Chris Georgiou along for the ride with star dog Do It

By Jordan Gerrans

It was just a quick phone call but for Queensland greyhound breeder and trainer Chris Georgiou it meant so much more.

The Sheldon-based Georgiou trains a few greyhounds as well as breeding litters and often handling interstate dogs through the 2021-22 TAB Golden Greys Summer Carnival, on top of working as a courier.

The long-time industry participant has had a dream run with greyhounds he has bred of late, including litter brothers Do It and Mr Fix It claiming a quinella in the Group 1 Adelaide Cup in October of last year.

Do It goes in search of another Group 1 crown this Thursday evening, this time at Brisbane’s Albion Park with the Gold Bullion for 2022 on the line.

When Do It – who is trained by leading conditioner Jeffrey Britton – races in Brisbane, Georgiou will pick him up from the airport and house him at his kennel as well as usually handling him on race day.

While not involved in the day-to-day operations around the gun dogs he bred, Georgiou is certainly a key part of their journey and the Britton’s and the current owners ensure he is there every step of the way.

“It is a thrill,” Georgiou said of handling Do It in Brisbane.

“When he won the Adelaide Cup, the owners rang me five minutes after the race to actually thank me for selling them the dog.

“That is how close knit everyone is.

“We make ourselves available here in Brisbane, it is a pleasure to have them here.

“I try and look after other people in the industry.”

Georgiou was chuffed this week to read both Do It and Mr Fix It were both announced in the top 12 greyhounds for the TAB Temlee, which will be run on Saturday 12 February, kicking off the TAB Australian Cup Carnival.

“It is pretty good knowing you have bred some of the best dogs in Australia at the moment,” he said.

Alpha Georgiou – who he named after himself – was another top dog Chris bred, as well as a number of others who regularly made Group finals.

Leading Victorian trainer Jeffrey Britton lauded Georgiou and his partner Phenprapa Woeisarn’s efforts with Do It and kennel mate Hank The Hustler, who won through to the Group 3 Final of the Gold Cup last week.

“He has been great for us,” Britton said.

The association between the Britton’s -  Jeffrey and Angela - and Georgiou started with bitch Queen Of Cyprus between 2010 and 2012, who Britton trained and Georgiou owned.

Alpha Demeter, a daughter of Queen Of Cyprus, won 20 races for the partnership and spent time in the kennel of both Britton and Georgiou in her racing stints around Australia.

Do It and Mr Fix It are litter brothers from a successful Alpha Demeter and Fernando Bale litter.

“That was the best first dog Jeff ever trained for me, the grandmother,” Georgiou recalled.

“Angela actually reared the mother for me.

“I do not normally sell dogs but when I did, Angela always wanted to buy.

“Angela bought them off me but she syndicated them.”

Just as they did last week for the heats of the Gold Bullion, Do It will fly into Queensland on Wednesday evening, head straight to Sheldon, have a wander around the Georgiou property during the day on Thursday, race that night, before flying back to Melbourne on Friday morning.

The Brittons like the process as Georgiou’s kennel is only a short drive to Albion Park for the dogs.

The team behind Do It are not over the moon with the green rug draw for the $287,500 Final but believe they are still in with a chance with the TAB rating him a $19 chance as of Wednesday afternoon.

“I think a lot of dogs have drawn where they want to be in a race like this, but he is not one of them,” Georgiou said.

“An inner box would have suited him better, for sure.

“There is a lot of dogs suited to where they have drawn.

“We are not making up the numbers but he is there to win, an inner draw would have been much better.”

Star dog Jungle Deuce has been a thorn in Do It’s side over the journey, beating him in two Group finals over the last year, and Georgiou is hopeful of finally getting the better of Group 1 Paws Of Thunder champion on Thursday.