By David Brasch

TREVOR McSherry has been an institution around Capalaba greyhound track since 1987.

A long-time local, he had gone racing every Saturday at the track ‘betting on the horses’.

He and his wife Anita had run a local seafood shop for many years and even provided ice free of charge for the Capalaba bar just to make sure the beer was ‘ice cold’.

\”It\’s something I still do today,\” said Trevor even though I retired from the seafood shop seven years ago.

Being a Capalaba fixture, Trevor was always going to be on hand to help out at whatever he was needed to do around the club.

With a home lawn looking more like a bowling green, Trevor\’s forte was going to be put to the test helping then track curator Nigel Rugg with maintenance of the racetrack surface.

\”When I retired, I came down to Capalaba and plodded around with Nigel helping him all the time,\” said Trevor.

\”Anita and I went on an overseas holiday five years ago and when we came back Nigel told me he was heading back to New Zealand and I was the new track curator.\”

Trevor took to the task with relish and five years down the track, with a huge workload of racing and trialling up the straight, his work has been acknowledged with a Racing Queensland outstanding contribution award back in October.

\”I turn up every day to work on the track,\” said Trevor, 70.

\”There is always something to do. I love it and take pride in what I do. The track has got to be safe and that is our greatest concern.\”

During November alone, of the 30 days in the month, the track was raced or trialled on for 15 days.

\”I like to water every second day and sometimes during the heat of summer I will water every day,\” he said. \”And, I will hand water the strip up the centre where the lure runs every day. Remember, on any trial day, that lure can run up and back the length of the straight 100 times in four hours.\”

Trevor admits he is self-taught at the job but picked up everything he puts into practice from his own lawn at home and through helping Nigel Rugg.

\”The secret to keeping the track in perfect shape is to keep an eye on the track all the time,\” he said.

\”Back in February when the floods wiped out sections of the track, Racing Queensland did a full refurbishment of the surface and that caused a few problems with disease which I have just about wiped out now.\”

He admits the Racing Queensland award was welcome.

\”It\’s nice to know at least someone appreciates you,\” he said. \”But, I prefer to do my own thing.\”

Trevor still likes a bet on a Sunday when Capalaba races but spends all day working behind the bar on race days.

\”I also need to mention my wife Anita,\” he said. \”I\’m lucky I\’ve got a good wife so I can get to the track and do the work that is needed.

\”At least she knows where I am.\”