Easter target for Kathleen

DROOPYS KATHLEEN, who missed her intended return to action at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night, has been set an Easter Cup target by trainer Robert Gleeson.

The superstar bitch, who broke the Shelbourne Park 525-yard track record in an unbeaten puppy campaign in late 2024, has been beset by injury setbacks since but was reported in good order by her trainer yesterday.

“She didn’t finish her grub on Friday night and then wouldn’t look at her breakfast on Saturday morning, so we knew she wasn’t feeling right,” he said. “We’ve had sickness in the kennel and she caught a bit of that so we pulled her out.”

The bitch is owned by Alan Dobbs and jockeys Pat Dobbs and Dylan Browne McMonagle, and Gleeson is confident she is now in good shape for a racing return for her high-profile connections.

“We’ve no plans to rush her, but I’m as confident as I can be that she’s as good as she ever was,” he said. “Her sprint trial at Shelbourne last month was good and her clock coming home was exceptional.

“Several in the litter have turned out to stay well, so I’ve no doubt the 550 yards at Shelbourne won’t be a problem. In fact the longer run to the bend will suit her in getting loose.

“I’ll look for a trial in the next two weeks, but the Easter Cup [starts next month, final April 4] is what we’re looking towards now.”

Want top greyhound betting advice and the latest greyhound racing news? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Greyhounds for more

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.