By Jordan Gerrans
At almost 80 years of age, Noel Murdoch feels his greyhounds – including the speedy Cha Cha Charlie – keep him alive and kicking.
The stalwart of greyhound racing in Queensland will race for the first ever Listed Queensland Flame title next Thursday evening at Albion Park after his White Brindle Dog won through to the Final following the heats.
Cha Cha Charlie collected second in his heat, almost a length behind comeback dog Ninetymile King, enough to land in the Final, which is worth $37,500 for the winner as well as being a qualifier into the inaugural running of the $1.145 million TAB Phoenix.
While the Oakhurst-based dog was forced to settle for second in the heats, his veteran trainer thinks she can go one better on the big stage.
To get his kennel of the dogs to the races is a big task for the 79-year-old, living around 80 minutes south of Bundaberg at Maryborough, making it a three hour trip in the car to Albion Park.
Murdoch did not get home until after 2am on Friday morning following Thursday’s races and while it is a lengthy process, the dog lover says it is no worries when he has top dogs such as Cha Cha Charlie, who has won 15 times from 68 efforts.
“They are worth it,” Murdoch said on Friday morning.
“The money on offer is better than it’s been and the dogs are looked after great, as well.
“I still love what I do. It is a great sport, that is what keeps me in it and I suppose it keeps me alive, too.”
Murdoch is hopeful of obtaining Brisbane-based kennels in the future.
It is a family affair to get the greyhounds to the races, Murdoch says, as his daughter Shari does plenty of the handling and physical work at the track, while wife Jan is always helping out in some way, shape or form.
As he is battling to walk at times these days, Shari’s involvement in the kennel is invaluable, the veteran trainer says,
Murdoch has been around dogs since the early 1970’s, originally rearing dogs for his friends who trained, before he took up the training caper himself.
When he retired from working into the construction industry, he went a step further with his passion, having a team of around 40 chasers at his peak, but has around 30 in his kennel these days.
“I have been racing dogs ever since,” he said.
Racing Queensland earlier this year announced the Flame (520m) would be run on the first major night of the TAB Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival at Albion Park on December 2, offering $37,500 in its own right and a berth in the new million-dollar feature to the winner.