Glen Carrington's legacy still racing on at Ipswich

By Jordan Gerrans

Glen's Wish will be racing for much more than just a spot in the Listed Ipswich Young Guns Final when the promising dog returns to the track on Saturday.

Owned and bred by veteran Haigslea trainer Patricia Carrington, Glen’s Wish is racing to honour Carrington’s late husband.

It will be two years since Glen passed in September later this year.

Back in the middle of 2021 when the Hard Style Rico and Pocahontas litter the Carringtons bred were just getting going, there was one in the crew that had a special connection with Glen.

Glen’s Wish is one of seven from the litter that have made it to the races, with four winning races so far.

The brindle dog – Glen’s Wish – is the star of the litter, winning three of his first nine trips to the track, with three other minor placings recorded.

Glen would eventually pass away from a long battle with illness just a few months after the litter was born.

Patricia ensured his name would race on through the promising youngster.

“The pups were born in June and we had them in the lounge room of our house,” Patricia recalls.

“The little fella used to run around when he was eight or nine weeks old before we put them out in the shed where the rest of the kennels are.

“Glen used to throw his hanky near him and this little fella would run and get the hanky and run around the house.

“Then we named him Glen’s Wish after that.

“He was a favourite of Glen’s.”

Glen’s Wish collected his third victory of his young career last Saturday evening at the Ipswich Showgrounds complex, claiming a 520 metre event in 31.11 seconds.

He will tackle a heat of the Listed Ipswich Young Guns this Saturday over the same trip.

The dog named in her late husband’s honour is keeping his memory alive to this day.

The Carringtons have travelled all across the Sunshine State with their beloved greyhounds, winning big races at the now defunct Mt Isa track before heading to Townsville and then on to South East Queensland.

“It was funny last Saturday night as Glen used to be good mates with Neil Power, who drives the lure at Ipswich,” Patricia said.

“They were good mates for years and years and we trained dogs for Neil.

“I was singing out “come on Glen, come on Glen” during the race and Neil was waving his hands around going “shut up, he will hear you”.

“We had a good laugh about that.”

Before Glen’s passing, the Carringtons trained a Mt Isa Cup winner in 2001 with Strebor Luck as well as having success with Honeysuckle Rose and Honey Mist in North Queensland.

They enjoyed black-type victory back in 2007 when Honey Mist claimed the Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity. 

After initially getting into preparing dogs in the North West city of Mt Isa way back in 1973, the Carringtons moved on to Townsville and then SEQ to be closer to doctors for Glen’s treatment for his kidney cancer, which was first discovered in 2000.

“He would think it is great, he would have liked it,” Patricia said when asked about what Glen would have thought of the dog being named after him.

The stalwart trainer was pleased with Glen’s Wish’s performance last Saturday, leading the entire way from box five.

She believes the eight alley will be a positive in Saturday’s heat.

The emerging dog has only placed on one occasion from four attempts from the pink.

“It was pretty good, he seems to like the outside box as well,” she said.

“When he jumps, he sort of jumps outwards instead of inwards.

“I think the eight will suit him.

“He is only young, being 21 months old, that is all he is.”

The Carringtons raced Glen’s Wish’s mother – Pocahontas – who ran second in the Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity of 2015.

The kennel have four dogs entered across the program on Saturday evening at Ipswich with the trainer noting Tayla's Lass will also be a strong winning chance.

Ipswich will host five heats of the Young Guns series on Saturday before the Final seven days later.