Dennington’s Dustin Drew is one of the most successful young greyhound trainers in Victoria, and like all south-west trainers he aspires to one day hold aloft a Warrnambool Cup or Warrnambool Classic trophy.
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He might get his chance on Wednesday, May 4 on cup and classic night.
It is the richest night of greyhound racing in country Victoria, with over $200,000 in prize money to be won.
Drew said it was virtually impossible not to get caught up in the hype of Warrnambool’s May Racing Carnival, which incorporates thoroughbred racing on May 3, 4 and 5, with the greyhounds providing an exciting spectacle on the middle night at Wannon Park.
“The May Racing Carnival is so big. It brings a lot of people to the town of Warrnambool which is great for the hotels and restaurants and pubs,” he said.
“The town is absolutely abuzz with people having a great time.
“While it is exciting, for greyhound trainers and horse trainers it is a particularly busy time. We are the ones putting on the show.”
The Warrnambool Classic is a series for younger greyhounds, while the Warrnambool Cup is open to the best sprinters in the land.
Drew said his best chance in the cup could come in the form of Diva’s Shadow.
“She is probably the best greyhound we’ve got at the moment. She has won 18 races and over $80,000 in prize money,” he said.
Training greyhounds for a living takes a lot of dedication and patience, but it is something that Drew, 32, who trains in partnership with father Ray, has become very good at.
“It’s something the whole family is involved in and we’ve trained between 50 and 70 winners every year for the past three years,” he said.
“Being from the country, you just hope to be competitive.
“We try to get one winner a week and we usually get at least that, so it has been good.”
First prize for winning a standard race in country Victoria is $1325, while in the city it is $5000.
Winning races in Melbourne is always the aim, and the Drews regularly embark on the six-hour round trip to Sandown or The Meadows with their current crop of greyhounds such as Diva’s Shadow, Fencer, Gassy’s Pride and Kilty Express.
“We’ve never really trained a superstar, but we’ve trained a lot of good, handy greyhounds over the years,” Drew said.
“We have a team of 12 race dogs and you have to be prepared to travel with them.
“We’ll race in the city about once a week and will travel even further to places like Shepparton or Traralgon about once a week as well.”
It has been more than a decade since a south-west greyhound won the Warrnambool Cup or Classic.
