Caption: Darren Taylor and Say Some Words after winning the Queensland Country Cup Final (520m) at Albion Park on Group one night of the 2022/23 Golden Greys Summer Carnival in February. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Pat McLeod

Rockhampton trainer Darren Taylor’s long-time kennel star Say Some Words begins her farewell parade with the Christmas Cup Final (510m) on his home track on Wednesday night.

Taylor has hand-picked ‘half a dozen’ starts before the Barcia Bale – Bobby Soxer bitch goes off to retirement and the breeding barn early next year.

“She is on the track to retirement now,” he confirmed.

“We decided to go into the Christmas Cup and then we will look at a few veterans’ races across the Christmas carnival and that will probably be her swansong.

“She is due to come on season in March/April and then will be off to have pups.

“She has been a real honest little dog and has won her fair share of nice races along the way – the Country Cup and a few memorial races.

“She has also won three metropolitan races, but all good things must come to an end.

“Rather than going down the Country Cup trail again, we thought that now was a good time (to start her racing exit).

“She isn’t as quick early as she used to be. She is still running good time, but she has lost a couple of lengths due to an injury she got back in the Bundaberg Cup series.

“She probably has only about half a dozen starts left and then that will be it.

“When we bought her back after the injury for this campaign, we decided that we would just play it by ear.

“She is such a tough old girl, but we will try to find races that aren’t too hard for her along the way.

“She is still competitive, that is for sure.”

Leading into Wednesday night’s $5005-to-the-winner Christmas Cup Final, Say Some Words has won 23 races and placed 24 times from 81 starts for a prizemoney tally of $81,880.

Her racing highlight was winning the Queensland Country Cup Final (520m) at Albion Park on Group one night of the 2022/23 Golden Greys Summer Carnival.

Say Some Words is owned by prominent Victorian owner-breeder George Farrugia.

Taylor says his veteran chaser was a ‘genuine chance’ on Wednesday night.

“She is still strong, but will have to be up on the speed because she can’t give them too much start,” he said.

“She will still run the 29.7 around here, which is good enough to win races like this one.

“The major dangers in this race would include Ken Boody’s Sir Banjo. He beat our girl a couple of starts ago in quick time.

“However, this time we are on the inside (Box 1, with Sir Banjo Box 3), so it will be interesting.

“City Way (Box 2) for Clint Thompson is also going well and seems to like an inside box.”

Taylor has been a prominent Rockhampton trainer for many years.

Earlier this year the TAB agency he operated in Rockhampton closed, allowing he and wife Marie to not only focus on greyhounds more, but to also have extra quality down time.

“We recently returned from a two-week holiday in New Zealand,” he said.

“We have both worked really hard for a long time. We worked it out that this year was the first time we had been away together for holidays in about 15 years.

“And it was a great holiday.

“Marie and I are just enjoying life at the moment. Marie has got a good reputation now for whelping down litters and that is becoming a nice little business on the side.

“There is usually a good dog coming through. George (Farrugia) is always wanting to send dogs to us.

“As long as we can continue to get the one or two winners a week, then that pays our way.”