losing their footing on loose sand at the first bend. A number of people were asking about him throughout the auction, and he sold for 3100 to Daryll Porter attached to Swindon race track in England. I wish Daryll all the best with him, especially as he was the only trainer in the UK who won with a bitch of mine called Nametab Domino, and Daryll informed me that he had just retired her to a Homefinder scheme in Devon. I shall be watch "Rocky" with great interest http://www.igb.ie/Greyhounds.aspx?id=AF02F857-3409-48F9-8404-BB3D06FF4330

CREAKING BONES

Tonsils in Semi Final of A2 stake at Thurles on Friday night. Drawn trap 5. He will be retired if he dosnt finish in the first 3. Tonsils finished 6th in this race, and never looked like the dog he used to be. He is a very happy lad, and thankfully he has no serious injury, so he will be retired to the settee.

TRAFFIC COMMAND

Traffic Command is racing in another A3 570 race at Thurles on Saturday night, from Trap 5. This will be his last race for us before going to the sale at Thurles on 30th October. .Rocky was slow away as usual, but his pace from the 2nd to the 3rd bend is quite fantastic. He has always run his races this way, and he never knows when he is beaten. He was in front at the pick-up. The race was messy with a dog getting knocked over on the first bend, and another on the third bend, but at no time was Rocky involved in this crowding. Although he wins from the 5 box, he rails like a cat on the bends, and it would be good to see what he could do from the inside boxes.

CREAKING BONES

Creaking Bones, aka " Tonsils " is in the second heat of an A2 stake at Thurles on Friday night. He has drawn trap 6, which must be the coffin box for him, as and he has never run from this box before in his life. If he fails to impress me this time, he will definatley be retired. Its a shame really, because he busts a gut to win, but this niggling injury, which nobody can get to the bottom of, just stops him running a bend with fluency. Good luck in this Stake "Tonsils", 'cos I feel that you will need it. He finished in third place, beaten a long way. He will contest the semi final next week. I really dont hold out much of a chance of him getting to the final, so it will be off to the settee for him I fear.

NAMETAB APACHE

Nice day in Thurles today, so I decided to get " Jack " out of the paddock, and take him in the carto the track, for his first handslip. I let him watch about 6-7 lots go round, then hand slipped him on the third bend. He chased right away, and when he got to the box, he sniffed around it, then ran the reverse way around the track, and I collected him on the back straight. Well pleased with this little lad.

TRAFFIC COMMAND and CREAKING BONES and OKEE DANCER

Both "Rocky" and "Tonsils" are out on Saturday night at Thurles. " Rocky" is in the last race, a 570 A3, where he led until the run in last week, and was beaten half a length. I hope he would run a better race this week, as he has the benefit of that race last week under his belt, and that was his first race for 5 weeks. Not a good weekend, winning wise. Rocky was the meat in the sandwich at the first bend, and could never get back into the race.

"Tonsils" is a different matter. He has a problem that we cant get to the bottom off, even Bonemen, Musclemen, and an X-Ray by a Vet, cant get to the bottom of it. It would appear that he has a calcium build up on the top of his metacarpals. The Vet did give it a technical name, and he said some dogs will run through it, and some wont. If he dosnt run well this week, I will try him once more in a 525 race, and if still not good, will retire him to the settee. Tonsils gave them a 3 length start after walking from the boxes, then made up the ground to be badly baulked at the first bend. Its an A2 stake for Tonsils next week, and if he dosnt perform well in this 525 stake, then its off to the sette for this lovely big dog.

"Okee" is also out in an Open Sprint at Thurles on Friday night. He has drawn Trap He opened the hot favourite at 4/6, but he was baulked at the first bend, and that was his race over, finishing in third place.

NAMETAB ZORRO

"Rooney" was also taken from the paddock today and had a lead put on him. This time the story was so different to the other 2 pups. He is a big pup, going around 74 pounds already, and he made his weight felt. He wouldnt have it for about half an hour, and I had to use all my strength to pull him along. Was I puffing and blowing!!!!. It took him half an hour to realize what was needed, but he will need some more lead training before we could walk him properly. "Rooney" was marked up today by Jim Ryan, and weighed in at 77 pounds ( 35 kg).

NAMETAB APACHE

"Jack" was given his first lesson on lead training today. Taken straight from the paddock, he was resistant for a short while, but then realised what was wanted, and we went for a nice walk on the road for about a mile. He saw a small terrier and went mad to chase after it. I dont think there will be any chasing problems with this pup either. " Jack " was marked up by Jim Ryan today. He wieghed in at 66 pounds (30 kg)

NAMETAB DELTA

Tomorrow is "Daphnes" first birthday. She is the litter sister of " Rooney "She had her first season back in June, and is still in the paddock. Today was such a perfect day that I decided to take her straight from the paddock, put a lead on her, and take her to Thurles for her first handslip. This girl had always been keen, so I didnt have any worries with her. She was perfect on the lead and in the car. I went to the infield and she watched 2 dogs go round, and then I took her to the third bend for her handslip. She chased like a good 'un. Looked in the box and went round it a few times, before I caught her and gave her a well deserved drink. So she had her first time out on a lead, her first ride in the car, and her first handslip, just a day before her first birtday. Perfect, I couldnt have been more pleased. " Daphne " was marked up today by Jim Ryan and weighed in at 58 pounds ( 26.36 kg )

TRAFFIC COMMAND

Rocky had his first 525 trial at Thurles this morning since running at Shelbourne Park 4 weeks ago.. He ran an excellent time, but it was an unofficial trial, so I am not going to mention the actual time he obtained. I can tell you that he is running this Friday night at Thurles, in a 570 A3 race. He has drawn Trap 4 which I am happy with. Plans are for entry into an A2 stake shortly.. He is entered in the Sales on October 30th at Thurles, but will need to fetch decent money before we let him go. His brother Farloe Tobias won an Open race at Shefffield a couple of weeks back, and another litter mate is also Open class in Ireland. I honestly believe this is a good competition dog. He led from the first bend, but was just caught on the run in, and beaten 0.5 length, in a winning time of 31.84. He probably needed the race, as it was 4 weeks since his last run, but I think 570 was just a shade too far for him.

CREAKING BONES

After a further 5 week lay off, Tonsils is back racing at Thurles tonight in an S2/3 sprint. No one, including two top musclemen, plus an x-ray with a greyhound Vet, can establish exactly what the difficulty is. Its not a chip or fracture, its not a muscle, no one seems to know. I have decided to let him have 2 sprints, and a 525 and if he isnt the Tonsils of before, will retire him to a settee. I dont expect him to win tonight, but I would like to feel he will make a fair show of himself. He ran an excellent race, leading from the traps with space to spare, but easing when approaching the first bend, to let the winning dog go past him. He rallied in the home straight to be beaten by 1.5 lengths in a time of 19.62. Tonsils of old would have won this by 4 lengths, but with this problem of not running a bend, his future looks set for retirement

TRAFFIC COMMAND

I'm very pleased to report that after kenneling at the track on 4 different racenights, ROCKY, seems to be OK. He is coming out of the kennel fine now. He never knows when he is getting a race now, wheras before, he always knew he was going to race, and got himself worked up.

ON THE COMEBACK

OKEE DANCER had his first sprint trial since getting a small injury to his front toe a few weeks back. Although unrecorded, his time was once again a magnificient 17.77 for the 330 trip.

NAMETAB RIBERY

It is with regret that I write this, for in his first handslip at Thurles this morning, "Jesus " broke two metacarpels on the first bend, and his racing career is finished before it had started.

TRAFFIC COMMAND

Rocky goes from trap 4 in the 21-55 A2 race on Wednesday night at Shelbourne. He raised a few eyebrows and an enquiry from serious dog men after last weeks run, but he still needs the rails to show how fast he can go. Still on an upward curve, and still a puppy, gone from A4 to A2, including his last run of 29.25 at Shelbourne, in only the 3rd race of his life.The worst race he has ever run, and we know why!!!!! He is a bad kenneller. His blanket was wet with saliva and torn up, as was his muzzle. When he is in an early race he is fine, but now an A2 he is never going to be in these early races. We are going to take him to the track on Friday and Saturday night, and kennel him all night. We will see if this cures him, as he will never know when he is to race or not. He lost around 4 lbs after last nights race, but is fine this morning. Its a shame really as this pup is fast. Would make an ideal flapping dog, but we dont have flaps in Ireland.