Caption: Conrad Buhner, Logan Hope, and Peter Evan’s family after the dog’s emotional win at Albion Park. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

(Chase Newspaper September 2023 edition)

By PAT McLEOD

The tote operator at the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club was understandably perplexed.

The customer wanted to place a bet, but the money was in a coin jar … a large coin jar.

Local trainer Conrad Buhner takes up the story.

“Initially the operator was a little reluctant, but then the story was explained,” he says.

“The money was for a bet on Logan Hope, starting out of Box 3, Race 3, in about an hour’s time.

“That dog’s trainer was Peter Evans (who was based at Eagelby, south of Brisbane). Peter had passed away the day before in hospital.

“A large number of his family had come from Peter’s pervious home town, Goulburn, to be with him during his final couple of weeks in hospital.

“As a tribute to Peter they had come to Albion Park on that Monday to be trackside to watch the last dog that would race under his name … Logan Hope.

“Well, one of his grandkids had bought with him his piggy bank, the coin jar, gave it to his dad and asked him to bet all of his savings on his granddad’s dog.”

With that information on board, the tote operator enthusiastically gave the bet the thumbs up, and started counting.

According to Buhner the jar’s contents tallied about $280, which went on at $3.30.

And, as these stories should go, Logan Hope squeezed home by 0.13 of a length, much to the delight of Peter’s loving supporters.

“It was a great result, fantastic,” said Buhner who handled Logan Hope that day and was close friends with Peter.

“Obviously the family, and Peter’s wife Lydia, had been through a very tough time. To come to the track and cheer Logan Hope to victory was really emotional for them all.

“And it was great to see them smiling after what they had been through.”

In another ‘divine twist’, Buhner won the club’s $200 Members’ Draw that day, which went towards dessert and drinks for the ‘cheer squad’.

It was also a sad day for Buhner, who had become close to Peter over the past couple of years.

“We would talk about our dogs almost every other day over the phone,” he said.

“Peter was very knowledgeable about greyhounds. I have been in and out of the sport across a number of years and it was just really good to be able to talk to someone.

“Peter very level-headed, pretty conservative in his approach to training, but just a great sounding board.

“While he was unwell I would go over to his place, which is about 10kms from where I live, on a daily basis to look after his dogs.”

Peter had just a small kennel of four members of a Feral Franky x Logan Belle litter, including Logan Hope, that he had bred, and also Night Capers, a veteran chaser who may not return to the track after a current injury layoff.

In December last year Night Capers gave Peter one of his biggest thrills in racing when he took out the Qgold Veterans Listed Final (520m) at Albion Park.

Not one for the spotlight, a tearful Peter explained then that Night Capers was the only dog he had in work at that stage while he waited for his litter of pups to hit the track.

“I have never been up to that level of the champion greyhound trainers,” he said that night. “To be honest, I have never wanted to be. I never wanted the stress or the worry of having all those dogs and owners around you. I just want to enjoy the dogs and enjoy the racing and have none of the stress or worry.

“I just love this sport and these dogs.”   

Buhner, who only recently decided to take on training fulltime, agreed to take on Peter’s dogs and now has about 10 dogs in work.

“The litter that Peter bred are very handy dogs,” he said.

“I am rapt to not only train them but also for Peter’s legacy to keep going in the industry.”

Buhner said he was enjoying his foray into fulltime training, with the support of wife Jeanie and sons Dieter, 13, and Hunter, 10.

“Things are going well at the moment and I’m confident about the future,” he said.