Plummer’s back-up team ensure success in Bundaberg Young Guns

By Pat McLeod

Successful Hervey Bay trainer David Plummer may be on a short sabbatical interstate, but his very capable support team ensured promising chaser Different Drum was at her peak, taking out the Bundaberg Young Guns Final on Monday.

Plummer’s ‘back-up’ is headed by highly-respected South East Queensland trainers, Sharon and Barry Morris, who now act as kennel care-takers for trainers needing a holiday.

“I wasn’t surprised at her win. She has always shown potential,” Sharon said.

Different Drum scored by two lengths over Doug Gladman’s pair of Hudson Bay and Abel Tasman.

“We have looked after David’s place a few times and the first time we were here she was a pup in the yard,” Sharon said.

“In just her few races so far (nine starts for five wins and two placings) she has always shown something.

“David has been very happy with her. She missed the start a little bit and I thought she might have been in a little bit of trouble, but she got a clear run and showed how strong she is.

“I think she will run 500 metres without any trouble.”

Hudson Bay, who began his career showing plenty of potential on the Capalaba straight track, scored his first win ‘on the circle’ in last week’s Young Guns heat.

He looked set to continue that winning form, jumping well in the Final and scooting to a huge lead in the back straight.

However, despite a less-than-perfect-start, Different Drum was able to avoid some serious early interference, found the rail and zeroed in on the quickly disappearing Hudson Bay.

As the Gladman dog went wide coming into the home straight, Plummer’s youngster had bridged the gap and took the direct line to the finish post, finishing in 26.39 seconds.

“She certainly loves racing at Bundaberg,” Sharon said of Different Drum.

“She seems to grow another leg here. She had a couple of starts at Albion Park while the Bundaberg track was closed for some track work recently, but she has really enjoyed coming back here.”

Also pivotal to Different Drum’s win on Monday was Gympie trainer Lucy Roche, who handled the dog for the feature.

“She is just a lovely, quality, tough little bitch,” Roche said.

"I cheered her all the way.

“I had a lot of faith in her because she is such a quality greyhound, but I was a little worried during the race until I saw her start to catch Hudson Bay. Then I thought ‘yep, she has got this’.”

Sharon and Barry Morris will say goodbye to Plummer’s five-dog squad on Wednesday, after a week at the kennels.

“We gave up training in our own right in 2017 and sold our property (at Lowood),” Sharon explains.

“We now live near Gatton. We have been very busy this year at different properties and that will be the case in 2024 through to about July.

“We still do our own trips, but we are scaling down the work side. We still love looking after greyhounds, from the elite through to those that aren’t quite at that level. But, we get just as much joy no matter what level they are at.”

Sharon and Barry looked after Tony Zammit’s kennel earlier this year and over-saw the blooming career of emerging distance chaser Valpolicella.

“She certainly made an impression on us and we have followed her since,” Sharon said of Valpolicella.

“There is something about her. But, having said that, we love all the dogs that we take care of.

“The beauty of what we do is that we can give them back and go back to our place.”

Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club president Stephen Bland said the Bundaberg race surface was now in ‘fantastic’ condition after recent work, which caused the track to be closed for about two months.

“The Young Guns is the first feature at the track since the work was completed and the feedback from trainers has been great,” Bland said.

“The work has been a great success. We now have a new full-time curator and also a new $160,000 mower.”