PHANTOM EQUALS FIFTEEN YEAR TRACK RECORD AT GALWAY
Peter Farrell
Action at Shelbourne, Clonmel and Towcester may well have set pulses racing last weekend but there was a performance of particular note in Galway on Saturday night as Hanover Phantom produced a stunning effort to equal the track record for the 550-yard trip.
Trained by Declan McDonagh for Leeanne Fleming, Hanover Phantom started his racing career in the best possible fashion as he posted a rapid 28.80 on debut at the Connacht venue and he followed that up with a fantastic 29.83 in just his second career start of the 550-yards. The August 20’ son of Slippery Robert and Be Slow Dor ventured to Limerick shortly after for a crack at the Con & Annie Kirby but he was luckless in running and subsequently hit the deck in his opening round assignment. However, clearly in fine fettle, Hanover Phantom set tongues wagging with a sensational 29.69 .20s clock on his return to Galway just a few weeks back and he followed that up in sensational style, posting 29.66 last Saturday night. On that occasion, he dismantled what was a top-class field as he came home two and a half lengths clear of recent Limerick eye-catcher Vincenzo. Indeed, 29.66 is the fastest time recorded at Galway for fifteen years with Handy Princess the last greyhound to record such figures back in 2007. A hugely impressive run for Hanover Phantom, who doesn’t turn two years of age until August, expect to hear more from Declan McDonagh’s charge over the coming months and his video from last Saturday night is well worth a watch.