High praise for Ryan Ayre ahead of National Straight Championship

By Jordan Gerrans

Leading owner and breeder Les Bein has branded Narangba’s Ryan Ayre one of the best trainers in Australia ahead of Bogie Fury’s tilt at the National Straight Track Championship.

Ayre does not have the kennel size or presence over the prestigious winter carnival as other trainers but Bein thinks his results speak for themselves.

Ayre has the Group 1 National Derby and Group 2 Queensland Derby on his training resume with Bogie King before he took time away from training.

The Ayre kennel does not have the size of some of its rivals as the hobby trainer has five children at home as well as a booming building business.

After running second in the Queensland Final, Ayre and Bogie Fury have drawn the white rug of three for Saturday’s National decider at Richmond.

Speaking while driving to Sydney to watch the Final, Bein – who owns Bogie Fury – believes Ayre’s attention to detail is what sets him apart from the rest.

“I rate Ryan Ayre as one of the best trainers in Australia,” Bein said.

“I have had plenty of good ones trained for me but Ryan is a very pedantic sort of a trainer and he does not leave anything to chance.”

Ayre has only raced a few greyhounds over the past year or so, with Bogie Fury his kennel star, winning on 28 occasions from half a century of starts.

The partnership between Bein – who is also the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club Chairman – and Ayre came together by chance.

“Les saw me back involved and he was nice enough to call me up and give me this fella,” Ayre said about Bogie Fury last year.

“We go back a long way, I trained some good ones for Les and we always kept in touch as mates even when I wasn’t in dogs, I was still pretty flattered when he thought of me after a number of years.”

With only a few dogs in work in his kennel, Bein suggested the Ayre kennel might be about to grow, with the prospect of the trainer taking on more dogs with a larger operation being considered.

“We won a lot of good races over the years but he has more in his life than racing greyhounds, he runs a successful business and has a lot of people working for him, as well,” Bein said.

“He cannot handle a lot of dogs because he does not have the time.”

Bogie Fury ran into second behind Tony Brett’s Milligan in the Sunshine State show-piece straight race at Capalaba recently, with both progressing through to the National Championship, which will be raced for $25,000 this Saturday.

While Brett and Milligan have trialled at the Richmond track in the lead-up, Ayre and his fawn dog have not made the trip down.

Bein noted that Bogie Fury – from an Aston Dee Bee and Bogie Lilly litter – was not a great traveller and the team did not want to make the long journey to Sydney twice.

The owner would have preferred his dog see the track before racing there this week but still has confidence.

“If he had seen the track before, you think his chances in the race would be enhanced, but in saying that, we have never had any trouble with him running first-up on tracks before,” Bein said.

“His first race at Capalaba he flew.”

The TAB has Bogie Fury rated a $8 chance on Wednesday morning, with Milligan the second public elect at $4 and Richmond specialist and local Mr America the $2.80 favourite.

Bein would have preferred to swap boxes with Milligan, heading out to eight, so his dog could get a bit of room.

“The only chance we have got of winning the race is that if our bloke jumps quick and leads Mr America,” Bein said.

“Hopefully, we can hang on.”

Champion trainer Brett was over the moon with the way his chaser trialled at Richmond on Saturday of last week, stopping the clock at 17.59 seconds.

“I was pretty happy with his run,” Brett said.

“It is so different the two straights with the drag lure back home compared to the lure at Richmond.

“He needed the trial and I was rapt with it.”

Warren Nicholls’ Days of Thunder will represent Queensland in the National Distance Final at Wentworth Park on Saturday evening and has drawn the green rug in the Group 1.

Queensland will not have a runner in the National Sprint Final, also on Saturday at Wentworth Park, after Cynthia Elson’s Magical Cyndie was ruled out.

The bitch pulled up sore in a back muscle after winning the Queensland Final.