Young Guns is Digger’s steppingstone on road to Townsville Cup

By Pat McLeod

Townsville Greyhound Club original, Mick Hickmott, believes Tuesday night’s Young Guns Final over 498 metres will be another key steppingstone in Good Odds Digger’s march towards being a genuine Cups threat.

The Fernando Bale and Good Odds Meghan chaser will exit from box three in a race Hickmott believes will hopefully erase any doubts over the dog’s ability to be a force over 500 metres. 

Hickmott arranged the purchase of Good Odds Digger and Good Odds Viking from the kennel of prominent Sydney trainer Frank Hurst for Townsville owner Albert Harris a couple of months ago.

That follows a deal done by the same parties a year earlier for Good Odds Rascal, who has been a success story for Hickmott and Harris, racing exclusively over the 380 metre distance in Townsville.

This time around the Townsville trainer was banking on a Cups greyhound.

“Good Odds Digger is going very well. I am really happy with him,” Hickmott said.

“Unfortunately, Good Odds Viking did a back muscle when I first slipped him and hasn’t raced up here so far. I have trained a number of dogs for Bert, who is a mate of mine. He is pretty lucky and always seems to get a good one."

Good Odds Digger has done well in Townsville and hasn't finished outside a placing from six starts, including three wins.

“I have got a very good opinion of the dog. I always thought that he was a 500 metre dog. His win in the Young Guns heat was really good, his first 500 metre run up here," the veteran dog man said. 

“I have no doubt that 500 metres will be his best distance. He seems to be getting stronger all the time. His time the other night was 28.62 seconds and that is a really good time. They don't run those times every day.

“It wasn't a fast track. He has got a good motor that is for sure. Since he has been racing in Townsville over the shorter distance (380 metres), he shown that he has got speed.

“I have no doubt that Good Odds Digger is the sort of dog that will continue forward and be a strong Townsville Cup campaigner. One hundred per cent.

“He is still only a young dog. When he first came up I was hoping, but wasn’t certain, that he was a 500 metre dog from his runs from down south.

“But, I am pretty certain now. He pulled up extremely well last Tuesday and the run was very impressive.”

Hickmott is looking forward to the clash with another potential Townsville Cup contender, Brad Belford’s Federal Remark, in the Young Guns showdown.

Like Good Odds Digger, Federal Remark also stepped up to the 498 metres for the first time last week and saluted in an impressive 28.59 seconds. 

“Brad’s Federal Remark (box two) is a really good dog and we have been drawn beside each other, so it is going to be very interesting,” Hickmott said. 

“Federal Remark has been a bit of a thorn in my side over the sprints.

“In a recent meeting I thought we were running him down, but he beat me to the line.

“So, as far as Tuesday night goes, if I lead him, I can beat him, but if I am sitting on his tail, then it is going to be close.

“My bloke can be a little tardy at the start, but has very good field sense.”

The 67-year-old Hickmott first took out his trainer’s licence when he was a 17-year-old in Sydney’s Campbelltown.

Soon after he moved north to Townsville and raced at Cairns and Mackay until his local track opened.

He had two dogs on the program when the Townsville track had its first meeting in December, 1976.

Hickmott, who is based out of a 20-acre property at Bluewater, 30kms north of Townsville, has eight dogs in work.

“I am having a good run at the moment and really enjoying it,” Hickmott said.