DESPERADO DAN, the Patrick Janssens-trained and Evan Herbert-owned now-retired star, heads to his forever home this week as the RPGTV/GWA Greyhound of the Month for April.

One of the most popular greyhounds of recent years, Desperado Dan collected the honour, voted for Greyhound Writers’ Association members, after signing off his career by completing a five-timer at Romford in the final of a two-run 575m competition at the Essex venue where he boasted a tremendous record.

The victory of the January 2017 son of Iso Octane and Slaneyside Mandy was achieved on his 99th start and followed a typically powerful effort in the heats – and trainer Janssens just felt the time was right to call it day.

“He’d won five in a row and to win another Romford final was the right time to call it quits. He was finishing at the top of his game – in his 99th UK start, but remember he’d also won his two races at Youghal so had notched up the century the previous week!

“He was a star for us right from the start – everyone loved ‘Des’ – and we never really looked back once he was stepped up to 575m for the Coronation Cup at Romford in 2019. He’d only just turned two years old so was really young when he won that first Category One – and he also won the first two rounds of the Derby that year at Towcester!

Desperado Dan won three GBGB Category One titles, his 2019 Coral Coronation Cup added to when he was awarded the 2020 Coral Champion Stakes before going on to complete an unbeaten run through the Ladbrokes Gold Collar at Crayford.

“Romford was his favourite track, but he was probably at his career best at Crayford during the Gold Collar. He won his heat, semi-final and the final very easily and was unbeatable around that sort of time there – and was still winning races as a four-year-old, of course.

“Thank-you to RPGTV for sponsoring the Greyhound of the Month award and I’m delighted for Evan (Herbert, owner) and Des. We’ll be sad to see him leave the kennels but he’s going to be a great pet and his forever home now awaits.”

Clive Lawrence, RPGTV’s executive producer, said: “We loved Desperado Dan on the channel and that sequence at the end of has career was something else. He’d also won the Stuart Roberts Quicksilver Final the month before and I know was mentioned in dispatches for the March award too!

“It’s a great choice and caps a superb career, so well done to Patrick Janssens and Evan Herbert and we wish Des all the best in his new home.”