REX CLIPPED IN PLACES FOR TOWCESTER GLORY

Ian Fortune

It’s not unusual for Robert Catterson to ask the pertinent questions on behalf of RPGTV but he certainly got plenty out of winning handler Graham Holland in an interview after the wonderful success of Swords Rex in the Bresbet Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night.

Graham admitted to feeling the pressure ahead of the decider with four greyhounds and four sets of connections to keep happy. As he said himself, “When you have four in a race, you’re trying to the job for everyone and thankfully they’ve all run well.” They certainly did.

He also suggested that Swords Rex was amongst the very best he had trained in his long and hugely successful training career. But one comment really did get people talking as he hinted that Swords Rex could be English Derby bound.

The rumour mill had suggested in previous weeks that Towcester wasn’t on the agenda for Swords Rex but that was clearly a false flag. Said Holland of his next target, “I’ll have to talk to the owners but I’d imagine we’ll be looking towards Towcester.”

Not surprisingly, a few firms took notice and Swords Rex has been cut to 14-1 an 16-1 in places, although there is still 20-1 available. Incidentally, Bresbet, who sponsored the Easter Cup, certainly took notice and he is now 14-1 to complete the famous double last achieved by Jaytee Jet in 2016.