Huge victories for Monmore trainers

Last weekend saw the Richie Taberner-trained Aero Sacundai seal a first Category One triumph for the Aero Greyhounds kennel and a cool £10,000 in prize money with another sensational run in the Pall Mall final at Oxford.

On the same evening, Kim Billingham’s Magical Luna set a new track record for the 847m marathon with a super-quick 52.21 seconds.

They look to keep up the momentum in a stacked card at Monmore later, with trial stakes for both the Ladbrokes Gold Cup and Summer Stayers Classic which begin next weekend taking place.

Taberner has expressed his delight with Sacundai, and the work that assistant trainer Jo Slater has done to get him performing to his full potential.

“I sent Jo down with the dog to Oxford, bit of superstition. I was at Brighton, got back at 3am and then was back at the kennels at 6am, so it hadn’t quite sunk in straight away,” said Taberner. “I’ve now had a bit of time to reflect on it and it’s unbelievable – it’s what you do it for.

“We had a goal of winning a Cat One, and now we’ve done it, way ahead of schedule. It’s just a dream.

“We’re just so proud of him. I’m made up for the owners, Stuart Forsdike is half of Aero Greyhounds and been a huge supporter of the kennel.

“Mike Woolgar and Geoff Ansley have also been great supporters of what we do, so it’s great to have done it for them.

“Jo is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most talented youngster training dogs in the industry.

“Let’s be honest, Jo has trained that dog – not me. I’ve changed his diet and set out a schedule, but the day-to-day work is all down to Jo. This gives her a huge platform to have a huge belief in herself and her training methods. She never stops.

“She’s always massaging and grooming the dogs if she’s not out walking or galloping them.”

Taberner added: “It was a great night – Kim was the first to congratulate us and then got the track record with Luna. It’s brilliant to see Monmore trainers competing on the big stage.”

Sacundai continues to go from strength to strength and is worth keeping an eye on tonight and in the Gold Cup, having also set a sprint track record at Towcester earlier this year.

Billingham’s record holder Luna, meanwhile, goes back to the shorter distance of 630m this evening after smashing the clock over eight bends at Oxford last weekend.

Billingham said: “She’s been running so well recently without quite having the luck in terms of trap draws.

“She got her box this time, though, Trap One, and it all came together perfectly.

“She trapped well, and then at about halfway she got ahead and never looked like losing.

“To set a new track record was very special as my dad held a track record at Oxford in the past.

“It was a wonderful night for the all the connections, and we’re just delighted she was able to show just how good she is.”

Sacundai’s race tonight is almost like another big final given the quality of the field – Mark Wallis’ Ballymac John and Doncaster-based Phil Barlow’s Inca Gerry also in race three.

That’s one of 10 Opens on the card, with Luna up against greyhounds from all over the country including Ballymac Nova – trained by Yarmouth’s Pamela Cross – in race 10.