By Alex Nolan
Trainer Terry Priest has firmly hitched his greyhound racing wagon to Queensland.
The former New South Welshman and his family moved to the Sunshine State three years ago and show no signs of going anywhere soon, after recently purchasing a property at Fernvale with one eye fixed on the future.
Priest recently wrapped up his third Capalaba trainers’ premiership in as many years and on Sunday, will be prominent in yet another straight track feature with a stalwart of his Queensland kennel.
When Magical Len lines up for his 118th start at Capalaba in Sunday’s fifth running of the TAB Anniversary Cup, Priest says he will be just as eager to race as he was the first time he stepped out at the bayside track on August 23, 2020.
Having “lived in the shadow” of litter brother Magical Trav for the majority of his career, Priest said he was immensely proud to see Magical Len get another chance to win a Capalaba feature.
Both Magical Len and Magical Trav are from the first litter out of ‘Queen of the Creek’ Cyndie’s Magic by Fernando Bale and raced by the Elson family.
Since hitting the ground, the litter has amassed more than $688,000 in prize money from 689 outings, at a strike-rate of 25%.
Magical Trav hasn’t stepped out for a race start since September but is expected to return shortly, leaving ‘Len’ to fly the flag.
“I’ve never seen a dog at four-and-a-half want to race as much as he does,” Priest said of Magical Len.
“It’s a credit to his breeders Bill and Cyndie Elson for how good they rear them to get the longevity out of them.
“They’re just machines.
“We don’t work them hard at home any more because they don’t need it.
“But, their enthusiasm to race is second to none, you’d swear you were just starting out with them.”
Magical Len qualified for the Final after running fourth as an $81 chance in last week’s first heat, won by Champagne Jazzy in a highly respectable 19.52 seconds.
Magical Len’s personal finishing time of 19.69 seconds was the fastest he’d run down the straight track since taking a best eight race in 19.56 seconds in February this year.
But, Priest is aware that a similar time is unlikely to see his Capalaba veteran cross the line first on Sunday without a healthy dose of good luck.
The second heat produced the fastest bitch to ever win at Capalaba in the form of the Cliff Houston-trained Tira Mira, who stopped the clock in 19.29 seconds.
Hot on her heels was Beck And Call (19.30 seconds) and Fernando Grand (19.42 seconds), with all three earning plenty of respect from Priest.
“But, Lenny, like I said, hasn’t been too far behind them and has made a stack of feature races over the past three years and is still doing it now, it’s great to see,” Priest said.
“He’s always in the Finals but Trav would be favourite and got all the kudos, but this bloke is such an honest and beautiful little dog.
“I could keep racing him until six if he stands up and wants to keep racing.
“Having Capalaba there is not hard on them so he can keep going up there.
“He’s barking now, I can hear him now because it’s a Wednesday and he thinks the races are on. He deadest knows the routine.”