Sprinter’s success has helped rekindle Wolfinden’s training desire

By Pat McLeod

Smart sprinter Diva Signal is fuelling David Wolfinden’s refreshed interest in greyhound racing.

That interest, which recently resulted in a Townsville Cup start, continues on Tuesday with an assault on the Townsville Derby heats over 498 metres.

Diva Signal will exit from box seven in the second of three Derby heats, with two Futurity heats also to be run.

There is good quality across all five heats.

“He (Diva Signal) has certainly helped with my decision to get back into training and to continue,” the Townsville-based Wolfinden says.

“I have owned greyhounds for many years and have trained on and off. I am 65 in a couple of months and am semi-retired. I am enjoying being back with the collar and lead, but of course the 24-7 nature of the industry does present its challenges.

“But, I am keen to train for a bit longer. I have some pups coming through so will see how they go.”

Wolfinden’s last training stint ended in 2015, but his comeback came via Diva Signal and his good friend and Churchable-based trainer Col Curtis.

Curtis had purchased Diva Signal for Wolfinden at the Ipswich Auction and had been training the dog.

However, during this year’s Golden Chase series at Ipswich, Curtis had fallen ill and his good mate from Townsville rushed down to help him out.

Diva Signal made it through to the Golden Chase Consolation, finishing unplaced, and then with Curtis still on the mend, Wolfinden took his dog back with him to Townsville.

The Beast Unleashed and Mini Diva chaser revelled in the North Queensland conditions winning through to the Final of the Townsville Cup, finishing unplaced.

“Diva Signal came north for the Cup campaign and will eventually go back to Col,” Wolfinden explains.

“Both Col and I have been surprised at how well he has been going up here.

“He is a handy little fellow. He always gives 100 per cent and has been able to stay injury free. Col had him going well at Ipswich, but then he got a bit of a kidney issue, which we sorted out.

“I was pretty confident that when he came up with me to Townsville that he would go alright, but he has gone better than what we both expected.”

Wolfinden says Diva Signal is boxed well in his Derby heat.

“His is in box seven and I would prefer him out wide,” Wolfinden says.

“He can jump, but whatever happens a wider box is better for him. In the Townsville Cup Final, he missed the kick and that is where he lost it.

“He got squashed coming out of the three and got spat out the back, but his time in the heat (28.58 seconds) shows he is up to that class. He is not a champion, but a good, competitive dog.”

Wolfinden says the quality of Diva Signal’s heat on Tuesday night was a fair indication of the strength of greyhound racing in the northern capital.

“There are several good dogs in this heat,” he says.

“Mark Partland’s Cash Handy (box two) and Grinch (Bobbie Jean Chaffey) out of the five are both very good dogs.

“Moustache Mick (box eight) for Rhonda Essery can begin well and run a fair time and Greta Thomson’s Jackknifed (box four) has recently come up from NSW and looks like it has ability.

“But, if you look across all the heats, there's plenty of quality.

“The standard in Townsville has always been reasonably good, but there are better quality dogs now with the increase in prize money.

“I have my fingers crossed that he (Diva Signal) will make it through to this Final. I will keep him up here to campaign in the North Queensland Cup (heats on November 19 before the Final on November 26).

“Then I will look at sending him back to Col. We might even send him in for some Thursday night racing down there.”