Bailey Dargusch set to follow in his mother's footsteps

By Jordan Gerrans

Just as her father did for her all those years ago, Churchable trainer Casey Dargusch is passing on the love and passion for greyhounds to her teenage son Bailey.

Bailey has picked up the enthusiasm for the sport and is running with it, quickly becoming an asset to the Queensland kennel.

It was her father Noel Clark at Bundaberg who first got Casey involved in the sport a few decades ago.

The Dargusch clan are a key cog in the dog industry in the Sunshine State.

Casey and husband Alan own and operate Golden View Greyhound Complex at Churchable, where their sons Bailey and Riley have grown up to fall in love with the animals.

A favourite chaser of Bailey’s – Bye Bye Swiper – will be shooting for black-type honours on Thursday evening at ‘Headquarters’ as the industry turns its attention to locally-bred dogs on QGOLD night.

As Casey and Alan are often busy breaking in the next generation of their racing kennel or working at their business, having Bailey on hand to head to the races fills them with confidence.

“It has been fantastic, it has been so much help to us to have him there,” Casey said.

“He has showed such an interest in the dogs and he loves it.

“It is great that we can send him trialling and racing, knowing that the dogs are looked after, he knows what he is doing and we can stay home and focus on the dogs here, getting the work done that needs to be done.

“The dogs are being looked after and loved at the track. It is wonderful to have your kids interested in the same things as you and share that same passion.”

Clark handed the collar and lead to Casey after he started off with a few greyhounds which slowly built into more.

Casey was in the president’s role at the Bundaberg club for three and a half years before relocating to South East Queensland.

She is also a previous winner of the Woman in Racing Award in the Sunshine State.

Clark purchased the Golden View Greyhound Complex at Churchable in 2003 and Casey and Alan moved down just a few years later to run the centre.

At the time, Casey was pregnant with her oldest son Bailey.

All these years on, Bailey is leading the next generation of the family's greyhound obsession.

He is a regular face at race tracks around the Sunshine State as he handles, boxes and catches the chasers.

“I love the dogs, you have to have some kind of passion if you want to do it,” Bailey said.

“It is fun to do. The way it is going as an industry, it looks like it is just going to get bigger and bigger. Hopefully I can keep going in it and have a future in it, like Mum and Dad have.”

The Dargusch's youngest son Riley also helps around the kennel.

With Queensland-bred greyhounds all the focus this week, the Dargusch clan’s Golden View Greyhound Complex is key to the entire process of it all. 

Golden View caters for brood bitches, rearing, whelping, spelling, pre-training, public training, re-education, pups for sale and breaking-in.

With QTIS and QBRED being pillars of the other two racing industries in Queensland in recent years, Casey says it is fantastic to see QGOLD now building momentum for the dogs.

Casey notes that as breeding is a long and expensive process, schemes like QGOLD make it all worth it.

On QGOLD feature night, the kennel present with Bye Bye Swiper – from a Bago Bye Bye and Javens litter – in the Emerging Sprinters Final over 520 metres.

The five-time career winner was an impressive heat winner last week in 30.20 seconds from the inside draw.

Bye Bye Swiper has been a model of consistency in the young stages of his career, placing on 13 occasions in his 17 career starts.

While that is pleasant reading, the Darguschs' believe there is more to come with their fawn dog.

“In trials, nothing can run quicker than him in what he was doing before he started in a race,” Casey said.

“But, he just has not put it together on the race track all together yet before Thursday night. The more he races, the better he gets.”

As Bye Bye Swiper had not lived up to his early hype before Thursday of last week, the trainer was pleasantly shocked by the performance to qualify for the Final.

“I was really surprised but not surprised in a way,” Casey said.

“I was very happy with it, though. We know he can run and when we drew the one, we knew he would be up there. He jumped probably the best he has ever jumped on the circle.

“He punched up on the rail – he loves the rail – once he is on there, he does not want to leave. Once he got to the front, I did not think he could be run down because he is so strong.”

The Darguschs' only have a small racing team at the moment with around six in work.

That should soon expand as they are breaking in around 11 more over the coming months.  

If Bye Bye Swiper can continue to show what he flirted with in his early trials, the kennel could target the Group 2 Queensland Derby later in the Golden Greys Summer Carnival if he continues to step up to the mark.

“I was very happy with his run, I always knew he could run,” Bailey said.

“He has always been one of my favourites. To see him win a Thursday night race and do it one of these QGOLD races and make a Final, I am very happy.

“He can improve from the heats run, he could run 30 seconds there or maybe break it. He just needs time and to be worked on to get more experience in the racing game. Hopefully he can make a few more big races in the future.”

Queensland’s very own will shine brightest this December with the QGOLD feature night returning for its second year. 

QGOLD Feature Night, to be staged at the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club on Thursday, December 14, is restricted to greyhounds born and bred in the Sunshine State, will offer almost $250,000 in prize money.