Mutton overjoyed with first metropolitan winning double

By Jordan Gerrans

To train a metropolitan Thursday evening winning double, that is as good as collecting a Group level race for Palm Beach trainer Corey Mutton.

Dubbed the “Mutton Man” by leading race caller John 'Bunny' Brasch, Mutton went back-to-back in the fifth and sixth event on Thursday night from the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club as Mink Lake and Zulu Rapid both saluted.

Mutton can recall training doubles at tracks such as Ipswich, Grafton and Capalaba earlier in his career but never before at Albion Park under the brightest lights.

Mutton, a father of a greyhound-loving daughter, says the winning double is about satisfaction, backing himself in and pulling off the significant result.

“For a trainer to get a double on a Thursday night, it is as good as winning a Group race – well it is for me anyway,” Mutton said.

“I only have three 520-metre dogs. It was a really good result as the dogs have been consistent.

“It was fitting, as a trainer, to get these two to win together.

“It has been a long ride but when you pull the results off, it is very rewarding.”

A former carpenter during the week, Mutton has called time on his tenure as a tradesman, opting to have a full-time crack at training his team of greyhounds.

He has eight in work, four running around regularly and four pups, who are making their way through.

Zulu Rapid is a product of Zulu Lodge, a premier Greyhound rearing centre on the New South Wales Coast, and Mutton is more than happy to do business with the professional operation.

Zulu Rapid’s victory was extra sweet for the Mutton kennel after the bitch did not race from August of last year until March of 2021 with a severe injury.

In an impressive comeback, the bitch out of a Kinloch Brae and Notso Sweet litter has now won three times since the leg concern, all of which have been in her last 10 trips to the races.

“At the start of last year she was going for five in a row but in the fifth race she broke her leg,” Mutton, who notes he has a knack of getting dogs back to full fitness after injuries, said.

“She beat all the up-and-coming bitches going round before that. It was a long hard road to get her back.

“A lot of people would have given up on her, it is always a 50/50 risk if they get back and it was like six months - she was off for at least.

“When she came back, she was a bit gun shy out of the boxes, I think she was having flashbacks, but she hit the ground running soon after winning at $71 one night.”

On the first leg of the winning double, former Victorian chaser Mink Lake has come good in her last 10 starts, only running outside of the money once.

A Fernando Bale and Lilly Lane bitch, Mink Lake is certainly loving her new home in the Sunshine State, collecting her third Queensland victory on Thursday evening.

“Mink Lake had 17 starts for one win in Victoria – I told the bloke who bought her John Clout, who is a good mate of mine, I thought he was mad buying her,” Mutton said.

“He has eyes like an eagle now. The owners are big supporters of mine.

“If you look at her form, she could not go better than 30.3 seconds at Sandown in her last four starts before coming here.

“She has strung it together now.”

Wayne Scott also trained a winning double on Thursday at greyhound racing headquarters as Canaveral and Libby's Girl both got the cash.