On January 25, Emily Wallis caught up with veteran Irish handler Seamus Gaughan, sharing his observations and experiences in 58 years as a dog man for her series profiling some well-known trainers and kennel staff in the sport.
That day marked the 80th birthday of one of the friendliest and most shrewd greyhound trainers in the sport, Seamus Gaughan!
Seamus has had a love for watching greyhounds run and the breed since he was 12 when he went coursing in Ireland. Working in greyhound racing since 1966, 58 years later, he celebrates a monumental birthday, still loving the sport.
In his kennel, Seamus keeps around 8-10 dogs at any time, but over the years, he's had some fast ones, with his favorite to train being March 2004 whelp Larkhill Jim, owned by the late Pat Whelan.
Seamus recalls a memorable race with Larkhill Jim at Wimbledon, beating the St Leger winner at 10/1. Despite having to have everything his own way, Larkhill Jim reached the 2006 Derby semi-finals, a campaign Seamus considers one of his greatest career achievements.
Over his many years in the sport, Seamus has witnessed significant changes, such as the increase in racing, limiting the time for track staff to prepare surfaces properly. He criticizes appearance money and suggests a flat fee of £100 for every dog in a race.
Seamus also highlights the challenge of betting on his dogs, with restrictions on the amount he can wager. Despite this, his passion for the sport remains strong, emphasizing the joy of seeing his dogs succeed.
Seamus' family is involved in his greyhound endeavors, with his wife Ann and three grandsons contributing. While acknowledging the difficulty for young people to make the sport financially viable, Seamus expresses interest in seeing his grandsons more involved in the future.
Turning 80 doesn't signal the end of Seamus' training career, and his enthusiasm for the sport is evident. When asked about dogs to watch in 2024, he mentions Doohoma Princess, predicting she'll become a top stayer, having already posted an impressive 29.31 for the 500m at Towcester. He also hints at potential from Doohoma Roxie and Doohoma Rose.