Churchfield Syd retired following StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby Semi Final exit

Churchfield Syd retired following StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby Semi Final exit

 One of the most popular Greyhound’s in training, Churchfield Syd, has been retired following his exit at the Semi Final stage of the StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby on Saturday.

News of Churchfield Syd’s retirement broke on X last night and was confirmed this morning by trainer Richard Rees, who said “ The intention was always to give him one final race on Derby Final night if he didn’t reach the Final itself, but he has unfortunately picked up a bit of an injury after his Semi Final on Saturday.

"It’s nothing serious, it’s just a hind muscle injury. We did enter him for the Seniors race on Saturday, but it was more in hope really. Once it became obvious that he wasn’t going to make it, we withdrew him from the race before the entries closed"

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Rees continued “ I’m happy that he has retired and gone out at the top. Obviously, it would have been nice to reach another Final with him, but to go out at the Semi Final’s is still a massive achievement for him. He’s a once in a lifetime Greyhound, and I think everyone whether they are an owner or a trainer, would like a dog like him"

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“Everytime he set foot on the track, he gave 110% and people loved him because of that. I’ve had so many messages from people, and it just goes to show how popular he was".

And for anyone who was at Towcester for his first round success in the last of the first round heats on the Saturday Night, you couldn’t fail to agree with a word that Rees said. Having been well backed during the day, the cheers that went up when he hit the front on the run to the first bend were probably the loudest of the first round. 

As someone who had backed Sunnyside Broxi, the collective gasp from the crowd as they crossed the line was again one of the moments of this years Derby. I turned to friends, who had all backed Syd and said that I thought he had held on, and when Paul Lawrence announced the result, the cheer that went up was like nothing else seen in this Derby, the whole track, except me, seemed to be on!

As Rees said, he is a once in a lifetime Greyhound.

A winner of 24 of his 46 races, all in Open Class field’s, Churchfield Syd made his debut ironically at Towcester in November 22, when finishing third behind Easy Do Da in an RPGTV Puppy Derby Trial Stakes.

Having missed that competition, Churchfield Syd’s next race came in early February 2023 when making all the running from Romeo Salvo in another puppy contest. Connections were aiming at running him in the forthcoming Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby and following another victory in his following three starts, he lined up in the heats a short priced 4/5F and produced a sensational performance, making all the running in 27.99, one of only twelve greyhounds who broke the 28.00 barrier in 2023, with Links Maverick doing it no less than five of those occasions!

But disaster struck in the Semi Finals.

Having raced into a lead of around ten lengths going in the third bend, his stride shortened quickly and was passed by his rivals, with Belinda Green’s Bradys Bullet, who went on to win the Final, taking full advantage to score. Churchfield Syd finished last having torn his Monkey muscle and also suffered a Metatarsal injury in the process.  

But, having recovered from those injuries, he made his comeback nearly five months later at Monmore and made it a winning one when defeating Innfield Trojan by nearly four lengths. This led to a tilt at the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, and having been defeated by Tom Heilbron’s Links Maverick in both Heats and Semi Final, he had to chase home that rival again in the Final when finishing a creditable Runner Up. He would however gain his revenge further down the line

The Monmore Final in August saw him heading to Perry Barr in September for the M Lambe Birmingham Cup. Having won Heat and Semi Final in impressive all the way fashion, he lost all chance of landing the Final when producing a slow start and found trouble as a result, eventually finishing last behind Jimmy Fenwick’s Brookside Richie.

A first Category One title was to arrive in October at Central Park. Having won a Trial Stakes of the Premier Greyhound Kent Derby, he went on to dominate his rivals throughout the Heats, Semi Final and Final itself with a series of all the way victories, securing the £20,000 winners prize ahead of the Patrick Janssens trained Romeo Command. (below)

That was his last action of 2023, but he started 2024 how he ended the previous year, with another Category One success, this time at Monmore. Having won his first start of the year, beating Coolavanny Shado by nearly three lengths, Churchfield Syd tasted defeat in the Heats and Semi Final of the Ladbrokes Winter Derby, again to Links Maverick at the Semi Final stage, but he was to gain his revenge in the Final a week later when he reversed that form and proved too strong for the field, crossing the line just over a length in front of the Liz McNair trained King Capaldi to take the £10,000 winner’s prize

However, Churchfield Syd was controversially disqualified a few weeks having been found guilty of providing a positive urine sample on the day of the Final with the prizemoney being awarded to the runner up King Capaldi.

March also saw Churchfield Syd defeated by King Capaldi in the Heats of the Arena Racing Company Kent Plate at Central Park, but following that, all eyes were aimed at a crack at the StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby at Towcester.

Having found early trouble in the First Round where he almost made an early exit behind De Lahdedah, who proved to be a future nemesis, Syd almost reversed that form in the Second Round but was just picked up in the later stages again by De Lahdedah. But the Third Round, Quarter Final and Semi Final saw Churchfield Syd making all the running, rewarding his followers at 8/1 and 6/1 on the way to reaching the Final.

The dream looked to be on in the Final, when he led from the traps until the second bend, but as in the early rounds of the competition, he again found De Lahdedah too strong but finished a hugely creditable fourth, three and a half lengths behind the Liam Dowling trained winner.

But better luck was to follow in August, when Churchfield Syd landed a third Category One title when running out an emphatic winner of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup Final, going one place better than in 2023 when defeating the Kevin Hutton trained Antigua Eagle at odds of 8/13F. His winning time in the First Round of 27.88 was the joint fastest time of 2024, sharing the spoils with the Dave Lee trained El Tornillo.

Having been off the card with few niggles, Chuchfield Syd’s next appearance was also his last of 2024, finishing fourth in an Invitational race at Towcester behind the Mark Wallis trained Kilmore Dancer, and suffered defeat by the same rival in his first race of 2025, when beaten in a Blue Riband Trial Stakes again at Towcester in January.

February saw Churchfield Syd looking to retain his Ladbrokes Winter Derby title, but he found early trouble in the Heats and was eliminated by Mike Burton’s Droopys Suprstar, though he did win a supporting Open Race on Final’s night.

The Arena Racing Company Laurels at Perry Barr in March was the next target and having won a Trial Stake, Heat and Semi Final, all when leading round the opening bends, he ultimately found John Mullins’s Aayamza Sydney too strong for him in the Final , eventually finishing third having been up with the pace for most of the way

With the possibility of retirement being whispered, it was decided to give Churchfield Syd one last crack at the StarSports/TRC Greyhound Derby.

And as previously mentioned, his followers roared the house down when making all the running in the First Round, narrowly holding off Sunnyside Broxi at the finish. He also managed to make all the running in the Second Round, which ultimately turned out to be his last victory, when finishing ahead of the Mark Wallis trained Vhagar.(below)

 He qualified for the Quarter Final’s when finishing third behind Finalist Sole Mio in the Third Round, and it was his run in that Quarter Final which just summed up what Rees said earlier, about giving 110% in each run, when blasting clear at the boxes, and was only just picked up again by defending champion De Lahdedah close home.

In what turned out to be his Final race in the Semi Final, he was unable to show his true worth when producing a slow start and finished last behind De Lahdedah again, and as Rees earlier said, any thoughts of one more race on Final’s night on Saturday have disappeared due to a slight injury but he goes out at the top, with his head held high.

It is therefore only fitting that he will go out on parade one more time and he will lead out one of the races before the Final, giving his followers one more chance to applaud him and to show their appreciation of what has been a fantastic career.