GEZZY AIMS TO BE TOP DOG

Price aims to name another of his greyhounds after a big moment in his glittering darts career

GERWYN PRICE names his greyhounds after special moments in his darts career – and he is desperate to fly out of the traps tonight.

Among the Iceman’s stable of dogs is a rapid pup called Grand Slam Champ after his first triumph in a TV major and another called Perfect Nine after his first-ever nine-darter last year.

As he launches his William Hill PDC World Championship campaign with an all-Welsh second round tie against Jamie Lewis tonight, ‘Gezzy’ is dreaming of adding to his pack with a hound to commemorate a maiden title at Ally Pally.

Anyone for Sid’s Trophy after Geordie bard Sid Waddell, whose memory is enshrined in the sport’s richest prize?

Or for a former hooker with Neath in his rugby union days, how about Three In A Bed?

Take your pick – but as the No.3 seed bids to turn the deserted Alexandra

Palace on a north London hilltop into his own isle of dogs, Price has his eyes on the prize.

He said: “I have about five or six greyhounds but they are not running too good at the moment. I had one in the Irish Derby last year – we made it through two rounds but the dogs out there were a bit too strong.

“Obviously during lockdown there was no racing for a few months.

“I had bought a little pup during his schooling and he missed out on all his puppy schoolings, so he didn’t turn out to be the dog he should have been.

“That’s the way life goes but it hasn’t put me off – I will invest in some more dogs, more puppies and hopefully they will turn out to be world champions or Derby winners.”

Who will be the first world champion in Price’s household – the fiery darts player or one of his dogs?

He laughed: “That’s the milliondollar question. It depends if I buy a good dog, I suppose.

“The dog I bought in Ireland is called Grand Slam Champ. I had a couple of dogs on a flatman track – it’s a bit of fun, not a professional track – and we named them Double Top and Perfect Nine, after my nine-darter against Glen Durrant last year. When I went to Las Vegas and won money in the casino, on No.17, I called my sprinting dog 17 Black.

“He was a real good dog, very special, almost broke the track record.

“So I have named a few after special moments in my darts career and that spot of luck in Vegas as well.

“When I was younger, growing up in Markham, there was an old man called Bill who lived in the bungalows in my village.

“He used to keep one greyhound out the back. I used to walk up to the track with him, he would give me £5 after the dog had run to walk it back, put it in the kennel and give him his food.

I did that for a couple of years – that’s how I fell in love with the greyhound racing.”