Mackay trainer gliding to a better headspace

By Jordan Gerrans

Race bitch Gilded provided Mackay’s Larry Evans his first winner back in greyhounds for many decades on Wednesday night.

But, what the daughter of Western Australian champion Tommy Shelby has given the 74-year-old away from the race track has been much more profound for Evans.

Living in a retirement village in Central Queensland, Evans was battling depression as well as some physical challenges with a bad back.

A year or so ago, Gilded was racing in Victoria for a couple of his former trainers.

Fellow Mackay trainer Neville Jackson and Evans organised for the bitch to come north to act as a therapy dog.

While the team were keen to win races at Rockhampton with the blue chaser, there were much more important plans on the agenda when they made the purchase.

“I was having problems with depression and things like that and at one stage, the depression was pretty bad with me,” Evans recalls. 

“She is mainly a house dog to be honest and will sleep on my bed. She has been good therapy for me - ever since I have had the dog, I am 100 per cent better than what I used to be.

“It has been a big thing in my life because she is such a loveable animal. It has been good for my health, I know that.”

Gilded initially was prepared by Jackson when she began racing in Central Queensland as Evans was in the process of sorting out his own training ticket.

"Larry was having some health issues and was coming here to help me with the dogs. Since we've had Gilded, his health has been on the improve,” Jackson said.

Jackson was also in the winner’s circle on Wednesday night as Suntory Poppy landed the prize in an earlier event. 

Like Jackson, Evans trained in the old Mackay days about 30 years ago when the sport was vibrant in the ‘Sugar City’ but stepped away once the track closed.

They are a part of a glut of Mackay trainers who are now campaigning dogs to Rockhampton and Townsville, on top of Gerard Agius and Steven Scott, among others.

As Evans has not trained in some time, he says he takes tips from the Mackay group of conditioners where possible.

Glided had won on five occasions at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park track when being prepared by Jackson, who is in his 80s and has had a long association with the industry.

The victory over 407 metres in a fifth grade event on Wednesday was the first since Evans had officially taken over as the trainer in 17 attempts.

She jumped well from the four alley and was able to score in 23.69 seconds by almost three lengths.

Evans felt a strong performance was coming from his beloved chaser.

“In the last couple of weeks she has been performing quite well,” the owner and trainer said.

“She has been jumping out very good and on Wednesday night, once she got to the front, she is a good frontrunner.

“Once she sees the bunny, she seems to take off. It was a great run on Wednesday night and she ran the time she should run; I believe she can do that more often.

“I have put a fair bit more work into her in recent weeks and she seems to love her work on the walking machine and sprinting. She seems to be getting back to her best self.”

Glided qualified for the Rockhampton Young Guns Final about a year ago and at the time, Jackson said she was a bitch with plenty of talent and heart.

As it has taken her some time to win again, Evans is hopeful there is more to come.

“I think she will go on with it from here a lot more,” Evans said.

Evans’ wife Pat also adores Glided.

Since Glided has moved into the retirement village, she has been the talk of the complex and plenty of people were enthusiastic to hear she had won on Wednesday evening.

“They like to know if she is winning,” Evans said.

“It has become a bit of a public thing now with me having the dog. People always stop and pat her or play with other people’s dogs, she is so good with other people’s dogs. All the dogs socialise here.”

Also on the ‘Rocky’ program on Wednesday night, Juanita Thompson and Kelly Suli prepared winning doubles.