Jacobsen's unusual path to maiden Group 1 chance

By Jordan Gerrans 

An honest and revealing discussion with wife Trudy has put greyhound trainer Robert Jacobsen on the path towards his maiden Group 1 triumph.

The experienced Moorooka-based trainer has had a stop-start career with his kennel.

He was in the game as a teenager, stepping away around age 30 and has been back training over the last five years as he enters the semi-retired stage of his life.

Jacobsen, a financial planner and schoolteacher across his working life, revealed wife Trudy and her probing questions a few years back led him towards Crazy Cool’s path towards the Group 1 Gold Bullion.

“The wife said to me 'what is your goal in life?',” Jacobsen explained.

“I told her that I would like to have a Group 1 winner and she pointed out that I did not have any dogs at the time (laughs).

“She probably regrets saying that right now as I went out and got a few.”

With stronger financial backing now following his life in the work force and the increased prize money in Queensland, Jacobsen says the time is right to score his first Group 1 on Thursday evening at Albion Park, with the race worth $220,000. 

Jacobsen’s son also plays a role in the training and owning of his greyhounds.

“Now, we are a bit better off and so is the prize money,” he said.

“I can put the time in now as I am semi-retired.

“We thought we would do it right it time this time and this probably has come around a bit faster than I expected, I thought Group 1 chances may have been a few more years down the road.

“The dogs have come at the right time and we need to enjoy it while we can because in six months time, you might struggle to win a race.”

Crazy Cool won through to the Gold Bullion Final against some of the best dogs in Australia by claiming the Group 3 Golden Ticket a fortnight ago.

Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club CEO Luke Gatehouse thinks Crazy Cool’s almost two-length win at the juicy odds of $15 was a special moment for the sport.

“I think the highlight of the carnival so far has been the Golden Ticket,” Gatehouse said. 

“The coverage that it received in the racing media and social media, it was the most talked about event of that week, up against three Group 1 races around the country.

“It was great that it was a local in Crazy Cool that upset the big names from Queensland and interstate.

“That just shows the uncertainty of racing."

The leading Queensland kennel of Jacobsen's opted to not give the $72,990 in career stakes a run after winning through, instead trialling last week to prevent injury and he was pleased with the way she came through that.

To keep the dogs at their peak fitness, Jacobsen would have liked to give her a race run ahead of the Gold Bullion but went with the safe option so she was not injured.

Crazy Cool ran a slick time of 29.610 in winning the Group 3 and her trainer feels she can go better again on the biggest stage.

“I thought she could run that time and actually thought she probably could have even gone a bit quicker,” Jacobsen said.

“She can really run; her last section was probably not as fast as I thought she could go last start but in a small field she just loves the rails as that style of racing suits her.”

The Jacobsen kennel was not thrilled to be handed the pink rug, but they will press on and hope for some luck.

“On Thursday, it gets tougher as she has drawn the eight and goes against Shima Shine and Tommy Shelby, who are a couple of the best dogs in the country,” Jacobsen said.

“Every dog in the race can win, it is a bit tough from box eight, she needs the rail.

“But you never know in a final if she can find the rail and get a sit, if she is close enough down the back, she is a big chance.

“She will cut out and go behind them probably and get to the fence, if there is a run there, she is a big chance as she does run on well.”

Kennel mate to Crazy Cool, Rowdy Roddy, just missed out on a start in the Gold Bullion after running in the top three at a recent Group 1 race in NSW.

The duo’s immediate future is likely to be in Victoria following Thursday’s big one.

They were recently invited to run in the Rookie Rebel race, but Jacobsen did not see the invitation email about it until too late and missed the chance.

Instead, they will head towards the Australian Cup later this month.

“The dogs have the ability and they will be racing the best dogs in the country,” Jacobsen said.

“If you are not in it, you cannot win it."

Crazy Cool is rated a $10 chance with the TAB to win the Group 1 as of Wednesday morning with Shima Shine the favourite at $2.50.