Coursing: Concert on-song in the Walker Cup.

Byline: Charles Blanning

POP CONCERT may be the `wild man' of coursing, but he's also a considerable talent, as he showed when winning the pounds 500 Walker Cup at Swaffham last Tuesday.

The trouble with Sir Mark Prescott's very fast dog is that he's just too keen. Former trainer Michael O'Donovan held a very high opinion of the son of Droopys Ruben and Droopys Rio, but Pop Concert wasn't so much beaten in Trial Stakes in Ireland as threw his courses away in slips as he wrestled to get free.

It looked as if the dog would do the same at Swaffham last week. Trainer Terry Richmond walked him to slips blindfolded in a hood as usual, but Pop Concert had slipper John Wilby flat on his face as their game flashed past the shy.

Wilby, however, hasn't been in coursing all his life for nothing. He more than had the measure of Pop Concert in his next three courses, and had his pairs away sweetly every time.

Pop Concert certainly has some pace. In his second course he led the recent Isle Of Ely winner Prince Lukey four lengths.

In the final he left it late, but finally led Wood Limes a length and a half. He was, though, running in the decider with a dodgy toe, and it may take him some time to recover.

There was a top-class field for the Walker Cup. Crooner, a Waterloo Cup semi-finalist, was beaten in an unsatisfactory first round course in which both he and Enerjectic Marine were unsighted in the run-up.

Waterloo Plate winner Stour Vale led Wood Limes half a length in the second round, but was outcoursed by his opponent.

Lincolnshire trainer Kim Gooding was on the losing side with Wood Limes, but earned ample compensation when his litter-brother Slow Away took the Hand Grenade Cup for Steve Teverson and Paul Newton.

Slow Away didn't need to go to slips for the final as Moonlake Mr Oak was withdrawn. Moonlake Mr Oak, trained like the winner by Kim Gooding, had looked very tired in a semi-final bye.

Slow Away had impressed in his semi-final. There he had led the smart bitch Foxtail Lily a length and a half.

Kim Gooding also handled the winner of the Narford Cup, Bukowski. Owned by Richard Heyman, Bukowski had shown top pace when leading five lengths in his first course.