/ The Lord / 24 March 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Bandicoot Tipoki was one of the star dogs at Wimbledon
"No less than four trainers had a chance of glory going into the last leg, on a night when greyhound racing rolled back the years... "
The Lord has finally caught his breath after an evening of pure excitement at Wimbledon. Here he reflects on a thrilling Betfair Trainers' Championship 2011...
The Betfair Trainers' Championship is the icing on the cake for the leading handlers of the previous year, a lucrative end-of-season type event which takes the form of an eight-leg competition. Some years it's been cakewalk for a particular trainer, Charlie Lister famously won six of the seven races at Sheffield to win in a canter. That was 2009, but in 2010 we had it go down to the wire, Mark Wallis pipping Lister in the last leg at Doncaster.
However, while that was exciting, Tuesday's annual shootout topped the lot as no less than four trainers had a chance of glory going into the last leg, on a night when greyhound racing, in so many ways, rolled back the years in terms of pure excitement, top drawer performances by some cherished and popular greyhounds and a chance to meet some of the legends of the past.
Bandicoot Tipoki and Kinda Ready, the last two English Derby winners, were among the stars on the track, the former starring for Lister in one of the legs, while some Classic contenders for this year's major races were also on show including Boher Paddy and Blonde Snapper. Throw in special guests on the night including legendary handlers Nick Savva, John Coleman, Linda Mullins, John McGee and John Honeysett, and the 2011 Betfair Trainers' Championship really did tick all the right boxes.
So to the event itself.
Leg one (480m - standard division D) )
Paul Young gets away to a flyer with big-priced Jaytee Tiger making all as Charlie Lister's favourite Rayvin Neasa gets held up can manage only fifth,
Scores after race one
Charlie Lister 2
Chris Allsopp 3
Mark Wallis 6
Pat Rosney 4
Paul Young 10
Seamus Cahill 1
Leg two (273m - sprint)
Fifis Rocket, formerly known as King Lee, traps in front in the sprint and also makes all for Chris Allsopp. But importantly, Lister's Romeo Daddy Cool chases him home.
Scores after race two:
Charlie Lister 8
Chris Allsopp 13
Mark Wallis 10
Pat Rosney 5
Paul Young 13
Seamus Cahill 3
Leg three (480m - puppy)
A great leg for Pat Rosney as Allisons Delight comes through a roughhouse race to lead home Allsopp's Express Shuttle.
Scores after race three:
Charlie Lister 10
Chris Allsopp 19
Mark Wallis 14
Pat Rosney 15
Paul Young 16
Seamus Cahill 4
Leg four (687m - stayers division B)
Charlie Lister registers his first win with all-the-way winner Lonely Boy. Mark Wallis picks up important points with second-placed Kinda Easy.
Scores after race four:
Charlie Lister 20
Chris Allsopp 23
Mark Wallis 20
Pat Rosney 16
Paul Young 18
Seamus Cahill 7
Leg five (480m - standard division C):
Seamus Cahill is off the mark as the strong THURLESBEG BOUND has the measure of Borna Jessica at halfway. All to play for.
Scores after race five:
Charlie Lister 22
Chris Allsopp 29
Mark Wallis 23
Pat Rosney 20
Paul Young 19
Seamus Cahill 17
Leg six (480m - standard division B):
Derby champion Bandicoot Tipoki comes through a tough buckle with comeback kid Blonde Snapper (Wallis) as Lister now closes on leader Allsopp.
Scores after race six:
Charlie Lister 32
Chris Allsopp 33
Mark Wallis 29
Pat Rosney 22
Paul Young 20
Seamus Cahill 20
Leg seven (687m - stayers division A):
Pat Rosney upsets the big guns Wallis (Blonde Fletch), Lister (Droopys Alma) and Allsopp (Head It Jason) as his BOWER HAWK finishes best for the spoils. It means any one of four trainers can win the Trainers' Championship.
Scores after race seven:
Charlie Lister 34
Chris Allsopp 36
Mark Wallis 33
Pat Rosney 32
Paul Young 26
Seamus Cahill 21
Leg Eight (480m - standard division A)
Leading Derby contender Boher Paddy justifies favouritism and sends the Betfair Trainers' Championship title back to the Newark kennels of Charlie Lister.
Making all the running from trap one, Allsopp's Brittons Empire valiantly gives chase, as does Wallis's Destroy The Camp.
But there's to be no repeat of Doncaster as this time Boher Paddy steals the deal for the original favourite on a topsy-turvy night, another great Betfair Trainers' Championship.
Final Scores
Charlie Lister 44
Chris Allsopp 43
Mark Wallis 39
Pat Rosney 33
Paul Young 28
Seamus Cahill 24
The Lord is salivating like a hungry hound at the prospect of this Tuesday's 2011 Betfair Trainers' Championship......
Betfair Trainers' Championship defending champ Mark Wallis might have a welcome selection dilemma when the big one comes around at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, fancy a greyhounds fillip at Swindon on your way to Cheltenham?...
The Lord rounds up all the big stories from the sport...
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