Woolers have four-pronged attack on Townsville Young Guns heats

By Pat McLeod

The greyhound-rich Wooler clan are hoping to celebrate their first Townsville Young Guns success with four strong contenders in Tuesday night’s very competitive heats.

Matriarch, Jo Wooler, says despite having four chasers across the three heats, a Finals berth will be no guarantee.

“These are hard races,” the 30-year Townsville greyhound racing veteran said. 

“You have dogs like Good Odds Rascal (trained by Michael Hickmott), who is racing really well in beautiful form. Then of course there is Senor Yogi, the track record holder. They don't come much harder than that.

“All three heats are very strong. It comes down to luck. If you can qualify for the Final and draw the right box, well we are in with a chance.”

The Woolers four chances in the Townsville Young Guns Open over 380 metres heats are Home Slice in heat one, Eyes On Meg in heat two, Hara’s Houdini and Jingalong Lotte in heat three. 

Jo and husband Andrew have been long-time participants in the North Queensland greyhound scene, with help from Jo’s mother Patricia Groves and her younger brother Peter.

In more recent years the couple’s son Drew, 25, a high school maths and science teacher and daughter Hayley, 21, have also played their part in the family greyhound business.

Both of the children are registered trainers, however it is Hayley who is certainly blooming in that role.

“She is doing quite well for herself as a young trainer,” proud mum Jo said. 

“She is focused on the breeding side of things and is very selective when it comes to the dogs she believes we should have in the kennels.

“But, she is still learning, as we all are. You never stop learning in greyhound racing. Hayley is certainly committed to greyhound racing. She takes a lot of pride in how the dogs are presented, making sure that the dogs have the best of everything.

“I'm confident that as she gets older she will make a name for herself in training and have no doubt that's when she will be involved with an even better class of dogs.”

Jo said Andrew had taken a step away from the training operation to concentrate on a rearing.

“He is now more into the breeding side of things with 14 pups that he is rearing,” she explains.

“We have our race dogs on a half-acre block (near Townsville) and Andrew rears the young dogs on a six acre property out at Alligator Creek (about 20 minutes south of Townsville).

“So, that is now Andrew’s forte, breeding and educating the young dogs while Hayley and I concentrate on the training and racing.

“Currently Andrew is rearing 10 pups from our first ever litter, Aussie Infrared - Super Hard.

“Super Hard won 21 races for us up here across a variety of distances, from 380 metres up to 643 metres.

“We are now looking at having our own stock and moving forward with them. We will see how this first litter goes. They are almost nine months old.

“Andrew loves the rearing side of things. As he says, it is great to win a race. It is a real buzz. But, if it is a pup that you have had from a young age and reared it and educated it, then that is even something more special.”

Jo said she and Hayley enjoyed sharing the training duties.

“We get on really well, like two peas in a pod,” she said.

“We have a ton of fun and as long as the dogs go around safely and we pick up a placing every now and again, even better.

“We have never won the Young Guns. We have had a few that have qualified for the Final, but haven't been successful yet.

“So, we go in to this one with our fingers crossed and with an ounce of luck you never know.

“Eyes on Meg is probably our best chance. She has run some pretty good times in Townsville.

“She just needs a little bit of luck in those first 30 or 40 metres. I will be surprised if she does not qualify.”    

Another interesting inclusion in the Townsville Young Guns is Rockhampton flyer More Peaches (trained by Michael Boody), who won the Rockhampton Cup Wildcard, before being unplaced in the Final.

On Wednesday night Boody has Walk On Sunshine in the Final of the Rockhampton Grand Prix over 510 metres.