Horsburgh Back From The Brink For Carnival Masters

WHEN Steve Rolph heads to the start with Horsburgh for Thursday night's Albion Park Listed Carnival Masters final (520m) the walk to the boxes will be the shortest journey the pair have taken in the past six months.

Back in January, Horsburgh (Surf Lorian-Serene Star) limped off Albion Park with a torn bicep muscle on his front off leg. He had torn the tendon off the bone and racing again was “almost” out of the question.

“I took him straight to Jason Beck at North Lakes Vet Clinic and he operated on the dog the next day,” said Steve.

FIELDS AND FORM ALBION PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

“We got him home on the Friday and he was in a sling for the next three weeks.

“When he walked, it pushed his head down low to the ground so he would not damage the injury and the stitches.”

When Steve headed back to Beck at the three week mark, Jason said he “didn't like our chances”.

“At the six week mark, the injury was much better and Jason stretched the hopes of racing again to 50-50,” said Steve.

“By the nine week mark the tension in the tendon was coming good.

“And, by the 12-week mark Jason said it was as good as the tendon was going to get and that we should think about giving him a free gallop.”

Steve had his heart in his mouth when he let Horsburgh go on the straight for a 50 metre free gallop.

“Jason said if it was going to go again it would happen in that first gallop,” said Steve.

“It held and Steve and his family pressed on with the return to racing of Horsburgh.”

That's when Steve's son Lenny stepped in with a piece of advice.

“He was three when he did the injury in January,” said Steve. “Lenny suggested we make his return to racing right in time for Masters racing.

“He made his return to the track at three years, six months and one day.”

It resulted in a Masters win at Capalaba in 19.89 and he followed that with a 4th Grade win in 19.93.

“The Carnival Masters series was coming up at Albion Park and he went straight into that and won his heat in 30.47 beating Special Was It,” said Steve.

“We have won a Queensland Cup and an Ipswich Gold Cup, but that Albion Park Thursday night win by Horsburgh was the biggest thrill we have ever had in greyhound racing.”

Horsburgh has drawn the four in Thursday night's final but Steve is happy.

“The three (Special Was It) has pace and just like last week we are hoping he carts our bloke across. The two (Night Capers) is hard to beat as well.”

Horsburgh, a fawn dog, is named after Canberra Raiders player Corey Horsburgh.

Steve Rolph is a Raiders fan.

“We were thinking of names for him as a pup and my wife Jenny spotted Horsburgh, a redhead, playing for the Raiders and suggested that.

“He's a good redhead and so is the dog.”

The canine version has won 14 races and been placed 18 times for Steve Rolph and is chasing a $17,500 pay day on Thursday night in the Masters final.

It will be a fitting comeback for the Rolph family, but as Steve admits, his win in the heat was the biggest thrill “ever”.