Reg Gardoll is one of those old school greyhound trainers. He calls it like it is and Reg was quick to admit that he’d given up hope for Spirit Boy as the field headed down the back straight in the inaugural Ladbrokes Mid North Coast Cup at Taree on Wednesday night.
This time, Reg was happy to be proven wrong.
Just a week after setting the track record at Taree, Spirit Boy scored the biggest win of his 28 start career with a tenacious victory in the $25,000 to the winner feature.
Spirit Boy is trained by Reg’s son Craig, and to make the night even more special, Reg’s finalist Albert’s Memory - named in honour of his good mate Daryl ‘Albert’ Gleeson who passed away in 2021 - filled the quinella.
“It was a bit hairy there for a while, he (Spirit Boy) was in a fair bit of trouble, but he fought his way out of trouble, really well,” Reg said
“I thought halfway down the back he was gone, because he'd never been a strong dog, but he fought back marvellously tonight, and I reckon Craig will be tickled pink, he's done a good job with him.
“It's a funny story. Young Jake Northfield had him given to him as a rear one for one, and he raced him for a few times and he knew that we travelled around a bit, and he doesn't travel all that much Jakey, so he asked us if we wanted to give him a go, and he's come ahead in the leaps and bounds and we're stoked about how he's gone.”
Reg Gardoll with Ladbrokes Mid North Coast Cup winner Spirit Boy.
Reg’s runner Albert Memory originally missed spot in the final, only to gain a run when local hope She’s A Bumpy was scratched on the morning of the final.
“It means everything,” he said of Albert’s Memory being able to finish in the placings. “I’d just hoped he finish in the money, and now he's in the $100,000 (prizemoney) club.
“He's a marvellous dog, and just to have him up there showing his colours every week in Albert's honour, that's another thing too.
“He means everything to us. I just hope he keeps going as long as I can keep going. And I'll just keep carting him around, and you saw it tonight, he's just a marvel.”
In a charge to the first turn Spirit Boy looked like being crossed but he continued to push up under both Flying Goddess and Ali Tango and was able to hold the rail and the lead leaving the straight.
But turning into the back Ali Tango moved to the front and it looked like trainer Joe McFadyen was about to claim another country feature race.
However, Spirit Boy moved to the outside of the leader and showed that tenacity, surging to the lead swinging for home.
After being slowly away and checked on the first turn, Albert’s Memory looked desperately unlucky and charged home to finish second just half a length behind the winner, with Ali Tango sticking on well to get third, a head back.
The night attracted a large crowd, the biggest seen at the state of the art venue since it was opened last month after undergoing a $6 million renovation.
And while the Mid North Coast Cup Final and the performance of Spirit Boy was the highlight on the track, there were many more off it, with one of those being the Best Dressed Male and Female competition.
With fashion expected to dominate on Ladies Day at Flemington on Thursday, the men and women of the Mid North Coast showed the night before that they too have impeccable fashion sense.
The winner of the men’s event was Hector James in the flashiest of floral suits, while Tanya Caesar was resplendent in her outfit and a deserved winner in the female category.
Both unanimous winners walked away with $500 prizes each.
