Horse trainer Clinton Thompson turns his hand to greyhounds

By Jordan Gerrans

A gallopers man for the last couple of decades, Central Queensland’s Clinton Thompson has suddenly got the bug for greyhound racing.

Thompson still holds a thoroughbred training licence and hopes to get back to racing horses in the near future but it is the dogs where he has been focusing his attention and winning races of late.

The Tungamull-based Thompson collected his first greyhound victory in South East Queensland earlier this month and is now aiming to claim the biggest race of his fledgling training career on Saturday evening.

Thompson has litter mates Rybolt and City Way qualified for the Ipswich Auction Sprint Series Final over 431 metres.

Clinton is preparing his team of dogs alongside his wife Juanita, who kick-started their involvement in greyhounds.

Clinton has trained horses since the late 1990s.

The Thompsons travelled to Sydney to watch Winx’s second last run of her career a few years ago and on the way down they caught up with a few friends at Albion Park on a day when the dogs were racing.

“That was it, she was hooked,” Clinton said of Juanita.

“She bought her first dog two weeks after that and we went from there.

“She trains them as well – we both have licences – as we have not been doing it for long.

“I think I was just lucky that I drew the two boys in my name that have made this Final as we do everything together.”

The horses have taken a back seat as the Thompsons have become more prominent in the greyhound code.

“They’re very addictive, I know that much,’ Juanita said.

The Thompsons have won many races in Central Queensland over the last few years but have broken new ground of late heading to the city.

Clinton had prepared dogs to run in the top three at Albion Park but was yet to break through in SEQ.

Rybolt handed him his maiden winner in a heat of the series last Friday in 24.94 seconds from the six alley.

Clinton has trained over 50 thoroughbred winners in his life but admits he was chuffed to grab a city victory with one his greyhounds.

“It took a bit to sink in but it was a good feeling,” he said.

“It was not a Brisbane Cup or anything like that but for us up here, it was pretty bloody good.”

The Rybolt triumph means Clinton has gone one better than his gallops career.

He has started six horses at the metropolitan level in Queensland across his life without cracking a victory.

Clinton’s Rybolt has drawn two for Saturday’s Final while litter brother City Way will commence from seven.

The Gregory Stella-trained Inspired Reason scored in the other heat last week in 24.92 seconds and will begin from three on Saturday.

Rybolt has not finished outside the money in his last 12 starts – which includes five victories – and Clinton says the brindle dog is full of confidence.  

‘He has pulled up well from the heat and has drawn well for the Final,” he said.

“He will need to step it up to beat the three dog that ran a better time than him in the heat.

“He has never run a bad race for us, hopefully all going well he will be there in the finish.”

After going down by just over four lengths to Inspired Reason in their heat, Clinton thinks City Way is perfectly boxed in seven for the $21,000 Final.

“I think I would rather him in that alley with the way the corner is,” he said.

“He is going to be in the 520 metre heats as well – that is more his style  - and he has done well to make this Final.

“I think the way he finishes his races, if he gets a clear run then he will be coming home at the end on Saturday night.

“He will be there in the finish I hope.”

It is a seven and a half hour drive from the Thompsons Tungamull kennel – which is based between Rockhampton and Yeppoon – to get to Ipswich to race dogs at the Showgrounds track.

Clinton has not started a galloper in a race since April of 2021 but he will soon make his return.

He has been working up a few babies that he has bred and is hopeful they will be at the races for the first time in the coming months.