Blazing Snap Inspires Chaytor's Training Return

73-year old Central Coast trainer Les Chaytor refuses to accept much of the recognition for the brilliant form of his gun sprinter Blazing Snap.

At Gosford on Tuesday night the son of Fernando Bale made it nine wins from 15 appearances in the care of Chaytor with a runaway 22.14 success over the 388 metre journey.

"It's all smooth sailing at the moment but it hasn't been like that the whole time – trust me," Chaytor said.

"Early on he was causing me a few headaches but thankfully he's turned things around but I'm not accepting much of the credit. It's the dog out there doing it and Dr. John Newell has been a big help as well. He goes over him after every start."

Blazing Snap is the first greyhound Les Chaytor has trained since the mid-1970s.

"Yes it's been that long," Chaytor said.

"My family goes back generations in the sport but I gave it up in the 1970s to concentrate on the family," Chaytor added.

"One of my daughters was a very good swimmer so that took up a lot of my time back then.

"I retired from work around eight years ago and for the next five or six years was watching the greyhounds on the television. I decided not long after to try and get a dog or two, once you're in the dogs you're never out fully."

Chaytor credits the help of a good friend Ray Lacava for identifying Blazing Snap which ultimately led to the well-bred youngster finding his way to Chaytor's San Remo base.

"Ray had watched Blazing Snap have three or four starts and thought he was a dog I might go well with," Chaytor said.

"So he rang the owners and things have just gone from there.

"He's a dog that's suited to a small kennel and one on one time.

"When I first saw the dog he just looked a picture."

At his three most recent runs, Blazing Snap has posted 18.45 at Richmond for the 330m, 16.09 at Wentworth Park over the 280m and 22.14 at Gosford over the 388m.

And it's that rich vein of form that has Chaytor targeting the fast approaching Richmond Cannonball (400m) with his in form sprinter. 

"But I don't know how we can beat Laurie's Flyer," Chaytor added.

"To do what he does every start is amazing. We'll need a lot of things to go our way to beat him let alone the rest."

With just two greyhounds in work at his San Remo home, Chaytor's reentry into the training ranks has proven to be just the tonic he needs in retirement.

"I would have been happy to race at The Gardens on a Saturday night and run a place here and there," Chaytor added.

"To get one as good as this fella first up is just a bonus. He gets me up to walk him at 5am in the morning and loves it.

"Would you believe though at his first start for me I got 60/1 in a maiden at The Gardens and he got knocked over and put out of play at the start.

"And he's hardly lost another race since!"