This year’s most anticipated challenge for England’s top greyhound trainers is round the corner. It’s an event which gives the top six trainers of last year a chance to compete for the ultimate Betfair Trainer’s Championship title.
Taking part in next Tuesday's Championship will be last year’s winner Charlie Lister, current champion trainer Mark Wallis, Seamus Cahill, Barrie Draper, Chris Allsopp and Dean Childs.
Many have been waiting for top Australian b***h Jean Jeannie to make her British debut and had been expecting her to do so at Doncaster for the Sky Sports-televised Championship.
Trainer Lister is her new handler and has recently announced that she might miss the event, which can only mean that she might not actually make her British debut anytime soon.
Jeannie actually improved in trial runs last Tuesday from an initial of 30.37sec over 483m to 30.00sec, however they were solo trials and not good enough for Lister.
“She still needs two three-runner trials to qualify so it looks as if the Trainers’ Championship is out,” said Lister in the Racing Post. “It might be no bad thing because there’s no point in rushing her just for the sake of it. She’s been off for a few months after picking up a slight injury in her last race in Australia. I’ve had her a few weeks, but she only had three hand gallops before her first trial so won’t be near being fully fit yet.”
Lister also gave some of his other top dogs a chance to flex their muscles around the Meadow Court circuit. Bandicoot Tipoki was the first to brace Lister with a victory across the 483m and clocked an impressive time of 29.62secs.
Fear Zafonic, the greyhound of the year, was also present last Tuesday to run the trials and didn’t fail to return to the winner’s podium as he clocked 29.55secs.
Both Farloe Lee and Tyrur Speedy clocked 29.59secs around the track but the fastest of the night for Lister was Droopys Belleti who clocked an impressive 29.39secs.
Champion trainer Mark Wallis was also present and sent round Derby favourite Eye Onthe Storm in 29.61sec and current Derby Champion Kinda Ready produced a very pleasing 29.65sec.
Lister is looking the favourite at the moment - can he replicate last year’s efforts and hold on to the Betfair Trainer’s Championship title?
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