Mother-and-son team on Townsville Cup path

By Jordan Gerrans

A North Queensland mother-and-son training team are dreaming of claiming a hometown Townsville Cup with a bargain buy greyhound following a strong heat victory.

The Bobbie-Jean Chaffey kennel has developed into one of the most prolific in regional Queensland over the last few years, regularly walking away from Townsville meetings with swags of winners.

The team has 93 winners to their name so far this year. 

That number is likely to increase by Tuesday evening with a double-figure number of dogs entered to race at Townsville's night meeting. 

The team now has set their sights on the Group 2 Cup of 2024 and the $75,000 prize money on offer after Bar One Smokers – who was purchased for just $500 – won through to the Final following Friday’s heats.

It will be the first time local conditioner Chaffey has a runner for her hometown Townsville Cup.

She has competed in the heats in recent years but was yet to land in the big decider.

Chaffey and her partner prepare her big team of chasers alongside her teenage son Jake Casey.

Casey and Chaffey shared the experience of landing a maiden runner in the Cup Final together on Friday evening at the Showgrounds track.

“We were ecstatic,” Chaffey said.

“It is always a hope to get one of your own dogs through to the Townsville Cup. We are over the moon to have one in.

"We have been hoping to get a runner in the Final for a few years.

“It was always something on the bucket list to have something in the Cup. We were very excited.

"I decided to take over the training two years ago and it is full-time for us now. It's a huge thrill for all of us to get into this Final."

The enthusiastic Casey is set to follow in his mother’s footsteps into the training ranks.

He has been granted his licence to prepare his own team.

The emerging dog man is likely to have his own first starters later this year with a few pups the kennel are in the process of preparing.

Casey also owns a number of dogs that his mother trains.

“It is good for him and us to have a passion together, to be able to share it with my son,” Chaffey said.

“He is keen to train his own dogs eventually and I think he will have a few starters in his own name either later this year or next year.

“He is keen to keep it going. He has been helping us out for the past couple of years.”

The Stuart-based conditioner - Chaffey - has only been training herself for the last few years after initially taking out a handler’s licence.

She was born in the North Queensland city and moved away for her schooling before returning to Townsville later in life.

The Chaffey team had a big lot of dogs nominated for last Friday’s heats with Bar One Smokers’ kennel mate Grinch finishing second in a qualifier while Emgrand Centre ran third in another heat, as well.

Of the handful of chasers they entered for the Cup heats, the trainer was thinking Bar One Smokers was not likely to be their runner in the Final if they were to qualify one.

Bar One Smokers commenced from the two alley and after some early bustling landed behind the leader and on the fence in the opening stages.

He took over the race just before the home turn to score in 28.81 seconds, holding off the fast-finishing Bear's Bullet.

Bear's Bullet was a Group 1 champion earlier in her career.

Described as a dog with a lovely nature, Chaffey says while it was unexpected for Bar One Smokers to land in the big Final, she is more than glad he did.

“He jumped pretty well and he has always got a strong run home,” Chaffey said.

“When he was close, we knew there was a chance he could win but I was just hoping he did not run of gas in the home straight.

“I did not think this dog was a real Cup chance and we thought there was stronger dogs from our kennel in the heats that we felt were contenders.

“We knew he could run the distance but it was a nice surprise – we were all so excited.

“He is a great kennel dog, he is lovely around the place and has a lovely nature. He is a quiet dog so it is good to see him come up to his potential.”

Bar One Smokers was handed the six starting position following the box draw.

Chaffey will box her Cup hopeful on Friday night, which will be a big thrill for the relatively inexperienced trainer.

The Chaffey kennel are the biggest in terms of numbers in NQ, boasting around 50 race dogs on a consistent basis.

Bar One Smokers will not be the only local dog searching for Cup glory on Friday evening.

Wildcard champion Federal Remark has given the leading Belford kennel a chance to have a perfect swansong to their time in Townsville in the upcoming Cup.

The Bradley Belford-prepared chaser was a smart winner of the Wildcard Final last month, handing the classy dog automatic entry into the $112,500 Cup decider.

Belford is in the process of moving to South East Queensland. 

Diva Signal – who is prepared by local NQ trainer David Wolfinden – also won a heat on Friday night.