Nicholls would love to again feel the glare of big-time racing

By Pat McLeod

The mercurial Days Of Thunder brought the bright lights of big-time greyhound racing into Warren Nicholls’ life.

Across 68 starts the ‘White Wonder’ took Nicholls and owner Clinton Gill on an amazing ride that gathered 19 wins, 20 placings and $336,365 in prize money.

She was a staying sensation that would leave her best to last, which meant all those with her were left sweating until the end.

Nicholls could have done without the always-edge-of-the-seat stress, but he admits he would love to again feel the glare of those bright lights.

“I certainly want to get back to that level where Days Of Thunder took us,” Nicholls said.

“And, it is not just about the money, it is the whole atmosphere of competing at that level. The big nights, the big challenge. It is just great to have a machine in your kennel.

“It is something that everybody deserves to experience at least once in their training life. It is different and very good to be there. You just have to stay confident, keep poking along, and hope that one day it will happen or happen again.

“The winning was great, but even just to be competitive, to be a live chance at that level, is very special.”

So, as Days Of Thunder ‘gets around as fat as a fool’, as Nicholls describes, waiting to come on season, there is another white dog in his kennels, with brindle splashes, that is warming to the spotlight.

The home-bred Inconspicuous has six wins and a third from 10 starts and is attracting attention.

Last Thursday night Nicholls put him in the deep end, successfully nominating for The Flame.

He finished last, but there were elements of positivity.

“He came out and hit the running rail in The Flame,” Nicholls said. 

“Then he went 11.50 seconds up the back straight, which is the same as the dog that won the race (Queensland sprint king Jay Is Jay).

“I am not saying that he is Jay Is Jay, in any way, but he hit the running rail, got checked back to last, and then ran 11.50 seconds up the back, the same as the dog that was 15 lengths in front.”

This Thursday night Inconspicuous will jump in another race that could be career-defining, a heat of the QGOLD Emerging Sprinters over 520 metres.

Finish in the top four and he is through to QGOLD Finals night the following Thursday, which will showcase the best of Queensland-bred dogs across nine Finals for almost $250,000 in prize money.

These Finals have already proven to be accurate forecasters of potential.

Last year’s Emerging Sprinters winner was Bob Cooke’s Cash Master, who to date has won 18 of 35 races for $156,450 in prize money.

“This could be a pivotal race series for the dog,” Nicholls said of Inconspicuous.

“He has a ton of potential. I would love to see something a bit better in the first 50 metres, but that may never happen. If he gets a clear run he really is sensational.

“He is young and probably deserves some black-type against his name. He just needs a bit of a break.

“I would love to think that he could pick up a couple of good under 30 months races. He is definitely good enough to.”

Inconspicuous’ mother is Common Ground, who was a very good sprinter for Nicholls, but he was forced to retire her after just 31 starts (15 wins) because of a recurring toe injury.

“I remember drawing box one with her in a heat of the Futurity at Wentworth Park,” Nicholls recalls.

“The very next morning she ran around in the emptying yard, something she had never done before, and hit a wire fence and dislocated a toe.

“It was an injury that kept coming back so I retired her.”

When the Inconspicuous litter (Orson Allen - Common Ground) came along, Nicholls decided to sell most and keep two that nobody wanted.

“One of those was Inconspicuous because whenever anyone turned up to look at the pups he would run away and hide in the shed,” Nicholls said. 

“People thought there was something wrong with him. But, as it turned out there wasn't anything wrong with him. He just didn't want anything to do with anybody else.”

On Thursday night Inconspicuous will jump from box four.

“The box four doesn't worry me too much,” Nicholls said. 

“He half misses it anyway, but I would rather him there than the eight.

“I think the biggest dangers in this heat are Very Handy (trained by Tony Apap and starting from box six) and Albert’s Memory (Reg Gardoll and starting from box five).”