Rosstemple Brae has started 2018 as he means to continue: in winning form.
ROSSTEMPLE Brae has started 2018 as he means to continue: in winning form.
The three-year-old, owned and trained by Noel Barron in Ballineen, was crowned Greyhound of the Year at Curraheen Park earlier this month in recognition of his 2017 achievements, and on the night Rosstemple Brae showed just why he picked up the award.
‘He’d a race that night too, and he led from start to finish and won by five lengths, the fastest of his career yet, 28.41,’ a proud Noel told The Southern Star.
‘It was fitting that he won a race on the night he was awarded Greyhound of the Year at Curraheen Park.
‘He won the most races of all the dogs that ran there last year; it’s a very good achievement.’
After starting 2017 with a number of different placings behind him, Rosstemple Brea soon hit his winning stride, and won ten races at Curraheen last year.
‘He has done all his racing in Curraheen, he loves it there, he knows when we’re going there and he’s running now with the same spirit he had in his first race even after 12, 18 months of racing,’ Noel explained.
In his last eight runs, Rosstemple Brea has two seconds and six firsts to his name, and with two wins from two already this year.
Noel is confident of more success in the months ahead – with the Laurels the big target, having been involved in the latter stages last year.
‘We’ll be looking at the Laurels, which is the big one in Cork, if we can keep him right,’ Noel said.
‘We will be gearing him for that in June, we’ll focus on that one, but we’ll keep running him before that.’
Noel’s background in greyhounds goes back many decades. Greyhound breeding is in the genes – but his latest prodigy is proving to be a class apart.
‘He only started his racing career in September 2016, maybe won two races, and we got him right then for last year and he is peaking at the moment,’ Noel says, hopeful that Rosstemple Brea will continue to make the headlines this year.
