'As Soon As I Saw Her, I Loved Her'  – Matthews In Dreamland With Ascot-Bound Velozee

Owner Gary Matthews gives credence to that old saying about good things coming in threes. After his father Brendan, the legendary greyhound trainer, was inducted into the coursing hall of fame on Sunday night, his own filly, the Paddy Twomey-trained Velozee (Sioux Nation), confirmed herself a bona fide Royal Ascot contender with a stylish victory in the First Flier Stakes at the Curragh on Monday. To put the icing, cherry and chocolate sprinkles on top of a glorious weekend for the Matthews family, their beloved Armagh trashed neighbours Down in the Ulster Football Championship. If Carsberg did weekends, eh?

An overjoyed Matthews commented, “Wait until you hear this? We had an amazing weekend and it all started off in the Minella Hotel last [Saturday] night when my father [greyhound trainer] was inducted into the coursing hall of fame. He became the first person in over one hundred years to be inducted into the track and coursing hall of fame. We're Armagh men, so we got down to the hotel good and early to see Armagh destroy our neighbours, Down. We had a lovely evening at the awards ceremony and then we rounded off at the Curragh today. You couldn't write it – it's all going to be downhill from here!”

Matthews wouldn't dare pick a favourite moment from the weekend of all weekends but there's no doubting the buzz he received from seeing Velozee back up her Cork debut success to maintain her unbeaten record in the First Flier. 

“Paddy always liked her and said she was a very special filly – she's starting to show that now,” the owner said. “Over the years, I have had legs of horses and I own a very good Starman filly with Noel Meade called Star Sapphire. Noel still has her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and we think she's more than average. She's not as good as this filly, but she's definitely black-type.”

Asked how he came to be associated with Twomey, he explained, “I was trying to buy a Starman filly at the yearling sales last year. It was very easy to buy them the year before when he hadn't had any runners but it proved very difficult last year. Paddy knew I was trying to buy a Starman and bought me a colt by the stallion. It was as a result of that horse that I made my way down to his yard in Tipperary and he showed me this Sioux Nation filly. As soon as I saw her, I said, 'Paddy, I love her.' She just has great presence about her – she's the real deal. That's how I came to buy her.”

Matthews was not the only person who was taken by Velozee's debut victory at Cork. Initially bought by Twomey from Manister House Stud at the Goffs Orby Sale for €92,000, the phone was hopping after that Cork contest and, in the end, it was Mark McStay who brokered a deal for Steve Weston to buy a 50 per cent share in to Royal Ascot contender. Sunday's victory would suggest it was money well spent and Matthews is looking forward to seeing the partnership flourish.

He said, “I'm used to bad weather with the coursing dogs but it was absolutely atrocious when she made her debut at Cork. Not only that, but she fell out of the stalls and gave them two or three lengths at the start. When she made her challenge, she came up the stands' side rail, which was the slowest part of the track, so I left Cork thinking we had a pretty special filly on our hands that day.”

Matthews added, “Steve approached us after Cork and offered us money we couldn't turn down. The keep involved with greyhounds and horses, you have to be a seller in order to survive. I only sold half of her and it would have been economical madness to turn down the money. Steve is a very good partner and he's a very lucky owner.”

Velozee is understood to be on course to take in Royal Ascot trials day at Naas later this month before a tilt at the Albany Stakes, according to Matthews, who says he is in dreamland with a filly of this standard.

He concluded, “She's definitely Ascot material and, if everything works out, yes, I will be getting my top hat out. I know we have been sprinting her but Paddy and Billy [Lee] are of the opinion that she will step out in trip. We will go to Ascot trials day at Naas and, fingers crossed, if all goes well there, we could have an Albany filly on our hands.”