Hayden Wilson is hoping to take another step in his “dream” career in greyhound racing and enjoy some birthday cheer at Tuesday’s Goulburn meeting.
The western Sydney-based hobby trainer has Warthog, an impressive last start winner, jumping from box five in the Classicbet Stakes (350m).
Wilson, who turns 44 on Tuesday, has been training for about five years “on and off” and combines duties with his full-time job as a sales representative.
It can mean long days but you will not hear owner-trainer Wilson, a racing fan for several years, complaining.
“It would be my dream to be a full-time trainer,” Wilson, whose friends helped introduce him to the sport, said. “I wish I had the money to build a bigger property.
“I don’t mind getting up at 4am with the greyhounds. I like seeing them before work, then getting home later and seeing them again.
“I like having young pups and seeing their development. It feels like an achievement when you have them from the start and get them to the track.
“They are beautiful animals and I love working with them.”
A daughter of former Golden Easter Egg winner Cosmic Rumble, Warthog has only had two starts but certainly looks decent based on her last start triumph.
She pinged the lids superbly and cruised home by almost four lengths over the 307m.
This race – the last of 10 at Goulburn – looks a harder proposition but Wilson is hopeful his charge can win again.
“There’s dogs here with ten races under their belt,” he said. “This is a lot tougher.
“She has good pace early. If the dogs in four and six are slow out then she will have the space she needs.
“At this stage I’m not sure when she might run the 400m. We will build her strength up and see if we can go to the city and places like Richmond.”
Race nine looks a cracker, with in-form Good Judge (box three) facing a field including the returning Klienzan (box four) over 350m.
The latter has enjoyed some good wins over 400m but Good Judge has also done well at country tracks and looks ideally drawn here.
Cosmic Skittle paid for a slow start here earlier this month when finishing fifth over 350m.
He is better than that, though, and looks a good chance to win race five here over 457m.
Mellcat Magic is a little inconsistent but is ideally drawn in box one to take out race six.
For Goulburn Tuesday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
