“Midtown Raffa, winner of the Irish Independent Irish Laurels, may have run his last race as a result of an injury sustained in Saturday’s final of the Doire Construction Champion Stakes at Shelbourne Park,” according to a report by Michael Fortune on the Irish Greyhound News website.
Trainer, Moss O’Connor reported on Monday that the son of Kinloch Brae and Rafa Baby had cracked a bone in his hock during the race and cast doubts over the dog’s future career.
Moss said, “I knew there was a problem when he fell away down the back straight on Saturday night after being well placed to the bend. We had the worst news confirmed by the vet this morning and the leg is bandaged at the moment but he will either have a cast applied or a pin inserted.
“It is a pretty severe injury and, as he is getting on a bit, there must be a big doubt about him racing again. It would be well into the winter before we could gallop him. I will chat with the owners and then decide on his future career”.
Apart from winning the Laurels, Midtown Raffa ran up the ’14 BIF Produce Stakes to Boylesports Hero while he also won the Consolation Laurels last year. This year he was beaten an inch in the final of the BoyleSports Race of Champions at Tralee by Rural Hawaii and was joint favourite for Saturday’s final at Shelbourne. It’s a real pity,”
