Fear Zafonic retires a champion
Charlie Lister could have kept Fear Zafonic racing, and the four-year old greyhound certainly proved he’s good enough by winning the Betfair East Anglian Derby Grand Final at Yarmouth last night. But Lister
felt two E.A. Derbys, and a host of other victories was enough for the veteran.
Zafonic won his last seven races including last night’s £17,000 Grand Final before calling it quits. The win was Lister’s 11th E.A. Derby victory.
Heading into the final, Zafonic was going up against Roo Come On and Seamus Cahill’s Guinness Time. Lister and Cahill are the front runners for the Trainers Championship, although Cahill has a significant
lead.
In the final, the 1-3 race favourite, Zafonic, got off to a great start, and then dazzled the crowd with his speed coming around the second bend. The rest of the pack faded away as the 2009 Greyhound of
the Year took first place with ease, crossing the finish line 5¾ lengths ahead of the second place finisher, Ocean Star.
Star came into this race as the 25-1 longshot, a number that was inflated owning to Zafonic’s dominance of the Derby up to the final, and he didn’t disappoint punters that bet on him to place. Star was
just behind Zafonic out of trap six, and ran well on the outside to take second by ¾ lengths ahead of third place finisher Ten Large Down.
Taking fourth place was Chicago Prince, and behind him in fifth was Roo Come On, who was expected to be Zafonic’s toughest challenge in the final. Finishing in last was Guinness Time.
Although Lister caught up a little bit in the Trainers Championship standings with this race, it is still very unlikely that he’ll be able to catch up to Cahill.
£500 Betfair East Anglian Derby Invitation
Lister and Cahill also went head-to-head a couple of races before the E.A. Derby Final in the £500 Betfair East Anglian Derby Invitation. This time Cahill’s Zaheer was a late entrant replacing Swift Ribena
in the third trap. Lister had Reluctant in the sixth trap.
The Invitation turned into a preview of the Grand Final as Reluctant finished in first, and Zaheer in last. Just like Zafonic, Reluctant good off to the best start of the group, took the early lead, and
held on to win by a fair margin, this time by four lengths over Jackdaw Summer.
Third place in the Invitation went to Society King, and in fourth was Lainedans Flyer. Zaheer finished in fifth, and last, place after Union Jak Johnson was pulled from the race and not replaced.
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