This article is from page 101 of the 2008-09-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 101 JPG
IN the great story of sporting come- backs, this one will rank with the best. For the first time in just short of four decades, a Clare dog won the Irish derby but it was the manner in which the title was captured that will stay in the mind.
On the final bend Shelbourne As- ton was still in fifth place but in the final stage, managed a huge rally to see him first across the post. But it took some time for official confirma- tion to come through.
Standing behind the rails and peer- ing into the crowd was part-owned and trainer and Mullagh native Pat Grae
“When the dog crossed the line I thought we’d won but Ian Fortune [RTE greyhound reporter] was be- side me with an earpiece waiting to hear the official result. I kept looking in at the crowd saying to myself, ‘For God’s sake, will somebody put me out of my misery here and tell me if we ve definitely won.
“After a few minutes the announce- ment came through on the loud- speaker but I missed it, my mind had gone blank. So I turned to Ian and asked him what had happened. He said, “Pat, you’ve just won the derby.’ And you know what? I’ never forget those words.”
With that confirmation, Curtin
had reason to celebrate. This was only the third time a greyhound had completed the Champion Stakes and Derby double but the thing is, Curtin isn’t finished there.
Right now, he’s contemplating go- ing for the English St Leger at Wim- bledon, which begins next month.
‘No other dog has ever done the Irish Derby and the St Leger back-to- back and that’s something I’d love to do. And the Leger is over 660 yards which would suit the dog down to the ground.
“But we’ve still to make up our minds on what exactly we’re going to do. Over the past two days, there’s been a lot of interest from Australia and the United States, but we haven’t made any decision yet.”
Part-owners Noel Hehir from In- agh and Mullagh’s Margaret Mont- gomerie will sit down and discuss the situation with Curtin over the next week or two, but for now, it’s ap- propriate to bask in the glow of the DTS d eA ett e
Word had gone out that Curtin had heavily backed the dog at long odds and on Monday, he confirmed that he will take in roughly €500,000 on wagers as well as his share of the €175,000 prize money.
“He started off at 33/1 and I never thought he should be as long as that in the first place. The bookies thought he needed a longer trip, which in
fairness, he might have done but I was always confident he was going to do it.
“T actually backed him at that price for the Champion Stakes as we;; and ended up getting ©250,000 from that and then, when it came to the Derby, 33/1 was always going to get my at- tention.
“T took him at 33/1 and as he pro- eressed, he moved into 20/1, 14/1, 10/1 and I got him at all those prices as well. But as I said, I was confi- dent all along. I trained him to win the Derby and I saved him and saved him for that and for nothing else.”
Curtin — who first Shelbourne As- ton race in Galway against his own dog, Cal Diamond — pursued his then-owner Brian King relentlessly to part ways with the dog. “I just knew there was something special about this dog. I saw him for the first time in December and finally per- suaded Brian King to sell him to me a few months later.”
He now joins the prestigious list of Derby winning trainers, which includes his cousin Tom Doherty whose dog Eoin Pride was the last Clare winner of the Derby in 1969.