Craig Morris has announced that Chelms Bear has been retired

Chelms Bear has been retired

Chelms Bear has been retired after suffering a gracilis muscle injury during a trial at Towcester on Sunday.

The Craig Morris-trained powerhouse had seemingly moved well in posting a 16.01sec sprint trial before racing at Towcester on Sunday but it was soon clear something was amiss and the Yarmouth handler confirmed the news yesterday.

“I’m gutted to say he’s done a gracilis and that, at his age, is career-ending and it’s a real sickener because he'd come out of winter rest full of beans.

“He’s the best I’ve had since going out on my own,” said the former assistant to Mark and Hayley Keightley, “so that makes it more painful. He’s just been a privilege to train and have in the kennel and I have to thank his owners for that.”

Originally known as Barntick Bear and trained by Patrick Janssens, the April 2022 son of Droopys Sydney and Barntick Smokey first came to prominence when running-up to Untold Dollar in the 2024 Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby at Monmore.

Bought by Janssens and his original owners off the back of a 28.77sec Limerick win, Barntick Bear soon became one of the most popular trackers in training with his strong-running prowess securing early - and fast - UK career wins at Towcester and Monmore.

His crowd-pleasing style earned a real following and connections and his supporters, disappointed when he was knocked out in the first round of the 2024 Star Sports English Greyhound Derby and then the heats of the Derby Plate, stepped him up for a one-off 712m content on Derby final night that year.

Raising the roof from lid-rise, Barntick Bear made all over six bends for a hugely popular win in front of a bumper crowd.

Connections, however, eschewed a six-bend career in favour of targeting their powerhouse performer at the major four-bend races and competitions, running-up in the 2024 JenningsBet Select Stakes behind Pat Buckley’s Unanimouspanther.

Either side of the Nottingham showpiece, Barntick Bear set track records at Towcester, improving the best mark to 28.52sec and then 28.44sec.

He remained hot property but a major trophy continued to elude the strapping 38-kilo star.

A semi-final place in the PGR Eclipse was followed by a third place in the Coral Olympic at Hove. He then reached the semis of the Blue Riband back at Towcester before making the third round of the Star Sports English Derby in his second Classic campaign.

Barntick Bear was then bought out of Janssens’ kennel by Lee Harris, renamed Chelms Bear, and moved to Morris's kennel.

Subsequently purchased by a consortium of owners there - John Tarpley, James Edwards and John Wright - Chelsm Bear was back in another Category One final with a third place behind Wicky Ned in the Time Greyhound Nutrition 3 Steps To Victory.

That final was over 660m after winning his heat and semi-final over 480m and 500m - and, after running-up for Morris in the Coral Sussex Cup Final behind a rampant Proper Heiress, then finishing third again to Wicky Ned in the Arc Select Stakes, a wrong was about to be righted as Morris entered his star in the Arc Birmingham Cup.

Staged over 480m at Nottingham’s Colwick Park track in 2025, the former Perry Barr showpiece which returns to Dunstall Park later this year, was perfect for Chelms Bear as he skipped through heat, semi-final and the £12,500-to-the-winner final to land his first Category One triumph - and a first for trainer Morris himself.

“That was amazing for me and Bear, who thoroughly deserved it,” said the Norfolk-based handler. “I suppose the 480m just worked better for him there than 500m, which on paper you wouldn’t think it would. But it gave him a chance to turn closer to the leaders with the shorter run to the bend. Sometimes those longer run-ups don’t help a dog like him.

“But while saying all that, I still think he ran one of the best races for me when second to Proper Heiress at Hove in the Sussex Cup over 515m. People think I’m mad when I say he’d have caught him, but had he not checked up rounding the third bend he’d have got close I’m sure. He was absolutely flying that night.

“And he certainly flew at Sheffield when we took him back there!”

A crack at the BresBet Steel City Cup at Owlerton Stadium followed Nottingham, and an impressive heat win at the south Yorkshire venue was followed by an astonishing track record for the 500m trip there, setting new figures of 28.01sec and bettering a nine-year-old previous best for the distance held by Domino Storm.

Chelms Bear finished a close-up third in the Sheffield final behind the Patrick Janssens-trained pair of Romeo Steel and Romeo Ability before heading back to Nottingham and then Hove and reaching the semi-finals respectively of the PGR Eclipse and Coral Olympic - and Janssens is among those Morris wishes to thank following the decision to bring the career of the near four-year-old to a close.

“Patrick was great when it was first suggested he come to me, so thank you to him, to Lee (Harris), the two Johns (Tarpley and Wright) and James (Edwards).

“He’s been a joy to have and can stay here as long as he and the owners like! It will always be great to have ‘The Bear’ around.

“He broke three track records, won a Cat One, made a whole host of finals and made the frame in two Select Stakes. It’s been some career and I’m glad I’ve been a part of it.”