By Alex Nolan
Just as the the Walters, Smith, Johns and Trbojevic brothers have banded together to deliver rugby league glory to their respective states, two Queensland brothers will be out to do the same in Thursday’s Origin Greyhound Series at Albion Park.
Ned Snow-trained siblings Oh Oh Range and Shipwreck shape as two pivotal players for the maroon brigade, as Queensland attempts to regain the shield for the first time since 2018.
Oh Oh Range will exit box three in the Group 3 Origin Distance over 710 metres, attempting to bounce back after last week’s Group 1 Queensland Cup Final in which he finished seventh.
Shipwreck faces, arguably, the toughest test of his career to-date when he attempts to match motors with star NSW chaser Zipping Kyrgios in the two-dog Origin Match Race over 520 metres.
Oh Oh Range and Shipwreck are headline acts in a litter by Out Of Range and Aussie Diamond that has already collected close to $200,000 in prize money and boasts a strike-rate of 26.7 per cent.
The pair will turn just 28-months-old on Wednesday and, in rugby league terms, have played just a handful of first-grade games before making their respective interstate debuts.
“They’re a very good litter, especially the boys,” Snow said.
“The first litter out of Aussie Diamond was by Worm Burner and the dogs would get really over the top.
“With this litter, you put them in the kennels and you’ve got to wake them up to come out and race.
“But, they’re all individuals. Shipwreck is a thinker and that is normally a sign of a good dog.
“You see that in his races as he’ll weave his way in and out, whereas the other boys run straight into the back of dogs.”
Oh Oh Range stepped up to 700 metre races early in his career and enjoyed instant success.
Sent south of the border for a stint with trainer Dave Irwin, he would win on debut over 720 metres at Wentworth Park before going on to contest The 715 at The Gardens last month.
He returned to Albion Park in winning order, claiming two on the bounce including a heat of the Group 1 Queensland Cup before finding some trouble from box four in last week’s Final.
“When he went into third, I thought he could win from there and the next minute he ran into the back of one, then he got hit from behind and he was out of the race,” Snow said.
“He’s such a big strider but he’ll stay all day and can run time … box three is a good box for him on Thursday night.”
Punters believe the winner of eight from 23 poses a major threat to toppling New South Wales’ recent dominance of the race, backing him from $18 into $10 with TAB since markets opened.
“At that price he was definitely overs,” Snow said.
Shipwreck has run fast times since he first stepped out to trial.
Earlier this year he helped Snow become just the third trainer to win dual Group 3 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden finals at Ipswich when he saluted at double-figure odds.
He has recorded some slick times at Albion Park in the time since and came within a whisker of making last week’s Group 1 Brisbane Cup Final when second in his heat.
He returned to ‘The Creek’ to contest a mixed fourth and fifth-grade event and couldn’t have been more impressive, stopping the clock in a Best Of Night 29.56 seconds, almost one-tenth of a second quicker than the Group 1 Final.
Punters have once more stepped in to “correct” the market in the two-dog match, with Shipwreck going from $2.70 to $2.10 since the draw.
He will look to become the first Queenslander to win the match race since the revival of Origin greyhound racing in 2018.
“I always knew he was going to be something special when he started running time straight off the bat but I’ve never had him over the 520 at Albion Park on his own,” Snow said.
“It’ll be a good race, don’t worry about that.”
Snow said he was proud to be involved in the Origin series, noting he has been a proud rugby league man for much of his life.
He represented Innisfail Brothers as a youngster in the 1960s and helped deliver the club a coveted Foley Shield title in 1964, at a time when the club boasted future Kangaroos stars Kerry Boustead and Lionel Williamson.
It was the same club where Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Kangaroos great, and current Queensland coach Billy Slater kick-started his decorated rugby league career.
Retired Cowboys players Ty Williams and Scott Bolton were two more to suit up for the Leprechauns as youngsters.
“We’re all long-time rugby league fans and I played up north for many years before I got into the dogs,” Snow said, noting he barracked for the North Queensland Cowboys.
“The greyhound Origin Series is a terrific concept and has done a good job promoting our sport to a wider audience.”
While greyhound participants from both sides of the fence will attend Wednesday’s State Of Origin decider at Lang Park, Snow said he would send along his daughter Tanya’s partner and kennel handler Dave Eisel in his place.
“He barracks for New South Wales so I told him he’s not allowed to box Shipwreck on Thursday night … because he’ll probably put him in backwards,” Snow joked.
New South Wales are $1.40 to win their third Origin Greyhound Shield for celebrity coach Terry Hill, with Queensland – led by Ben Hannant – the $2.80 underdogs.
Betting on the series result, for which New South Wales (2-1) is the $2.10 favourite, can be found in the ‘Racing Extras’ section on the TAB app and website.