John's Trophy Quest Continues

NIMBIN real estate boss John Willcox wants to help devise trainer Dean Turley's future race programming for appropriately named speedster Lid Pinger.

Willcox part-owns the son of Fabregas-Gut Wrenching who last Thursday night led throughout to win the 331m $10,000 FFA at Albion Park in 18.89.
He scored by two and a quarter lengths over Call Me Ugo with almost five lengths to Lady Olivia in third.
Willcox, who admits to enjoying a punt on his dogs, has one major aim to achieve in his greyhound ownership.
“He is desperate to win a trophy,” said Turley. “But, I had to give him the sad news after the win on Thursday night that there was no trophy to go with it.”
Turley and Willcox bought Lid Pinger from NSW back in February and pottered about with him at country NSW tracks for the next couple of months.
“I took him up to Rockhampton for the Cup carnival there early in May for a weak short course race but he went terrible (finishing sixth),” said Turley.
“Hosing him down after the race I found he had lost not one, but two toenails during the race, both of them taken clean off. I'd never had it happen to me before in all the years I'd been training.”
It was a blessing in disguise.
“The dog put on a bit of weight, and improved out of sight with the break,” said Turley.
He ran second first-up, when underdone at Lismore, then was backed sensationally by kennel connections to win a 331m fifth grade at Albion Park on June 10.
“To say John had a good win is to down play the magnitude of what that victory meant to us,” said Turley.
“The dog came out moderately, crashed into the back of a few of them, got to the lead eventually and won. It was very nice … indeed.”
The kennel backed up again in the heats of the feature Albion Park series two weeks ago and won again.
The rich final was the icing on the cake that is Lid Pinger.
Turley initially had problems with cramping in the dog, but he has overcome that with a rise in weight since the enforced spell.
“He's not really a lid pinger, but once he hits the ground, gee he can motor from then,” he said.
Now if only he can get into a race with a trophy for the winner!
“The Grafton Sprinters Cup series is coming up so we will head him towards that,” said Turley. The Cup will have a lavish trophy.