DROOPYS GOOD headed into retirement in the best possible style with victory in the Coral Golden Sprint Final at Romford on Friday.

 

Trained by Patrick Janssens for Bev Lochead and Paul Carpenter, part-owner Carpenter revealed the brilliantly fast June 2019 son of Ballybough Mike and Droopys Cuckoo had run his last race after an impressive pillar-to-post victory in a high-quality £10,000-to-the-winner GBGB Category One decider.

 

Carpenter said: “We’ve decided to retire Jake – he won’t race again and is going out at the very top. He’s fit and well and, while it’s an awful cliche, he really does owe us nothing and has been a joy to own and cheer on. He will have the most fantastic home, with us cherishing the great memory of him winning the Golden Sprint.

 

“I was lucky enough to win the same competition a few years back with Clondoty Alex who I owned with my great friend Kevin Dear – and this was just as special, even though I couldn’t be there. Watching him win on RPGTV just gave me the greatest thrill and I’m just so delighted for Bev (Lochead), Patrick (Janssens) – and Jake himself.

 

“Jake really was as genuine and honest a greyhound as they come. A class act, he had a brilliant campaign in Ireland for us with Owen McKenna and competed against the very best. He was a Laurels finalist and a Night of Stars 525 winner, before also winning some nice races for us here. What became clear, however, is that he truly hated the cold!

 

“The warmer weather last week leading up to the final helped tremendously. He hadn’t been performing that well – it was cold for a good while! – but his class, courage and trap draws helped get him to the final. We felt he still had a big run in him and, bless him, he produced it in the final from what was a perfect red-box draw on the night.

 

“A lot of the credit must go to Patrick and his team for getting Jake back to his best when it mattered most. They did an awesome job with a greyhound who’s always been every owner’s dream. Both Bev and myself have owned some great greyhounds and Jake is right up there with the best of them.”

 

Quickly into stride in Friday’s 400m final, Droopys Good was soon in pole position as he crucially got first run on kennelmate Hawkfield Mia, the favourite, and Gougane Jet (Mark Wallis), the GBGB Sprinter of the Year. Leading at the first bend and taking advantage of crowding in behind, the eventual winner was on his way to a cracking victory.

 

Local youngster Highfield May (Paul Young) turned off the second bend in the runner-up spot and gave chase, ultimately finishing three and three-quarter lengths behind the 23.92sec winner (+10), with Ayle Blake (Norah McEllistrim) crossing the line in third.

 

Victory for Droopys Good landed Patrick Janssens a third Golden Sprint success after wins for Goldies Hoddle (2020) and Bockos Jon Jo (2021), both of whom also carried the red-jacket to success in the Romford competition.

 

Result: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=395114&raceId=922684