Droopys Clue retired after his latest injury setback

Droopys Clue has been retired after suffering another injury setback in a trial at Hove last week.

A two-time St Leger champion and the 2023 Greyhound of the Year, Seamus Cahill's kennel star was being aimed at the PGR Regency but didn’t come out of his final preparation trial well.

The Alex Hambi-owned dog won’t be ready in time for the start of the competition on Saturday and he has now run his last race.

“He’s had his problems with his wrist since last year,” said Cahill.

“When we brought him back earlier in the year, it went again, so we gave him a long rest. He trialled well when he came back and won his race, so we put over 695m for a trial last Thursday. We were very happy with the trial and we were looking forward to the Regency. 

“Everything seemed pretty good on Friday but he was sore on Saturday and we had no option but to call it day.”

Having started his career in hot company, the August 2021 son of Out Of Range and Droopys Natalie won multiple big events and Cahill is grateful to have been able to train one as good as him.

He added: “He’s been a fantastic dog. His record speaks for itself.

“He started in open racing, winning at Hove, and graduated to win the Juvenile Classic at Towcester the same year. 

“He won five Category One competitions and was beaten a neck in another, while he also made two other finals. He broke four track records along the way as well, over both four and six bends.”

Droopys Clue made history by becoming the first greyhound to win back-to-back St Legers, a feat his trainer says is even more impressive because he wasn’t at his best second time around.

He continued: “It was a fantastic achievement to win his second St Leger last year because, in hindsight, he wasn't 100% all the time. He is a phenomenally tough dog to do what he did.”

After Jimmy Lollie in 2010, Droopys Clue became Cahill's second Greyhound of the Year and the Kent-based handler ranks him among the best he has trained.

Cahill said: “He was the first really good six-bend dog I’ve had. We knew he would stay but we didn’t think he would be anything like what he turned out to be when we bought him. He was a relatively cheap dog and he ranks with the best stayers about in my time. Up there with the best of them.

“The fact he could do the clock at Towcester and Central Park over four bends as well, it speaks volumes of the dog to be able to do something like that. He broke track records from 491m at Central Park to 710m at Perry Barr.”

While nothing has been agreed about where he will stand, it’s expected that Droops Clue will be available at stud sooner rather than later.

The trainer explained: “Hopefully, he goes to stud and we get something like himself again.

“Alex (Hambi, owner) is away at the moment and I need to sit down with him, so there are no firm plans as to where he will stand yet. We’ll have a chat when he comes back but we’ll be working on that pretty quickly.”