Townsville club boss is racing to unlock Cup hope’s Trapped potential

By Pat McLeod

Townsville Greyhound Racing Club president Gary Heath knows there is a sad irony in the naming of his lightning-fast chaser, Trapped.

Unfortunately, that is where the dog’s enormous potential has remained – trapped.

“Both he and his sister (Steamy Windows) broke in sensationally,” Heath says.

“We (the four members of the Growin Up ownership syndicate) were offered six figures for them, which we reluctantly knocked back.

“He (Trapped) started off really well. He is a brilliant trial dog.”

That’s where the Townsville Greyhound Racing Club president’s explanation trails off, because that brilliant trial form has seldom appeared in a race.

Trapped has a handy record of 13 wins and 13 placings for $38,515 in prize money from 44 starts.

He has campaigned across New South Wales and Victoria through a number of top trainers, but that potential remains locked away come race time.

“He is a very frustrating dog,” Heath said. 

“He also plays up badly in the kennels and so that is where most of his races get run, before he even gets on to the track.

“When he does jump he appears to over-think things in a race. Tries to be too smart. He gets a bit field-shy and will attempt to go around the field. Just frustrating.”

Recently the four owners acknowledged that the dog just wasn’t competitive ‘down south’, so the decision was made to send him up to Heath in Townsville.

As the part-owner and trainer, Heath is experiencing first-hand what others have said.

Trapped has had eight starts in Townsville, all over the 380 metres, for two wins and three placings.

But, now the connections are attempting a ‘Hail Mary pass’.

On Friday night, the dog that ‘could have been’, gets his chance at redemption – a shot at racing through to the $75,000-to-winner Townsville Cup.

Trapped will be in the third of five star-studded Cup heats.

And, Heath knows he has the dog that is fast enough to win it all.

“I slipped him on Monday night at our trials and going on what he slipped it is probably the fastest slip that I have ever seen in Townsville,” he said.

“He has had a trial and a slip over the distance and has run cracking times.

“I have no doubt he can match it with some of the best dogs in Australia, going on what he has trialled at all tracks. Every trainer that he has ever had has said the same thing.

“I just can't believe how fast he trials. But, unfortunately, he is one of those dogs that trial sensationally, but just can't back it up in a race. But, if he could race anywhere near his best this Friday night, in the heats, and the next Friday night in the Final, anything is possible.”

Heath is trying to get ‘inside the head’ of his potential star.

“The (Townsville) plan all along was just to keep him doing the short sprints (380 metres) and then if he was going OK to try him for the Cup,” he explains.

“Being a new distance (the Cup is over 498 metres) we are trying to get into his head and try to beat him at his own game.”

His training dilemmas aside, and with his president’s hat on, Heath is rapt with the quality of Friday night’s heats.

“From a president’s perspective, I'm certainly happy with the quality of the heats and with the number of dogs have been sent up here for our Cup,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we did miss out on a couple of other really good dogs because our Cup clashes with the Nationals (Saturday, August 26 in Melbourne).

“But, we're still very happy with the calibre of the dogs, like Group 1-winner Hello Mike (Travis Elson), Rockhampton Cup winner Shipwreck (Ned Snow), and Jemma Daley's dogs, who trialled brilliantly here the other night.

“It is also great to see visiting trainers who return every year. We really appreciate their support. From a club perspective, it is really good to see dogs from outside the region come here for the Cup. It certainly adds to the prestige of the race.

“In recent years that influx has made it harder for the locals to win. But, of course last year we did have a local, Harold Hovi’s Redemption Day, win the Cup.

“There are a couple of locals who are going really well at the moment, so I hope a number of locals do get to the Final because I believe we have got the calibre of dogs here to win this race. We welcome the visitors with open arms because the better the quality of race, the more we can promote it.”

Interestingly, Redemption Day is in the same heat as Trapped.