BRITISH breeding will be brought sharply into focus during the next two weeks as the British Bred Derby takes centre-stage at Sheffield.

Six heats of the Category One event took place at the Owlerton venue on Tuesday and, while without a runner this year, Retford-based breeder, trainer and now stud keeper Phil Milner has fond memories of the competition having bred a finalist in the form of Keefill Finn behind Elderberry Sky in 2020.

“I suppose at the top end that litter is where it started for us,” said Milner, who holds a trainer’s licence at Sheffield.

“We bred our first litter out of Tarsna Bo to Jaytee Jet in 2018 and got Keefill Finn, Keefill Grace and Keefill Arthur. 3 of the 6 were top grade and open-race dogs at Sheffield and elsewhere, although unfortunately at the time we didn’t have the facilities to rear and train them ourselves.

“Since then we’ve bought a place and set up from scratch to train and rear. I’ll be truthful – it’s been a slog and I could give chapter and verse about the highs and lows of the journey we’re still on, not to mention the pitfalls. Some of these need to be acted on and might require change in the way the sport is set-up.

“We’re actually due a meeting at the GBGB to talk about the real-life problems we and others face in breeding in the UK. We’ve only had the licence 15 months but hopefully the lessons we’ve learned will help the sport make British breeding more attractive.”

The experiences of Milner and partner Keeley Cunningham in becoming successful breeders, as well as having a contract at Sheffield, are aired on the latest ‘Gone To The Dogs’ podcast with Joe Andrews and Dani Jackson, which Milner was delighted to take part in given he is across so many aspects of the sport.

“I could talk dogs for hours, so thoroughly enjoyed it, but there was a serious side to it in trying to progress greyhound racing. We all want the sport to prosper.”

Milner and Cunningham certainly enjoyed their recent experiences at Sunderland where home-bred Keefill George made the final of the Arc Classic having impressed all and sundry when winning his semi-final in all-the-way fashion, while his sister Keefill Delphine reached the British Bred St Leger Final at Doncaster.

Both delighted Milner, as have two of the kennel’s youngest runners Keefill Maverick and Keefill Goose with Maverick winning on debut in open-class company at Doncaster on Saturday and Goose running third in behind in his own first start – and in many ways their efforts have been more satisfying.

“They’re from Droopys Addition’s first litter on the track and, given we now stand him at stud here at the kennels, that’s fantastic,” he added, before explaining how he came by the former Ernie Gaskin and Gemma Evans-trained multiple big-race finalist, 2019 Trafalgar Cup champion, and 2020 Essex Vase runner-up.

“I originally approached Gemma about Droopys Addition (Eddy) for Keefill Grace as I thought her pedigree matched up really well and he’d give her the stamina she needed. However, knowing what we do here and our plans for the future, they offered us the chance to stand Eddy at stud.

“Unfortunately Grace’s season didn’t progress so she wasn’t mated but we then decided to use him for Tarsna Atalanta whose first litter have done great – that’s Keefil George, Delphine, Danny, Peppa and Tarsna Fern. They were looking very nice pups so we knew she was a good brood.

“Eddy himself is a cracking dog to have standing at stud. He’s five years old now and certainly has his ways and lets you know if you’re not following them! He’s a real bull of a dog with so much power to him and he’s taken to stud duties really well and, as Droopys Addition, was one of the best around on the track.

“Importantly, he’s also passing that talent down. Keefill Maverick and Keefill Goose, both from his Tarsna Atalanta batch, showed that at Doncaster – and really without too much work and, for Maverick qualifying sprints and, just one four-bend trial. They only had light schooling at Bicester but Jeff Sealey rated them very highly.

“To be fair all the litter look lovely prospects with great temperaments – and now we’ve high hopes of a Droopys Addition litter out of Nah Then Bella, who was top-class on the track and now a top brood, too.

“She’s owned by a good friend in Paul Wright and is a litter sister of Ballymac Cooper and is the dam of Fearsome Quest. She had seven pups and we have five at home. They’ve  just been out of the boxes at Bicester for the first time and clocked faster times than Maverick and Goose did first look.

“I must say, apart from Keefill George, they’re the keenest pups we’ve ever had and it’s a trait Droopys Addition’s certainly throwing – [Doncaster trainer] Jimmy Gaskin will vouch for that. He’s got a really nice litter of strong-looking ten-month-olds out of Ballymac Lydia to him, while there’s also a batch by Droopys Must, who is a sister of Blue Tick George.

“Then finally we’ve got a cracking litter now ten weeks old out of Sean O’Connors bitch Ballymac Juliet. Juliet was third in the Irish Oaks and is sister of Ballymac Wild. Her first litter by Droopys Sydney, who Kim Gooding bred and reared, are hitting the track now and one has clocked 29.78sec first look over 500m at Towcester.”

As well as winning the 2019 Trafalgar Cup at Monmore and finishing second in the 2020 Coral Essex Vase at Romford, Droopys Addition reached a host of major finals including the Sussex Cup at Hove, Champion Stakes at Romford and Monmore’s Gold Cup. He was known as a very powerful and consistent runner on the track, but his pedigree also attracted Milner.

“He’s from one of the best damlines of the last five years. Droopys Hilda has thrown some unbelievable dogs – the likes of Droopys Aofie, Droopys Buick, Droopys Noah, Droopys Smasher, Javielenko and Roman Empire – and they, in some cases, have thrown some amazing runners. For instance, Buick threw Irish Derby winner Newinn Taylor and there are so many others from that side.

“Addition’s sire is the great Droopys Jet and a couple of his sons are flying at stud. Ballyhimikin Jet is one of the most talked about stud dogs in Ireland and Lenson Bocko has already thrown De Lahdedah.

“I love talking breeding lines and myself and my good friend Geoff Parnaby, one of the best breeders in the business, can talk for hours on them.

“Geoff’s taught us so much and told us having Droopys Addition here in the UK was a great opportunity – I’m just hoping we can get a couple of good Droopys Sydney bitches to him as I think the cross is perfect!”

However, Milner warns that without support British breeders will struggle to match the efforts of their Irish counterparts.

“As breeders it’s simply not financially viable to stand studs in the UK if we’re not supported. The regulations and costs involved make it difficult and, if he’s not used, we can’t justify it – so the message to breeders has to be to use the stud dogs that stand in the UK, if you can and they suit your breeding plans.

“We have a growing calendar of British-bred events, which is great, but need more incentives. There are some brilliant breeders in the UK who put so much in but it sometimes feel we’re constantly paddling upstream.

“The paperwork and turnaround time needs looking at – and we desperately need schooling facilities. You cannot school a pup correctly at most licensed tracks. They need experience and variation and, while it’s great if they’re straightforward, the ones that are not need time – and tracks don’t have that, or the facilities to help.

“Schooling and rearing is an art – it’s not as easy as many believe. British-bred races are great for the owners of British-breds but financially that doesn’t filter down to breeders who really get no support. More needs to be done for them.”