Emotion runs high as Hello Mike fulfils family's racing dreams

By Alex Nolan

Travis Elson had eyes for only one man as he led Hello Mike back to the winners’ enclosure after claiming a maiden Group 1 in Thursday night’s $375,000 Gold Bullion at Albion Park.

Surrounded by cameras, officials and well-wishers alike, Travis made a beeline for this particular man to whom he dedicated the win, his father Bill Elson.  

Bill predicted this moment would play out months in advance.

He and wife Cyndie are no strangers to Group 1 nights at Albion Park.

They brought the ‘Queen of the Creek’ Cyndie’s Magic there to place four times at the highest level.

While a win at that level would elude them, it was Bill who forecast that Travis would be the one to deliver the family its greatest moment in racing, not long after he was diagnosed with dementia.  

“Dad gave me the dog when he got diagnosed and they had a lot on their plate with doctors,” an emotional Travis said.

“He gave me four dogs and said ‘I’m going to give you a Group dog son’ … ‘you’re going to win a good race with this dog’, and he was spot on.”

Bill had been a constant at Albion Park for years, with Cyndie often staying home to keep a watchful eye over the couple’s Churchable kennel.

But, it was a true family affair on Thursday night, with both of Travis’ parents, his wife, and children in attendance to witness the breathtaking come-from-behind win.

“I said ‘what did you think Dad?’ and he said ‘I knew he was going to win’,” Travis said.

“It was really overwhelming, and I know for my family and for Mum it has really hit home as a great win, and I just hope it has for Dad as well.

“I don’t think he’s at his best tonight, we probably won’t see him at the track much more.

“And, Mum doesn’t get to the track very often at all so it’s very special to have her here.

“It’s a big family affair, my daughter Summer has been with me for this whole ride with the dog over the holidays, taking him to the track and helping at home.”

Hello Mike was sent out a warm favourite for the Golden Greys Summer Carnival's grand finale after snaring box two at last Thursday’s draw in the wake of an all-the-way heat win.

Most pundits agreed that if Hello Mike found the front, he would be near-impossible to hunt down.

But, when the Greg Deering-trained Times Three bounded out in the white rug to cross Hello Mike early, some started to wonder whether the plan had come unstuck.

“He jumped well and he got a couple of buffers going down the straight,” Travis said.

“He kicked up but the three got around him and I thought he could sit in second and run him down.”

When the Selena Zammit-trained Jay Is Jay, one of the main dangers from a betting perspective, loomed large to challenge for the front, it looked as though the Queensland Derby winner would put the race to bed at the top of the straight.

“Jay Is Jay started bumping with Times Three, I got the gap up the fence and he just finished brilliantly,” Travis said.

“Every dog in that race was deserving to be in that Final. I was just so lucky with the draw, it really helped him.”

Hello Mike downed Jay Is Jay by 1.25 lengths in 29.90 seconds, with Times Three holding on bravely to snare a close-up third.

Outsider Come On Aussie snared fourth at $51.

With a maiden Group 1 in the bag against a mix of Queensland’s best and some smart interstate chasers, Travis allowed himself to cast an eye south with Hello Mike.

“I’ve always dreamed of going down and racing at Wentworth Park, I’ve never raced there,” he said.

“To go down and trial the dog and give him a go at an Easter Egg, I’ve got to have a go.

“That will probably be the plan, to go down and trial and see whether he handles the track.”

RUBY HEADS BRITTON QUINELLA BUT DUO WILL BE BACK FOR MORE

In the lead-up to a Group race, trainers are often quizzed as to how they hope the race will pan out.

Often, things don’t quite go to script.

But, trainers Jeff Britton and Angela Langton couldn’t have scripted the race better, snaring the quinella in the Group 3 Gold Cup over 710 metres thanks to classy stayer Mepunga Ruby and up-and-coming star Korda.

Finding the front early from box three, Mepunga Ruby set the pace throughout with Korda following his Group 1 winning kennel mate every step of the way.

With a lap to go, the Jedda Cutlack-trained Sorority found the fence to settle in third and the trio held their positions for the ensuing 437 metres. 

“It played out that way in my head,” the former Queensland-based trainer Langton said.

“I was hoping they would quinella because I was hoping Korda would get an invite into the Zoom Top now that he ran second.

“He’s only a baby Korda and he’s done so well already and it’s probably good for Mepunga Ruby to have someone to travel with.”

Mepunga Ruby, who is known for being a nervous traveller, put that to one side and showed her class by holding off Korda by 1.5 lengths, with Sorority a further 0.75 lengths away in third.

Langton won the Group 1 Brisbane Cup with subsequent Queensland Greyhound of the Year Hasten Slowly in 2018.

Britton is yet to have his name etched on the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club’s Group 1 honour board, but should both dogs be fit and firing in six months they will get their chance in the Queensland Cup during winter.

By then, Mepunga Ruby will be a rising three-and-a-half year old, while Korda will be a tick over 30 months.

“For sure I do,” Langton said in response to the question whether the duo would return for winter.

“If Ruby is going as well in six months she’ll definitely come back and, hopefully, Korda is going just as well, if not better by then.”

QUIET APPROACH WORKS A CHARM FOR TAYLOR

Trainer Darren Taylor apologised to waiting journalists after claiming the Country Cup Final with Say Some Words, his first success in the sought-after feature.

After conducting a poll with his family, the prolific Rockhampton conditioner made the decision to fly under the radar leading into this year’s series.

“We decided to bypass the media,” Taylor said, noting that he was a superstitious trainer.

“It’s something we chose to do as a family because we have had nice dogs go into the series that haven’t got there. I’m not blaming you guys but we chose to stay out of the limelight and it worked.

“I’m rapt, I’ll talk as much as you want now.”

Even after keeping a low profile and giving the daughter of Barcia Bale another look at the track last Wednesday, Taylor began to doubt whether things would work out again in 2023.

Say Some Words was sent out $5 to win a fifth grade event at Albion Park last Wednesday but found trouble and finished down the track in seventh.

Then, after drawing box six, Taylor seemed convinced the odds were against him.

“After last week’s debacle I was second-guessing myself,” the multiple Rockhampton premiership-winner said.

“When I got the green rug that hurt even more because, my mum Kaye, god bless her soul, she’s not with us, her rule was nothing green on a race track and never pick up money at the racetrack.

“When I got the green rug, I swore.”

But, all of the superstitions mattered little as Say Some Words bounded out of box six and turned the $18,500 feature into a one-act affair.

She went on to beat the Robert Weeding-trained Black Delight by 6.25 lengths in 30.03 seconds, with first reserve and race favourite Redemption Day a further 2.75 lengths away in third.

It was the bitch’s second win at Albion Park, after heading south to score in a fifth grade event on a Thursday in August last year.

“If they have the quality, we’ll travel with them,” Taylor said.

“She’s done a good job for us, I just wish the Rocky Cup was next week.

“You love to win on these big nights, it has never worried me. I’ll turn up next week with another dog and turn up again. I’ve never been scared to travel and take everyone on.

“If they get beat, we just go home and come back next week.”

Earlier, the Keith Boan-trained Nando Flyer caused a minor boil over in the Queensland Short Course Final over 331 metres, holding out a determined favourite First Black Jack by 0.75 lengths. 

It was a similar result for punters in the Golden Oldies Final for Masters eligible greyhounds when Inner Tea Cup proved a narrow 0.03 lengths victor over warm favourite Hearts Colliding.