ICE ON FIRE FUTURE IN DOUBT

Ian Fortune

UK greyhound racing was delivered a real blow following the news that Ice On Fire had sustained a gracilis in a routine gallop on Tuesday morning.

Named Greyhound of the Year as the British Greyhound Awards earlier in the year, the Jimmy Fenwick trained star was a hot favourite for the English Derby and was preparing for a tilt at the All England Cup at Newcastle.

Speaking to the Racing Post yesterday, Fenwick expressed his disappointment, "He got about half way up then his leg flew out and it was obvious something was badly wrong," said Fenwick afterwards.

"He's damaged a gracilis and, while we won't know the extent of it until he's been to see George Drake on Thursday, that's the All England Cup and Derby out. No gracilis injury is a good one and it may be that he's run his last race.

"We're all devastated at the kennels, he's a once-in-a-lifetime dog, but having spoken to Dave [Spraggon, owner] we wanted to let everyone know."

Fenwick added that the October 2017 son of Crash and Bigmans Grainne was likely to stand at stud whatever the final prognosis, whether that be permanently or while recuperating.

Ice On Fire won three Category One titles plus the Category Two Laurels in 2019, while also landing the RPGTV Juvenile at Sheffield in February, stretching his winning sequence to 11. Let’s hope Ice On Fire can make a full recovery.