Gardoll kennel in high spirits ahead of Gold Bullion

By Andrew Smith

Reg Gardoll has had retirement plans for several years but admits he can’t simply walk away from the greyhound training caper.

And the veteran dog man may be convinced to push on for a few more years yet if kennel star Spirit Boy can cause an upset in Thursday night’s Group 1 Gold Bullion at Albion Park.

Reg trains in combination with son Craig out of their Pillar Valley base in Northern New South Wales.

He has been involved in the greyhound code for over half a century and says teaming up with Craig has been key to his longevity.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it without him - he does most of the hard yakka, and I sit on my bum in the car and drive the dogs around the place, so we work as a good team,” Reg said.

“I’ve been in the game for about 55 years now and Craig has been with me for the biggest part of them, so we work in good together.”

The 76-year-old has tasted Group success before, taking out the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic with Watch The Web in 2005 at Wentworth Park.

Another Group 1 victory beckons with the $250,000-to-the-winner showdown tomorrow night.

The big prizemoney on offer in the Queensland Golden Greys Summer Carnival is what is keeping Reg completing the three-and-a-half-hour journey from Pillar Valley to Albion to race the dogs.

It is also making him reconsider any plans to hang up the leash.

“Yes there are plans but it doesn’t seem to happen…when I get rid of one dog, two more turn up so I just can’t get out of it,” Reg said with a laugh.

“It’s something that grows on you too - once you get one dog it’s very hard to give them away.

“Queensland is doing a wonderful job, they’ve gone ahead in leaps and bounds.

“I think they’re a mile in front of all the states now so they’re doing a marvelous job.

“If I was 30 years younger, I think I’d move there.”

It will be Spirit Boy carrying the hopes of another Group victory for the kennel on Thursday night.

The fawn dog took out the Group 3 Mid North Coast Cup in Taree in November, before finishing fourth in the Casino Cup later that month behind winner and kennelmate Party Mode.

Heading north to Queensland, the Corykodi and Liar Teller product then won a heat of The Spark and delivered a commanding victory in the Queensland Derby.

For Craig, the dominant six-length victory in the Group 2 Derby came as a slight shock.

“No we weren’t expecting it as he got beat the week before in the heats, and he surprised us coming around the home turn, and just took off and won by six,” Craig said.

“He’s coming along in leaps and bounds and getting stronger and stronger.

“I don’t know if he can do it in the Gold Bullion but he’s in there anyway with a chance because he’s got the quick early speed.”

Spirit Boy finished behind Mepunga Tully in last week’s heats in a time of 29.64 seconds.

The father-and-son team admits it will be an uphill battle for him in the 520 metre Gold Bullion Final.

He was rated a $19 chance as of Wednesday afternoon with the Frank-Hurst trained Good Odds Cobber the favourite at $2.70.

Spirit Boy will jump from the two box which the Gardolls hope can go some way to helping spring a shock result.

“That’ll suit him, he’s pretty adaptable - he can come out of the eight or the one or the five,” Reg said.

“When he gets it right, he comes out running, that won’t hurt him.

“There’s a team of dogs there and every one of the trainers are wonderful trainers in their states so you couldn’t walk in there with any confidence at all, but we’re happy to be there having the ride.

“It would be good to have one with Craig and Jakey Northfield that owns him – he’d be over the  moon and I’d love to do it for him.

“It’s very exciting, we just went in thinking well let’s give it a shot and here we are sitting in a final so it’s a big thrill.”

Racing at Albion Park on Thursday night will also include the Group 1 Gold Cup Final before the Golden Greys Summer Carnival reaches its finale with the Group 3 Vince Curry Memorial at Ipswich on Saturday night.