Caption: Mat Vincent’s Hotel Whisky One will play the classic ‘underdog’ role in Thursday night’s Group 1 TAB Flying Amy Classic Final (520m) at Albion Park. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
By Pat McLeod
Self-proclaimed ‘little, backyard trainer’ Mat Vincent sat in his car at Albion Park last Thursday night as some of the biggest names in greyhound racing descended on ‘Headquarters’ for rich Queensland Winter Carnival racing.
“I could see that I was in pretty big company and I am just a little, backyard trainer, so I went and sat in the car,” Vincent reflects on Group 1 Flying Amy Classic and Group 2 Cyndie’s Magic heats night.
“I had a sleep in the car and then and went and had some dinner.”
A few hours later Vincent’s self-assessment may not have changed, but by then the ‘big names’ knew who he was.
The ex-military man’s one race dog, Hotel Whisky One, was through to a Group One final.
“There were no tears at the track, but there were a few later,” Vincent said, reflecting on his biggest night in greyhound racing when Hotel Whisky One ran second to Anthony Azzopardi’s Tattooed in the last of six Flying Amy heats, gaining a finals berth.
“So, now we are in the final of a Group One race. Nobody can ever take that away from us.
“I have always known that this dog has something. It was just a case of getting him to go.
“When the dogs crossed the line I was standing beside another local trainer, Travis Elson, and we looked at each other and he said to me, ‘You are in’.
“I didn’t think I was, but he was right. (The six heat winners and the fastest two second-placed dogs went through to the final.)
“I could hear Johnny (Brasch) on the loudspeaker going off his tree about my dog’s run.
“It didn’t really sink in until much later when the field for the final was official.
“Before the race I knew that he was a chance of running a good race, but I didn’t really think he would get through to the final.”
Based at Warner, just north of Brisbane, Vincent has been a ‘hobby trainer’ for about seven years.
He has a greyhound heritage that traces back to his grandfather, Stan Vincent, who trained in the UK.
Vincent decided to take up the collar and lead in 2016, partly to assist with health issues, including a back injury and PTSD, which had plagued him since exiting the army in 2009.
Hotel Whisky One is from a home-bred Whiskey Riot x Flying September litter.
On Thursday night when Vincent returns to Albion Park there will be even more industry luminaries on show with three group finals to be contested – the Group 3 TAB Dashing Corsair Final (710m), the Group 2 Garrard’s Cyndie’s Magic Final (600m) and the Group 1 TAB Flying Amy Classic (520m), as well as two Brisbane Cup Preludes (520m).
However, this time around Vincent is likely to feel a little more comfortable among the big names.
“When I walked out with the dog last Thursday it was a great feeling,” he said.
“Just to be there was great. There wasn’t a big crowd, but I just felt the atmosphere. It was fantastic.”
Vincent isn’t getting carried away with his chances in the $150,000-to-the-winner, age-restricted event, but knows he has ‘a battler’s chance’.
“I will go into this Thursday night with hope,” he says.
“He is just a little backyard-trained dog. He is the underdog and hopefully we will have plenty of people on board.
“It is all about the underdog and we all know that he can gallop.
“He is not drawn ideally in the four box. I would have preferred six, seven or eight.
“But he is the only dog in this final that has gotten through from an outside box (Box 5). All the others were out of either box one or two in the heats.
“I think that gives us a little bit of hope.
“Once this dog gets some clear room, he has a very good stride on him.”
The greyhound racing high that Vincent is now experiencing follows a recent sickening low.
Hotel Whisky One suffered a toe injury in November last year which sidelined the dog for four months.
His return to the track was at Capalaba on March 31, when he started a $1.40 favourite.
“It was his first run back and he missed the start,” says Vincent.
“Unfortunately, I copped a lot of abuse (online).
“I ended up turning my phone off. It was bad, so bad.
“It triggered my PTSD off really, really badly.
“I had four dogs in the kennel then and I was going to pull the pin on training completely.
“I sent two of the dogs to another trainer, a third was injured so I kept her to nurse her through and I would have shipped Hotel Whisky One away as well, but he needs that one-on-one attention.”
Vincent said his frame of mind had since improved, especially with last Thursday night’s win.
“Winning through to a Group One final has certainly helped,” he said.
“I know that many trainers go through their entire career without experiencing what I will experience on Thursday night.
“It does feel good.”