All Change
Donul was beaten he had carried out over 25 whelpings in his career as breeder trainer and vet, but although he had lost puppies before he had never witnessed any think like this, Rachael’s first born pup was not only breached it was lodged feet first in the birth canal. As he closed his eyes, ready to commit him self to a glorious defeat, Cara came to his side.
“Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom he loves commits me here”
She would appear to have been ignored but she was not ready to give up.
Here prayer for the Bitch and her puppies, had at least, been continues.
It was then as if like magic, Rachael. Began to move the contractions that had been missing after the first 2 hours, were now beginning, to recover..
With the bitch not being able to help, it was one of the worse whelping he had ever been involved in, a caesarean, would have been inevitable, if there had been any signs. Perhaps he was too confident in his own ability.
Everything was beginning to improve the mother was actually snapping away at the puppies placentas,
The pup a dog, bought an immediate comment from Pat, “My gods that’s like a staffie”no wonder his mother almost give up”
Having cleaned up the two puppies Rachael, had plenty of space and many tits, to feed from.
What had looked like a WW1 stretcher? Was now a clean? Whelping bed smelling of detol.
Donul must have been fighting for 6 hours in total and deserved to have got something out of his endeavours, .
2 wonderful looking puppies one was enormous, black without a mark.
The bitch much smaller, fawn and white. but streamlined
As soon as they had all been cleaned and were asleep. Donul realised he had to take a photograph, to be sent to Oxford.
The two pups had reduced his monthly probability, by 60% and that was a severe body blow.
The blind puppies had the dinner table all to them selves and were dining royally.
Donul was on his own, but they would have perfect regimented lives, fully inoculated, wormed and dew clawed,
Like all dutiful fathers, he was praising the dog, as some wonder hound, “This dog will be over 80lb, Pat”
As soon as they were offered solids, they were both great eaters, it wasn’t long before they were out in a run, there was very little chance of the puppies getting ill, there whelping box had been spotless, cleaned 4 times a day if nead be but when they were three months getting injured was a different thing, they had no grass paddock, there was as far as they could see, mostly grass, out hours upon end, chasing down to a stream, catching rabbits, the small ones at first, and seemed to come back with knocks and bruises, every night,
There was no way these two would be reared soft the bain of the majority of English bred. greyhounds, Donul knew that was the only chance you have to take, if you wanted a champion.
They would be let off in the morning, to go and roam, about the 100s of acres that surrounded their little hut.
Although Donul had taken a photo at birth he hadn’t sent them on to Oxford; he was dreading a letter, demanding to know what had happened.
Every week went by, and still no mail.
At 6 months, Pat received a recorded delivery. From Oxford when he gave it to Donul he was apprehensive about opening the dam thing,,
“Urgent please telephone me Monday, “ What could be the problem? Perhaps Mr Hemory is coming over. Himself.
After two days Donul had gained sufficient strength of mind to telephone their office,
“Can I speak to Mr Hemory it is Patrick from Ireland.”
This is David Hemory, Pat, “I am sorry to say there is an urgent development at Oxford we have gone bankrupt and can no longer continue with the the contract, I have with you.”
“If you wish, you can take the puppies and ditch the contract, just send the Bitch back, I am very sorry.”
Donul was off the phone as quick as he could, before they changed there mind, he had got himself out of the mire, and ended up with to wonderful puppies. of his own.
It wasn’t long before Rachael the mother was transported back to England this time in much more suitable box, one were she could sit. It was a very sad day but it was just fate, that it was part of a plan hatched from above. And all would turn out well, in the end.
As for the puppies they were growing daily with the Dog, becoming enormous, but still the bitch half his size could out speed him over a 200 yard field.,
At twelve months they had both filled out and were showing brilliant speed, just playing, or when coursing a hare or rabbit.
Donul had purchased an old van, if he was to start flapping again, he would need transport, and they shouldn’t have to rely on Patrick to run all there errands. For them.
One-morning the two pups were let out, it was freezing cold, and a slight rain, as they scampered out, Donul.walked to his van,
After their usually fast sprint from one end of a spiny to the other,
The bitch picked up the scent, of a Hare, a dash from behind a large oak tree and it came into sight.
The first lunge missed and the Hare jumped 4 ft in the air, before setting off towards the fence running along the path. By now The Big Un and taken up the chase and had caught up with his sister,
The Hare seemed not to know were to go, and was running straight towards the 4 ft hedge..
As he arrived, so did the dog,first the hare jumped right through the top of the bush, onto the path, and was away,
The dog followed but hit the hedge half way up knocking a hole through, as big as his jest. Following on was the little bitch that jumped through the hole into the path, at the very same moment as the van arrived. As the Van arrived,
The scream was not from the bitch, as it was more like that of a banshee.
And it wasn’t the bitch for she had hit the vans wheel head on, breaking her back in an instant.
The scream had actually been from Cara, watching the fun of the chase,
The first to the bitch was Donul. If we ignore the Dog who was licking his sisters blooded face.
The shock affected the whole of the crew, including Pat and it was a months before the Big Dog was allowed more than a few feet from the run.
The little bitch was berried by the front door that was, until her brother started to dig her up again. It was then that Donul removed one of the sizeable slabs in the kitchen re-berried the poor puppy, which made one every happy certainly Cara.
One morning Donul got up early put a lead on the black dog and took him on a long walk, letting him off on the beech, were he ran in the sea, refreshing all his tendons and toes, this became a regular event, that the dog loved.
He was growing now at a pace, he was certainly going to be enormous, when at his peak.
It was reaching the time when he would have to decide if he was going to go the coursing rout or that of a track racer,
It only needed a hand sprint, at the nearest flapping track, to see he was a track racer.
He was 14 months when he had his first hand slip. Were Donul. Stood near the traps, and the mechanical hare was tenderly brought past.
Usually many pups do not know what to do, but in this case, Blackie, flew after the hare catching the controller off his guarded by the time it had speeded up and flew round the bend the dog was right behind, all the way,
2 week later he had his first sprint trial. 237 yards, although he came out of the box slowly he showed amazing speed. And manoeuvrability for one so young,
During the next two months he had a further 1 hand slip and then 3 sprint trails, improving each time.
It was April the time for the puppy events, and the dogs papers, had arrived, in the name Patrick, his racing name of All Black was chosen by Pat, as Donul had said, what’s in a name.
During his time he had had champions with stupid racing names, as far as Donul was concerned nothing would stop. “Blackie” certainly not a name.
A puppy event at Galway had always been a great passage for a young dog, and at 16 months, it was the time, to actually see how good he was.
A trip to the course with Pat, and the dog, was as entered Blackie for the early sprint. All the papers were in order but there was no way Donul could show his face, the name alone without the face, would start the drums how long it would be before MrB, his enemy would arrive, and this was something not worth contemplating.
This was to be the dog of a newbie, owner trainer Patrick, and that alone would be worth an extra 5 points, in the betting.
On the way back Pat seemed like a new school boy with his very first pair of soccer boots.
“You did enter the dog as a Wide Runner Pat?
Yes I showed him the 3 trails that he had, all out of trap 6.
The next few days it was all work, Donuls little Box of tricks was opened and these oils were rubbed into the dogs muscles, 3 times a day after his runs up the field and back.
His skin was beginning to shine, as bright as a Scots Guardsmen’s toecap.
One the way to the track, Pat stopped off to collect an evening paper; Blackie was in the last heat, of 4. race 24 dogs entered. semi finals and the final.
Staying in the car, locked away at the back of the car park, Pat was running errands, like a newspaper boy. After you have booked the dog in they will place him in a kennel. Remember the number you may be given a ticket to prove who you are.
Bring a race card back, with you.
Go and see if there is a Bookmaker betting long odds anti post, Pat, knew absolutely nothing about Bookmaking although he did know what a Bookmakers joint looked like. For he had backed a few of Donuls winners in the past.
Within 30 minutes he was back with the race card.
“Great Trap 6.”that was a perfect start.
By the way what price is our dog?
There is only one Bookmaker betting with all the 24 runners, it is Paddy Power.
And he has one dog at 2/1,
Shamrock Stone,
Yes-said Donul. A great connection they were one of my main competitors, when I was top dog.
What price is All Blacks?
25/1,
Are you sure?
Yes it is the last dog on the list. Trap 6 in races 4…
Donul, took a deep breath,
How much money have you got on you?
£200 I didn’t think we would need that much for his first run.
Yes but I didn’t know what price he would be,
Now we have to be careful. If the price remains at 25/1 and is not backed he could be a very big price to win his heat, but if we take the 25/1 to win the trophy we will be marking Paddy Powers card and he will shorten it. For its heat.
So I think we will leave that big price alone. And wait until our race
I am going for a touch Pat; opportunities don’t come around as good as this very often, this is the best puppy I have ever trained.
As the first of the heats commenced Donul was marking the times and some notes as to how they all run. He was already concerned that there were quite a few wide registered,that means that if a lot of wide runners, we could have a problem getting our favoured draw in the final.
This is the only problem I can see, for a dog as big as Blackie, in an inside box could be a disaster.
Donul then spent 10 minutes explaining what happens if there were 5 registered Pups in the final. All wide runners. would draw for places, and I will tell you now if our dog is flying you can expect to be handicapped for the final it always happens, The big Dublin teams will get all the advantages going.
In the seconds heat the ante post favourite Shamrock Stone, won, like good a dog,
Donul just smiled. He will have to be. Pat. “Good but not good enough.”
After the 3rd heat Donul gave Pat the whole amount that he had in the world, 350pnt. This he had managed to keep. Out of the original contract, money.
Pat placed the punts in his pocket, and strolled towards the betting ring.
As he arrived, he could hear the Bookmakers shouting the odds, and could see that they all had All Backs at 16/1.
He chose the Paddy Power team, first and asked for 250Pn @ 16/1, he was surprised that the bet was taken without a murmur,
The same bet was requested next door but only 100 was allowed. Panicking a little for this bookmaker not only shortened the odds to 8/1 he had 50 with the next bookmaker to him.
Seeing the price disappear caused Pat to panic a little but he noticed that Paddy Power was still going 16./1
The Bookmaker must have had eyes up his arse because he held his had out towards Pat and said,
“How much more to you have for your Dog”
200….
Ok you have that with me, 3200 to 200. Second bet.
Pat ran back to the car,
Donul you are not going to believe it I have all the 550 on at 16/1
Even Donul was shocked. But still smiled,
Pat was shaking like a tree in a Sligo tornado.
Come quick they will be off.
They were already a long way from the winning post, but Donul was content to stand by the bend,
We will know the result here not down there pointing to the finish.
The nose of the rattler became louder the faster it went,
As it passed the traps even from were they were you could see that All Blacks had been left at least 2 lengths,
Donul,s lips perched for the start of the work Fuck.
Followed a few seconds later by
My God.
Pat hadn’t a clue what was happening.
As they approached the only bend in this sprint, All Blacks had made the ground, up.
Flying round the bend like that Japanese, JR.
At the post it was 4 lengths clear, and the winner.
Don’t draw the winnings off, Power; it is safer in his odd (betting bag) than in our pocket until Wednesday and the semi final at least.
Just draw the one 1700 punts and I will see you down the main road outside the Public house. You will sure to be followed, when you collect the dog.