Superstar greyhound owned by top Irish jockey could make long-awaited return at the new Wolverhampton dog track

Droopys Kathleen, Ireland’s long-absent superstar bitch dubbed by the Racing Post last year as the canine Frankel , could be a surprise and welcome addition to the runners for next month’s Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks at its new Dunstall Park home.

Winner of all five of her starts when bursting onto the racing scene in October last year – a sequence which saw the Robert Gleeson-trained ace set a new 525-yard track record at Shelbourne Park in the semi-finals of the Puppy Oaks – Droopys Kathleen has not raced since winning the final of that event on November 16. She is owned by top Irish flat jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle and Alan Dobbs.

A series of setbacks, including a damaged tendon which has been removed, has seen the May 23 daughter of Droopys Sydney-Droopys Dancer restricted to home gallops and a handful of trials since, while her first season ruled out hopes of a return for the BoyleSports Irish Derby.

However, Gleeson reported the bitch to be in great order this week as he hopes to map out a plan for his kennel star which will include a trip to the new Arc venue at Wolverhampton racecourse.

He said: “The next two weeks will be when we really find out where we’re at with her. She looks a million dollars and is galloping well at home.

“But she has been off a long time and her last trial was over the 400 yards at Dundalk at the start of August. She looks like you could run her tomorrow but when they’ve been off so long you have to take your time.

“Ideally I’ll be looking to get a full 525-yard workout into her and then, if all is well, we’ll look at taking her over to Dunstall Park to see how she goes.”

Gleeson, who has never been afraid to travel and won last year’s Northern Puppy Derby at Newcastle with Droopys Deploy, added: “I’ve been sent a video of the track at Dunstall Park – it all looks fantastic and you want to support them if you can. She’d need a race as well before you could put her in a competition like the Oaks [heats Friday, October 3], but we’ll take it step by step.

“She’s still puppyish in the way she behaves, perhaps because she has been absent so long, but even if she came back three-quarters as good as she was then she’d more than hold her own. It has been frustrating, but your hands are tied and you have to be patient.

“If she does come over and goes well then I might look at the Scurry Cup too [starts October 10]. I’ve got a fast young dog called Droopys Painting who clocked 28.13sec first time round at Shelbourne.

“He has only had four races and was knocked over on his last start in July so we’ve given him some time off. I’d say he has the early pace to compete over the 270m trip there.”

Sadly, Gleeson did not have good news regarding Droopys Kathleen’s kennelmate and litter-brother Toolmaker Josepe, who had to be put down following a double fracture sustained during his Irish Derby heat on Friday.

He said: “It was a horrible injury and heartbreaking to see. I had to call his owner Willie Hyslop to give him the sad news and also tell him that his Toolmaker King, who won his heat on Saturday night, came off with a strained hock and is out of the competition.

“I have to be honest and say I’ve had a bad run of injuries at Shelbourne of late and while these things can happen in racing I do think it’s time that something was done regarding the track itself.

“I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, but perhaps people do not wish to admit it out loud, but the track is not running anywhere as well as it has and looks very much like it’s in need of an overhaul.

“The groundstaff at Shelbourne are vastly experienced and are doing their best as ever, but sometimes things just wear out and need replacing. Look at the work Arc did in Sittingbourne – they closed Central Park down for a short spell, took the sand out and started afresh as that was what needed to be done.”

Gleeson continued: “I know the Irish Derby is in full swing and of course this isn’t the time for major track work, but I’d urge Shelbourne’s management to consider it afterwards so we can all move forward for the Winter Festival and the like.

“I want to run my dogs at Shelbourne. It’s our flagship track with facilities to be proud of and where my owners and everyone else wants to be on a Saturday night, but the most important thing at any track is the racing circuit itself and the welfare of all our dogs.”

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