830YD RECORD SMASHED AT ENNISCORTHY

Ian Fortune

We almost missed the fact that the 830yd record was smashed at Enniscorthy on Thursday night with October ’22 whelp Ashwood Bubbles coming home clear in the opener over the extended trip to take over ten lengths off the previous best.

Remarkably, all four greyhounds actually dipped under the previous best which had been set over a decade ago. On further inspection, it highlighted the fact that there has been no race over 830yds since October 2019.

But that doesn’t go to explain why it was so much faster than previous races over the trip. There is no doubt Ashwood Bubbles is bred to be very strong and she did everything right to come home five lengths clear.

A daughter of Crash and Blundel Spark, she happens to be a half-sister to some very talented stayers including one of the best ultra-marathon performers ever seen on these shores, Dana Point. Owned by John Doyle, who is no stranger to owning talented stayers, and Oliver O’Leary, Ashwood Bubbles was dominant from the outset and it was noteworthy that she powered right away into the escape and seems set to stay even further.

Whatever the reasons for the much faster times over the 830yd trip, it seems the John Dunne trained Ashwood Bubbles is one to keep on the radar. The 850yd contest at the Winter Racing Festival would seem an obvious target, while the Shelbourne Marathon over the 1025yd trip must also be on mind of her lucky owners.