Caption: Brisbane Young Guns finalist Locked On Scotch (John Catton) after a recent win at Albion Park. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)  

By Pat McLeod

Construction company boss John Catton is building a bright future for promising sprinter Locked On Scotch, with success in Thursday night’s Newhaven Stud Farm Group 3 Brisbane Young Guns (520m) Final at Albion Park the next goal.

The Hooked On Scotch – Neytiri Queen chaser is well drawn, coming out of Box 2, and while Catton acknowledges the opposition is high quality, he also has plenty of confidence in his kennel’s chances.

“There is no doubt this is a very good field,” Catton said.

“Just looking at the race as an overview, Travis Elson’s Bear’s Bullet (4) will probably get out well. Isurava (Brent Kline, Box 7) will probably lead and may keep Magistrate (Greg Stella) out off the rail.

“Dolly Dutton, out of the one box, is the question mark. Sometimes she jumps well and sometimes she can miss it.

“So often these races will come down to box draw and the dogs’ box manners.

“But, I know what my dog is like. I know how he is travelling. He will be there-abouts. I don’t mind if he camps behind the leader and I don’t mind if he leads.

“He comes out of the boxes running. He is a good starter. Sometimes he bounces half a length behind them. But he musters pretty quickly.

“At the end of the day he is very strong at the finish. He hits the line very hard.”

Catton is hoping for a change in fortune for Locked On Scotch after several recent misadventures.

He was a late scratching for the Ipswich version of the Young Guns after a weight issue, when set to exit from Box 1 in the final.

The dog then looked primed for a big showing in the recent Rockhampton Cup after winning his heat. However, he drew wide (7) in the final and, despite a courageous run, finished out of the placings.

Even in last week’s Brisbane Young Guns heat, the result (second) could have been better.

“In his heat run, one of the other dogs was laying on him in the back straight and his head went up in the air a couple of times and he lost a few lengths and a bit of momentum,” said Catton.

“With a clear run I think he would have won that race. But that is just the way it goes.

“What impresses me is that this dog just keeps improving.

“Right now he is 100 per cent fit. He had a good gallop on Monday and he will now just stay on the lead until Thursday night and hopefully get the job done.”

Locked On Scotch is owned by a syndicate that includes a long-time friend and client of Catton’s, Pasquale Avolio.

“Pasquale has had a few dogs over the years, but this has been his best dog,” Catton said.

“He has a couple of mates with him in the ownership and it is their first dog. They are really enjoying the ride. Hopefully we can get the job done for them this week.”

Catton said the quality of Thursday night’s final, with a $30,000 windfall for the winner, was an indication of just how strong the industry was in Queensland, which is witnessing an unprecedented wave of young, classy dogs coming through.

“There are a lot of really good young dogs around at the moment and there are a couple of reasons for that,” the 30-year greyhound industry veteran said.

“In the wake of live baiting, and the changes made, there is now a lot of confidence about. There is very good prizemoney in Queensland at the moment and the Qbred concept (races for Queensland-bred greyhounds being held across the state) is proving very popular.

“And things are only getting better with the upcoming million-dollar Brisbane Cup as part of the winter carnival, with $650,000 of that going to the winner.

“So many people are getting on the breeding and training bandwagon in Queensland and have been for a little while now.

“The amount of dogs that have been bred by local trainers has resulted in a much better crop of youngsters coming through.

“A really good example is Jemma Daley and Tarquin Neal and the Hara dogs that are doing really well.”

Catton said life was ‘very busy’ juggling a hectic work schedule with greyhounds and family.

“I had to reduce some of my commitments (Catton stood down as Capalaba president), but I love the sport and dogs like this one make it worthwhile,” he said.