WE conclude the countdown to greyhound racing’s night of the year – the GBGB Greyhound of the Year Awards at the Royal Lancaster London, on Sunday, January 26 – by looking at those stars of the track who have made the list of nominations for the various award categories.

We concentrate now on the RPGTV Stayer of the Year 2019 nominations – Droopys Live, Redzer Ardfert and Sheldan – and talk to the trainers of each of the runners about how the year panned out for their charges, and their chances of taking the award.

Last year’s Stayer of the Year was Bombers Bullet, trained by Mark Wallis for owners The Bruiser Boyz.

DROOPYS LIVE

bk b Tullymurry Act – Live Queen, May 2015

Trainer: Angela Harrison, Newcastle

Owners: John Hardman, JD Maragh, Paul Maragh & Emma Wright

Claims to fame: The winningmost open-racer in 2019, Droopys Live enjoyed a superb year with victory in the SIS Yorkshire St Leger at Doncaster and a close-up second to Sheldan in the Summer Stayers Classic at Monmore.

Trainer says: “She’s been a great bitch to train and ran another decent race at Monmore last weekend – she’ll be retired when next in season. Winning the Yorkshire St Leger at Doncaster was the highlight, but she won pretty much everywhere we took her last year – Doncaster, Monmore, Newcastle, Nottingham on Derby Final night and Sheffield. She’s won over 40 open races now and won 20 alone in 2019 – that’s some feat. She’s known as ‘Birdy’ at the kennels, owes us nothing and helped us reach our target of a top-six finish in the Trainer of the Year race. She certainly collected her fair share of points.”

REDZER ARDFERT

bk d Paradise Madison – Have You One, Jan 2017

Trainer: Brendan Maunsell, Ireland

Owners: Kathleen Clifford & Pat Reddan

Claims to fame: Became the first Irish-trained winner of the English St Leger when landing the RPGTV-sponsored stayers’ Classic at Perry Barr and now aims to follow Chart King and Ballymac Bonnie as Irish-trained winners at the GBGB Awards.

Trainer says: “He handled the travelling well – probably better than us – and ran Perry Barr brilliantly. Perry Barr’s management looked after us really well and we had a great reception when we won. There were a few of us, too, and I could hear the cheers from them. It was great that Kathleen (Clifford, part-owner) was over with us, as was Pat (Reddan, part-owner). We stayed with a friend of ours Peter Kelly, who lives in Manchester – Peter owns Cash Is King, who made the Irish St Leger Final the week later. It was a good year all-round and hopefully we’ll be back to the UK for the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket.”

SHELDAN

bk b Top Savings – Body Clock, April 2017

Trainer: Kevin Boon, Yarmouth

Owners: Kevin Boon

Claims to fame: Won the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic at Monmore and reached the final of three other Category One finals in 2019 – the Coral Regency at Hove, Coral Champion Stakes at Romford and Jay & Kay Tours Kent St Leger at Crayford.

Trainer says: “She ran from January through to December, winning in every single month  at eight tracks in 2019 – except February! She’s the best bitch I’ve trained, running in all the best competitions from winning the Stayers Classic at Monmore to an Oaks heat at Swindon. Even as a young bitch making the Regency final was special – and she led until the run-in. She also won a heat of the six-bend comp at Nottingham around the Derby – and has beaten all the top stayers at some point. She’s a star and hopefully will be back soon after getting crowded out in the semi-finals of the Coronation Cup recently.”

The winners will be presented with their awards at the GBGB Awards at the Royal Lancaster London, on Sunday, January 26.

*For further details and ticket information contact the GBGB on 020 7822 0902 or email awards@gbgb.org.uk.