Conroy's purchase set to pay off with duo in Young Guns Final

By Wayne Heming

Owner Chantelle Conroy’s love affair with greyhounds goes back to her teenage years when she worked in the Ipswich Greyhound Racing Club offices.

On Tuesday night she’ll have two runners, Imprisonment (box two) and Oorah (box six), who are litter brothers, contesting the $7,700 Young Guns Final over 498 metres at Townsville. 

“I started working in the office at the Ipswich club on my 16th birthday,” Conroy reflected.

“I always loved greyhounds. I grew up with them from a very young age.

“My grandparents, Peter and Jill Hay, had greyhounds, they still do. I remember when we purchased a little bitch, Awesome Design, at auction in the very early 2000s and she made it into the Auction series Final in 2003.

“Steven Scott (her partner and now trainer of her greyhounds) had two dogs in that race and our little bitch won it by a nose with his dogs finishing second and third.”

As the only maiden bitch in the Group 2 Final, Awesome Design, caused a massive boil over. 

Conroy’s two runners (from a Sentenced and Velocity Bettina litter) are trained by her partner, Steven Scott, who has built a reputation as one of Queensland’s best greyhound conditioners and trainers.

She recently purchased both dogs from highly-regarded breeder and owner Steve Williams who operates Velocity Lodge which has produced many Group 1 winners and many top-class dogs for decades.

“Steve (Williams) is one of the best in the business, but unfortunately he hasn’t been in the greatest of health recently,” Conroy said.

“They are young dogs with some improvement and every time they run they are improving. We’re looking forward to the journey with both of them.”

Conroy said she thought Oorah was a little more mature than Imprisonment at this stage of their careers.

Both dogs have identical career records with six wins from 14 starts. Conroy has a soft spot for Oorah and will handle him in the boxes on Tuesday. 

“I thought he was very impressive in his heat win the other night,” Conroy said.

Imprisonment recently took out the Final of the Rockhampton QGOLD event in which Oorah was a reserve. 

The only time they have clashed was in the Townsville Maiden Thousand Final which Oorah won.

“Oorah, Imprisonment and their litter sister Velocity Jelisa all made it through to the Maiden Final," Conroy said. 

Williams, who has been breeding and selling dogs for decades, said Scott had been a friend for 25 years.

“He is right up there with the best trainers,” endorsed Williams.

“The three greyhounds from the litter Conroy purchased, all made the big Maiden race."

Williams owned and raced Imprisonment and Oorah, with Scott as their trainer, before Conroy recently made him offer to purchase them along with their litter sister Velocity Jelisa.

“They were keen to buy them, so I was happy to sell them to them,” Williams said.

The story could have a happy ending for them all on Tuesday night if Oorah and Imprisonment fight out the finish of the Young Guns Final.