Ravenswood Flo (1 March 2016 – 26 October 2023) was a black and white female
greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...
. She won the
2018 Oaks, one of the original classic greyhound competitions.
Early life
Ravenswood Flo was sired by Laughil Blake from the dam Ravenswood May and was born on 1 March 2016.
She was bred by the Barber family and subsequently reared and schooled by Paddy and Margaret Kehoe at the Forest kennels.
Racing career
Early career
Following three trial runs at
Towcester Stadium in January 2018,
Ravenswood Flo made her competitive racing debut at the same track in an A6 on 27 January 2018.
She won the race, run over 480 metres, in 28.85 seconds.
This was followed up by a second successive victory; this time in an A5 race on 9 February 2018.
Having achieved two further first-place finishes at A6 and A3 grade during the middle months of the year,
she sprained her
hock
Hock may refer to:
Common meanings:
* Hock (wine), a type of wine
* Hock (anatomy), part of an animal's leg
* To leave an item with a pawnbroker
People:
* Hock (surname)
* Richard "Hock" Walsh (1948-1999), Canadian blues singer
Other uses:
* A t ...
in August 2018 and consequently did not race again until November 2018.
Bedfordshire Oaks runner-up
On her return from the 79-day break, Ravenswood Flo was entered into the Bedfordshire Oaks at
Henlow Stadium
Henlow Stadium is a greyhound track located at Stondon, in the English county of Bedfordshire, slightly to the north of Hitchin. The stadium has a restaurant, a number of bars and a bistro.
Racing takes place every Monday and Thursday morning, ...
.
She navigated her way to the final of the competition and finished as a 14–1 runner-up to Mustang Kay Cee, losing by a neck to the dog who had also beaten her in their semi-final heat a week earlier.
In the same race, she finished ahead of third-placed Bull Run Byte, who would ultimately go on to win the
2019 Oaks.
Trainer
Kevin Hutton
Kevin Richard Hutton (born 1981) is an English greyhound trainer. He is a four times United Kingdom champion Champion Trainer and 2018 Derby winning trainer.
Profile
He currently runs out of Towcester Greyhound Stadium (which he rejoined in May ...
stated he was pleased with Ravenswood Flo's recovery from the injury that she had sustained earlier in the year.
2018 Oaks champion
After two solo trials and having run in a further two-dog trial at
Swindon Stadium
Swindon Stadium, also known as the Abbey Stadium, is a Greyhound Board of Great Britain regulated greyhound racing track and former speedway track in Blunsdon, Swindon, England. Greyhound racing currently takes place every Monday, Wednesday, F ...
,
Ravenswood Flo was entered into the
2018 Oaks, also held at Swindon, in December 2018.
In the first-round heat of the competition on 2 December 2018, she finished in second place to the competition-favourite, Donation, and therefore qualified for the next round.
In the second-round six days later, she led and made all from race-favourite Cadburys Hero in 29.42 seconds.
She secured her place in the final by finishing in second place to Chubbys Caviar in the second semi-final on 15 December 2018.
After qualifying for the final of one of the original classic competitions, Hutton spoke about Flo's "rapid improvement", highlighting her rise from mid-grade level at Towcester to finishing as Bedfordshire Oaks runner-up and then in-turn qualifying for the final of a classic.
Hutton also stated Flo "had taken well to Swindon", whilst also accepting that she "very much has to lead to win".
The 2018 Oaks final took place on 22 December 2018, with Ravenswood Flo winning the race in a time of 28.82 seconds.
She led throughout the race from trap one and crossed the line one-and-a-quarter lengths clear of the staying-on Magical Vera, also managed by the same trainer–owner combination of Hutton and Stephen Harvey.
Following Flo's victory, her rise from "A6 company at Towcester to winning a classic, the English Oaks at Swindon" was highlighted.
Due to her Oaks success, she was nominated for Press Association Bitch of the Year for 2018 at the
Greyhound Board of Great Britain
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) is the organisation that governs licensed greyhound racing in Great Britain. It does not govern independent tracks or Northern Irish tracks and therefore has no jurisdiction over them.
History
It was f ...
end-of-year awards ceremony,
which was ultimately won by Donation.
Retirement
Following on from her Oaks triumph, Flo was considered for retirement having nursed a number of niggling injuries throughout 2018.
Hutton felt that if Flo had a quiet year for most of 2019 that she could return to Swindon to defend her Oaks crown at the end of the year.
She raced once in the first half of the year and then went on to win an open race at
Harlow Stadium
Harlow Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Harlow, Essex, England. The stadium also has executive suites, a restaurant, a number of bars and conference and banqueting facilities.
Racing takes place in the evening on Monday and Wedne ...
in July 2019.
However, her sprained hock returned in the run up to the 2019 Oaks and she retired at the end of the year.
Upon departing the kennels to live with her owner and family in December 2019, Hutton stated that Flo was "a real kennel favourite and has the most loving and mischievous personality".
In her retirement, Flo enjoyed going on walks and spending all day with her family. She passed away on 26 October 2023 as a result of kidney failure.
With her sweet and kind nature, Flo was described by her owner as "wonderful on the track but even more wonderful as a pet".
Pedigree
References
{{reflist
2016 animal births
Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom
Racing greyhounds