Caption: Rockhampton trainer Ken Boody has three hopes in Wednesday night’s Qgold heats.

By Wayne Heming

Central Queensland trainer Ken Boody is hoping one of his three runners in the Qgold heats over 510m at Rockhampton on Wednesday night can replicate his upset-winner Showtime Pompom in 2024.

The Qgold races are restricted to greyhounds bred in Queensland and offer increased prizemoney as an incentive to support the local industry.

Boody will be represented by Tijuana Twinkle (box 5) and Mo’at, who has gained a run out of box 8 following Bacalar’s scratching in heat one, while his other runner, Arnie Ferrari, jumps from box 2 in the second heat.

“It wasn’t my first preference to race at Rockhampton,” said Boody, who has won two Qgold finals.

“I was planning to go to Townsville with them, but the weather has ruined those plans and they’ll run at Rocky instead.”

Boody wasn’t too confident about his runner’s chances, but he has been wrong before.

“I’m not holding a lot of hope. When you’ve been doing this for a while you tend to get an idea of how they’ll perform, but sometimes it goes different than you think.”

One of those times was the Qgold final staged at the Rockhampton track late last year, which Boody won with Showtime Pompom.

“I didn’t think she could win, but I put her in it even though it wasn’t her ideal distance,” he explained.

“She got to the front and there was some trouble behind her and she ended up holding on to win it.”

Boody said he felt for the Townsville trainers and owners who were doing it tough with the wet weather and no racing. Some of these trainers had dogs nominated for the Rockhampton meeting.

“Tony Parker and Heath Ardle are from similar areas which have been hit hard by rain,” he said.

Ardle, who has a great record in Qgold races, has enlisted the aid of a neighbour with a low-loader truck to help him get six dogs, including his kennel star, Jimmy Roo (Race 6 , box 7) through the flood waters,

He has had to leave Weeona Smiley (Race 12) at home and the stewards have accepted his explanation and scratched her.

“I’ve got my car on a low-loader, that is as far as I got,” Ardle said on Tuesday.

“There’s a bit of water on the other side of Inkerman, between Ayr and Bowen but after that, it should be smooth sailing.”

Ardle said a few years back he had a similar experience going to Grafton.

“My neighbour across from the farm is helping me out. We look after each other up here in the country,” he said.

“I’ll be buying him a few beers.”

Boody meanwhile suggested it would be good if Rockhampton could schedule a few more meetings to help out Townsville trainers and owners going through such a rough period.

“It’s still a big drive I know,  but we are the closest track to them.

“They (extra meetings) would be very welcome, but I do understand the logistical problems, especially staffing.”