Caption: Jeff Jones

By Pat McLeod

Timing is everything in life … and especially in greyhounds.

That certainly is the case at Capalaba in February when the club salutes someone who is very special to them and to greyhound racing in Queensland – the Late Jeff Jones.

Each year Capalaba stages the Jeff Jones Celebration of Life Trophy 5^th Grade (366m). This year the heats are on Sunday, February 5, and the Final on Sunday, February 12.

The significance of the 2023 version of this tribute race to an industry icon, is the timing. On February 2 the $375,000 Group 1 Gold Bullion (520m) will be run and won at Albion Park.

The first entry in that field was a young Queensland dog, Jay Is Jay, who is linked directly to Jeff Jones.

Jay Is Jay is trained by Selena Zammit, Jeff’s daughter. The dog is owned by Lillian Jones, Jeff’s wife.

The dog’s mother, Kealoah, is also owned by Lillian and was the last dog trained by Jeff before he passed away.

By winning the Golden Ticket series at Albion Park, Jay Is Jay won direct entry into the Gold Bullion Final.

“The timing of the Gold Bullion and our tribute race is incredible,” said Capalaba greyhound club manager Erin Cameron.

“For that dog to come to prominence at this time of the year is amazing. We hope that when the family comes to Capalaba they are still on a high from the Group 1 race.”

The tribute to Jeff Jones on the Capalaba website, penned by club stalwart Bob Patching, explains why Jones was so special:

“Jeff was a man for all seasons. Intelligent, caring, generous, knowledgeable, wise, and a pillar of the greyhound racing industry in Queensland for more than a few decades. He was also very humble and would probably not approve of the recognition he still receives.

“He was a founding member of the QGBOTA and a past president, giving up valuable time to try and negotiate the best outcomes for his members.

“Whether you were a member or not and you had a problem Jeff was happy to go in to bat for you. Despite all he gave, he always knew that you could not please everybody. For whilst Jeff knew that it was important to battle for outcomes in the best interests of the industry’s wider community there were still a few individuals whose theme song could have been ‘What about me’. 

“When I become more involved in the administration side of the industry it was often Jeff I would turn to, to seek counsel. We had many long and interesting conversations about the industry and where we thought it was heading. He was held in such esteem by the industry that when I was able to get the Shadow Racing Minister to address a meeting of trainers, it was he I asked to chair the meeting. He did and the meeting was conducted in great spirit despite the difficulties we were facing because of the respect everybody had for him.

“It should never be underestimated the number of meetings, personal sacrifices and family time he dedicated to making the industry better for all who sought to be a part of it.”