STUNNING DEBUT BY HESONEOFOUROWN

Ian Fortune

While there is plenty happing on this side of the Irish Sea, there was also plenty to talk about across the water at the weekend including the opening round of the Ladbrokes Winter Derby from Monmore.

Many of the UK’s very best were in action in the competition including the likes of Hopes Paddington, Coolavanny Shado, Burnchurch Mick and Hawkfield Ozark amongst others.

Therefore, it was something of a surprise when a racing debutant posted the fastest time of the round. Hesoneofourown looked a serious greyhound when running away with the final heat. A son of Tommy Brislane and Kuma Mary Lou, the March ’21 whelp left some hugely talented rivals standing, showing fine early dash before really winding it up from halfway.

He eventually came home six lengths clear of former Puppy Oaks champion, Longacres Queen (formerly Ballymac Snazzy) in a rapid 28.25.

A glance through his pedigree will highlight the fact that he is a son of Tommy Brislane, a former star in Australia. He happens to be a son of Premier Fantasy and his biggest success came in the Group 1 Dapto Megastar in 2014.

He, of course, now stands with Catriona Ni Duill on these shores and it was Catriona who actually bred Hesoneofourown. She owns Kuma Mary Lou, who raced as Sizzling Dive both in Ireland and the UK. A high-quality performer around Drumbo Park and Dundalk before developing into a top stayer in the UK where she had a relatively short career.

During her time in England, she was trained by Belinda Green, who now trains Hesoneofourown. It’s some start to her career as a brood and she has two more liters on the ground, a November ’21 litter by Magical Bale and a July ’22 litter by Knocknaboul Syd.

For the moment, Catriona, Belinda and Garry Dempsey, who reared and trialed Hesoneofourown in, will be hoping he can continue flying the flag in the coming weeks. No matter what happens in the remainder of the Winter Derby, he’s clearly a young greyhound with a huge future.

Who knows, Catriona might have a couple more like him waiting in the wings in her Mullingar base. These are certainly exciting times.