Caption: Michael Lalicz and Journey Beyond are the centre of attention after the running of the recent Grafton Cup (450m). Photo: Robert Brandolini
By Pat McLeod
Michael Lalicz’s success at the recent iconic Grafton Winter Carnival was an indicator that he is well on the way to his planned greyhound destination, but that he’s also not quite there yet.
Lalicz’s Journey Beyond took out the premier race of that carnival, the $25,000-to-the-winner Grafton Cup (450m), with a tight win over the fast-finishing Albert’s Memory (Reg Gardoll) with Fifty Short (Kevin Turner) third, in a time of 25.11.
At the same carnival the previous year Lalicz also struck gold with Dino Way annexing the Sprinters Cup Final (450m).
“The Grafton Cup win was massive,” he said.
“Albion Park, Grafton and Capalaba are the main tracks that I compete at.
“I split my time evenly between those three tracks, so to go to a track that I consider my home track and win a major race was pretty good.
“Especially backing up and doing it two years in a row.”
It also put a sweet final taste to a rollercoaster few weeks of racing.
In the Thunderbolt (350m) at Grafton on June 22, Dino Way had drawn ideally in box eight for the $75,000-to-the-winner decider and looked all set to be right in the thick of things before striking severe interference and finishing seventh.
“That (Thunderbolt result) hurt, but the Grafton Cup win was really good,” Lalicz says.
“But I didn’t think that this (Journey Beyond) would be the dog that I would do it with.
“The other bloke (Dino Way) was 25.25 before the Thunderbolt and I thought that if I turn up with him and he draws an outside box than we are a massive chance.
“But it didn’t pan out that way, but the other dog did it.”
Dino Way finished unplaced in his Cup heat, while Journey Beyond placed second in his heat before excelling in the final.
The Grafton Cup win is another sign of Lalicz’s continued progression through the greyhound training ranks.
About eight years ago he made the momentous decision to follow his passion and move from a well-paid career to fulltime greyhound racing.
He bought a greyhound property from industry ‘great’ Steve Kavanagh at Dungay, in the Tweed Coast hinterland, northern NSW.
The pair remain very close as friends and also industry colleagues with Kavanagh still using his former kennels for his race dogs.
“At the moment I have 13 race dogs,” says Lalicz.
“So far I have had a lot of nice dogs, but no superstars yet.
“The original idea that I had, and the vision that Steve gave us, and the baseline to work off has always been the same. No matter whether they have been good dogs or bad dogs, most have fitted into that framework.
“At the moment we have some good dogs that have come to us through close relationships.
“But I am all about trying to breed my own.
“My main goal is to breed the superstar.
“It is not a greed thing, just a satisfaction thing.
“It is all about the dam line and trying to improve every time.
“Some people would be surprised at the people that have rung me and asked me to train dogs for them, but I have had to say ‘no’.
“That’s mainly because it’s just not my plan to take other people’s dogs.”
The other main Grafton Winter Carnival races were taken out by:
Maiden Classic Final (450m): Barefoot Zulu (Stephen Keep);
Stayers Cup (660m): She Is Fire (Mark Maroney).