Boody kennel with stranglehold on Townsville Young Guns series

Images courtesy: Louise Partland

By Jordan Gerrans

There is not much the prolific Ken Boody has not won in recent months and the Rockhampton trainer appears to have a stranglehold on the Townsville Young Guns series.

The 45-year-old dog man has seen a stack of the Bruce Highway in recent weeks, trialing dogs in Townsville, before heading back for the heats on Tuesday evening.

It was a successful venture for the leading Central Queensland trainer, kennel mates Zip Stream and Barely Friendly claiming both heats, as the pair look to be very hard to hold out come Final time next week.

The Boody kennel have been as dominant as any in Queensland of late, claiming the feature TAB Country Cup with Love You Peaches last month, as well as training seven winners on one race day alone in Rockhampton just a few weeks before. 

Rockhampton Greyhound Racing Club president Dallas Beckett believes Boody’s inclusion to the CQ training ranks has been a boom for the industry, with the trainer returning to the code in 2020 after 12 years on the sidelines.

The Boody kennel is one of the biggest in the region – boasting around 40 dogs – with 16 of those set to go around at Rockhampton on Wednesday evening.

“He has got a very good kennel set-up and family behind him, there is four or five of them that all handle the dogs,” Beckett said of Boody. 

“He is going really well; he has got an exceptionally good set-up that he has built.

“He is reaping the benefits of all his hard work and effort.

“I am in awe of the number of dogs they have, they have a great straight track and it is great for the industry in Rockhampton to have a trainer like him.”

The Dalma-based conditioner is ranked inside the top 30 trainers across Australia for prize money this year after training 44 winners at a winning strike-rate of more than 30 per cent.

“If you trust the process things will start to work out,” Boody said earlier this year when asked about his strong form of late.

It is a difficult task for CQ trainers to head north to Townsville and win races and Boody was able to do it on two occasions on Tuesday evening.

In the heats for the Townsville Young Guns series – which is for greyhounds under 30 months of age - over 498 metres, Zip Stream bolted in by seven lengths while Barely Friendly put a length-and-a-half between herself and the field.

Zip Stream was the quickest of the two home, scoring in 28.49 seconds, and looms as the favourite for the Final next Tuesday evening.

Beckett, who also trains dogs in Rockhampton as well as leading the club’s committee, has been blown away by the performances of Zip Stream particularly of late.

The black bitch has won her last eight on the bounce, with her career record up to 18 victories from 38 attempts.

She started her racing journey in South East Queensland with trainer Pamela Field before making her way to the northern area of the start in late 2021, where she has flourished.

“Those two are absolutely flying,” Beckett said.

“Zip Stream is just too good; she is quick early. She trialled brilliant the week before going to Townsville. The kennel is going well.”