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2009 Trainers Championship report
CHARLIE LISTER scored a sensational Betfair Trainers’ Championship victory at Sheffield, scoring six wins and a second with his seven-strong side.
The build-up to the competition had seen a sumptous lunch in London attended by the six competing handlers and a high-class entry for the first Trainers’ Championship meeting held in the north since the first such staging at Newcaslte in 1977.
Seamus Cahill was defending the title he won at Wimbledon 12 months previously, but Lister was a warm favourite, even allowing for the fact that he arrived at Sheffield with one less team member than his peers.
Fear Zafonic, injured in a home gallop, was withdrawn from his intended race. But the Newark handler still had plenty of quality representing him.
Barrie Draper was the best-backed trainer with the sponsors approaching the night, his perceived home advantage favouring the former Sheffield-based trainer for many.
Ultimately, it was the highest winning tally ever recorded and could have been more for Lister had Fear Zafonic run.
Four track records were broken on the night, three in the Trainers’ Championship races, the 500m best broken twice, first by Lister's Ninja Jamie and then by Draper's Thurlesbeg Joker. The Lister-trained Tyror Hestor ran away with the sprint, also clocking a track record.
2008 Trainers Championship report
SEAMUS CAHILL edged out Charlie Lister in one of the most exciting Trainers’ Championship meetings in the history of the now Betfair-sponsored eight-leg event, in 2008 staged at Wimbledon.
With the English Derby just a matter of weeks away, not to mention the top-class prize-money, and pride and rivalry involved, the teams for the six competing trainers were strong.
Elaine Parker, seventh in the 2007 Trainer of the Year standings, replaced Nick Savva, who withdrew his interest at the turn of the year, and the Sheffield handler joined Lister, Cahill, Mark Wallis, Barrie Draper and John Mullins in competition.
Lister was defending the title he won at Hall Green in 2007 where he turned the tables on his 2006 conqueror (at Wimbledon) Wallis. But the Lister team had to give best in the opening 460m leg as Secretariat edged out Parker’s Mako Magic.
By the third leg, Cahill’s team were well in front courtesy of two wins as his star puppy Lethal Freddie struck after Thai Girl had led home Cahill’s Noirs Ted to lower the track record in the sprint to gain maximum points for the Draper team.
Wins for Sonic Sensation and Rossacredibility, though, hauled Lister back into contention and in front, before Big Brett Coal justified favouritism in the top division of the six-bend event. In between, John Mullins’ Toosey Blue had won well over 480m
Ironically, Mullins has scored just three points from the first three legs, but rallied with two wins, the aforementioned Toosey Blue and then Blonde Jeannie helping the Suffolk-based handler to third behind Cahill and Lister.
Barrie Draper’s team was going great guns to halfway and was always on the heels on the leaders, while Elaine Parker’s Tristar Hawk, in particular, ran a stormer over six bends behind Big Brett Coal.
But the night belonged to Seamus Cahill and Charlie Lister, whose teams served up another close finish for the £10,000 prize. And ultimately, it was the Mullins-trained Blonde Jeannie breaking in front of Lister hotpot Ninja Jamie that effecitvely clinched it for the Walthamstow handler, Cahill.
Blonde Jeannie, the Oaks champion, proved herself again the Queen of Wimbledon as she spiked the guns of some leading Derby contenders, but the Cahill-trained Kilkenny Lonjack ran a stormer in defeat to claim second and six valuable points for Cahill, which saw him home.
Afterwards, ‘Team Cahill’ dedicated the victory to the trainer’s brother, Tom, who died a week before.
Cahill told the Racing Post: "It’s a really proud moment for us. It’s been ten years of gradual improvement. Ever since I’ve held a licence we’ve made steady progress each year."
Seamus Cahill 49
Charlie Lister 43
John Mullins 34
Barrie Draper 30
Elaine Parker 27
Mark Wallis 25
2007 Trainers Championship report
CHARLIE LISTER won his third Trainers Championship in seven years at Hall Green on March 20th.
Lister, who is also the reigning Champion Trainer, scored maximum points in four of the eight races courtesy of smart wins by Geordie Parker, Fear Haribo, Shelbourne Rene and crucially, Zigzag Dutchy who’s win sealed the victory for Lister.
MARK WALLIS failed to defend the title he won at Wimbledon twelve months previously but was a gallant runner-up and, thanks to wins by Roswell Spaceman, Centaur Decree and Raging Jack, ensured that the title was decided in the very last race.
JOHN MULLINS was the only other trainer to record a win in the eight contributing races; his Romford Car Two running a brilliant race over the six bend trip to beat Wallis’ Blackmagic Guy by over four lengths.
BRIAN CLEMENSON sent out the runner-up in three of the races with his Coventry Bees putting in a particularly encouraging run after a relatively quiet spell.
SEAMUS CAHILL and ERNIE GASKIN were both out of luck but arguably their teams lacked the strength in depth of Lister and Wallis. Neither were disgraced, however, and fully deserved their place in the line up following outstanding performances on the open race circuit in 2006.
FINAL SCORES: Charlie Lister 55pts, Mark Wallis 52pts, John Mullins 37pts, Brian Clemenson 31pts, Seamus Cahill 18pts, Ernie Gaskin 15pts
(Points awarded as follows: First 10 points, Second 6 points, Third 4 points, Fourth 3 points, Fifth 2 points, Sixth 1 point)
Click here for full results from the night!
2006 Trainers Championship report
MARK WALLIS landed his first Trainers' Championship win with four winners on the Betfair-sponsored, live-on Sky meeting at Wimbledon on Tuesday (March 14). Having become Champion Trainer in 2005, a fantastic achievement in his first year as the licence holder having taken over from mother-in-law Linda Jones at Imperial Kennels in Suffolk, Wallis plundered another trophy for the cabinet with victory over his peers.
The Trainers' Championship meeting brings together the top six handlers from the previous year's standings and it was Charlie Lister, who had 'done' a Wallis with back-to-back champion trainer and trainers' championship titles 12 months previously, who went to traps favourite. But it was Hove trainer Brian Clemenson, who had won three of the last four trainers' championship meetings, who struck first with SHELBOURNE POOPA racing to victory in all-the-way fashion from favourite and Lister-trained Robbie De Niro, to add to her recent Emerald Cup victory at Coventry. The Wallis-trained Fear Rien finished third here, but the kennel scored maximum points in the sprint event with ROSWELL SPACEMAN making the most of a trap one draw to brush aside Wellington at the turn, with favourite Ningbo Jack pacing up and into trouble at the turn.
SAVING TIME, a kennelmate of Ningbo Jack's at Lister's, raced clear of his puppy rivals in the next event. Aided by crowding at the bend, the youngster led home Songs Of Praise (Wallis) to win in a fast 27.64sec for the 460m trip. Droopys Hotshot finished third for the Paul Young champ. All eyes in the second division of the 668m races were on STAR OF DROMIN, all-conquering at Walthamstow but who was looking to land her first Wimbledon win. After a great battle with first David Pruhs's Gunner Black, and then Clemenson's Princess Monalulu, she justified short odds. With one eye on the Trainers' Championship meeting, and scoring valuable points, and one on the Derby, also at Wimbledon, the Lister-trained ZIGZAG DUTCHY went to traps a warm order for the second dvision of the 480m event. Trapping in front, he was impressive to beat the game Champagne Moment (Clemenson).
JANUARY TIGER (Wallis) was ignored in the market ahead of the top division of the 460m, but in a trouble-marred race in which Bat On (Lister) and Westmead Olivia (Nick Savva) were knocked over, the Derby semi-finalist of 2005, was always prominent and strode clear to beat favourite Bubbly Classic (Clemenson).
BLACKMAGIC GUY completed the 'yankee' of winners for Wallis in the top division of the six-bend event in a race that also cut up badly with favourite Greenacre Lin (Clemenson) one of three runners who took a tumble in the race. But Pruhs's Show Domingo was only just denied in a decent buckle between the pair. However, it all meant that, going into the final leg, Wallis had an unassailable lead over his rivals, and was assured of the prize-money for the kennel and kennelhands, three of whom - Patrick Janssens, Pete Vernon, Sid Huett - were at Wimbledon preparing the Imperial Kennels team. But although crowned champion, there was still the small matter of the top division of the 480m, and a certain Derby favourite Fear Me (Lister) and reigning Derby champion WESTMEAD HAWK (Savva) to go head-to-head, with the likes of Shelbourne Nina (Clemenson) and Ronnies Champion (Wallis) also providing tough opposition.
The race itself was marred by an injury to front-running Shelbourne Nina, who had victory in her sights before breaking down between the third and fourth turns. Fear Me took it up, but then was swamped by the now familiar whirlwind finish of 'The Hawk' as trainer Savva struck in the last.
FINAL SCORES: 56 Mark Wallis, 39 Charlie Lister, 35 Brian Clemenson, David Pruhs 28, Nick Savva 26, Paul Young 24.
Trainers' Championship points (eight races): First 10 points, Second 6pts, Third 4pts, Fourth 3pts, Fifth 2pts, Sixth 1pt.
Click here for results from the night! |
