Greyhound racing news and analysis from leading TV pundit Jonathan Hobbs

Yes, it’s mathematically possible for nearest challenger Mark Wallis to catch him should the 11-time champion trainer win every Category One and Category Two competition left in the year. Even then the boss of Imperial Kennels would need to win a whole host of one-off opens - and for Janssens to fail to land another open race in all probability!

That’s hugely unlikely, of course, especially given the year Patrick and his team have enjoyed. Doubly represented in the Coral Essex Vase at Romford on Friday, his runners there include the outstanding Desperado Dan who was this week promoted to Coral Champion Stakes winner to add to his Ladbrokes Gold Collar victory.

It means additional points for the Janssens team and, while absolutely not the way he would have chosen to have added another major success to his growing CV and portfolio of winners, it is what it is. Dan now becomes a major contender for Greyhound of the Year honours - especially should he win the Essex Vase.

That’s an argument for another day, however, but now it’s about celebrating his handler’s list of successes in 2020 which has seen him wrest the title from his former boss Mark Wallis.

Wallis, who first became Trainer of the Year in 2005 and whose never-to-be matched 11 titles include holding the mantle of champion trainer for the past eight years, remains one of the sport’s greatest trainers - and ambassadors.

Fiercely competitive, as you have to be at the top of any field, he will not take any pleasure handing over the trophy to anyone - but with Patrick it’s probably different. The pair are good friends, with both Patrick and his wife Cheryl having worked for Mark for many years. It was Cheryl who paraded Kinda Ready, Mark’s first Derby winner in 2009.

Janssens initially left Wallis’s to take over a pet products business, which he still runs, before returning to training with a small number of open racers which has expanded. He holds a contract at Central Park and actually pushed Wallis close last year, racing to the front in the Trainer of the Year race before being overhauled in the last quarter of the campaign.

A truncated 2020, given opens were not staged between late March and early July due to the first lockdown, always gave Janssens a chance to slip the chasing pack - especially when the likes of Skilful Sandie won him the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket, Goldies Hoddle the Coral Golden Sprint and the unfortunate Headford Ranger the RPGTV Steel City Cup.

That gave him a sizeable lead - and one which he’s never really looked likely to relinquish with big-race successes for dogs like Bockos Doomie (Coral Sussex Cup), Kilara Lion (RPGTV Yarmouth Derby, Ladbrokes Kent Derby) and Desperado Dan (Coral Champion Stakes, Ladbrokes Gold Collar) flying the flag for the Norfolk-based kennel.

Belgium-born Janssens raced greyhounds at Geldrop and Amsterdam as a young man before heading to Ireland to work for Matt O’Donnell and then Pat Dalton, two legendary names, for a short time before heading to the UK where he joined Linda Jones at Imperial Kennels. Head man then was Mark Wallis, Linda’s son-in-law.

The rest is history.

The Essex Vase final is next up on Friday, the day after the Property192 Oaks heats at Swindon and a day before the Coral Olympic heats at Hove - so there are plenty of major trophies up for grabs even before we start talking the BGBF British Bred Derby at Sheffield and the RPGTV National Sprint at Nottingham.

Plenty of points therefore to be won, but however it pans out a new name will be on the famous Trainer of the Year trophy. How and where that will be presented is still to be decided - a virtual GBGB Greyhound of the Year Awards is mooted - but either way it will be celebrated. And some.

Calendar coming together

Great to hear that both Arc and the GVC-owned tracks have underwritten their support of open racing - and the sport itself - with various commitments on the major events in 2021.

The GBGB Calendar for next year is coming together nicely with the destination of the Derby, as ever, crucial to the detail. For the record, three tracks have expressed an interest in staging the Classic - Central Park, Nottingham and Towcester.

Detailed bids are now required by December 28 and it will be interesting to see the sponsors of each jostling for position in the next few weeks.

Favourite to stage the 2021 Derby is Nottingham. They have staged the past two Derbys, largely successfully, and Arc are not keen on giving it up.

It is understood that, while a loss leader for Nottingham itself, the media rights value of the race surpassed expectations. It proved popular in terms of picture sales which means it retains popularity among bookmakers, presumably worldwide.

Nevertheless, everything has its price and prize-money might still be key in deciding where the Classic will be held - could Nottingham and Arc be blown out of the water by Central Park or Towcester and their backers? Presumably they would include SIS.

The plot thickens and competition in life is everything, certainly to make progress. Ideally a three- or five-year deal can be secured which would give the sport - and the Derby itself - some much-needed security and continuity.

Either way, a return to a £100,000 first prize - or better, hopefully! - will see the English Derby again rival its Irish counterpart.

Incidentally, good luck to Shelbourne Park and Irish greyhound racing for its Winter Festival this weekend. Two days of top-class action - Saturday’s card is on RPGTV - replaces the Night of Stars which had to be cancelled due to Covid.

Irish Derby champion Newinn Taylor is among a host of stars strutting their stuff, which includes 2019 Derby champion Lenson Bocko and other big-race winners such as Grangeview Ten and Ballymac Wild. Saturday’s card, especially, is a cracker.

Hurdles cleared

It's also great to see graded hurdles races being planned at Hove - so well done to racing manager Daniel Rankin and his team.

Crayford and Central Park are very much the best tracks for hurdlers just now, with major events at both and the latter staging the Springbok, Champion Hurdle and Grand National for a triple crown of jumps contests.

But Hove could rival them down the line.

The Jimmy Jupp National Hurdle was the Sussex track’s major hurdles race of the year and many a top timber-topper has graced its sand - and grass back in the day!

Sir Winston, Master Westlands, Lord Westlands, Sizzlers Bossman, Greenacre George and, more recently, Razldazl Raidio and Ballymac Manix are definitely names to conjure with if you’re talking great hurdlers to have won races at Hove.

Christmas inspiration

Finally, Hobbsy has the perfect Xmas present idea!

‘Please Mister - The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing’ is a majestic historical tome and a must for greyhound racing fans. It includes hundreds of rare, archive photographs and tells the story of how greyhound racing became a huge spectator sport.

Published by Fullerton Press and written by Charles Blanning, a former Keeper of the Greyhound Stud Book, it is also superbly written from the man who brought us 'The Greyhound and the Hare' - another superb publication.

It has recently arrived at Hobbs Towers so expect the odd snippet to feature here in the coming weeks.

A cursory glance took me to the page - and graphic picture - featuring the gunning down of Edward O’Hare, President of the International Greyhound Racing Association. Blanning says his assassination was probably ordered by a certain Al Capone.

We are talking a very different world - and Please Mister - The Golden Age of Greyhound Racing promises to be a fascinating read.

Click here for purchase information.