Gates hungry to again taste success under the Thursday night lights

By Pat McLeod

Career greyhound conditioner Adrian Gates is still savouring the taste of Thursday night success at Albion Park and wants more.

That could happen this week when his ‘resurrected’ hero, Who Told Shorty, contests a fifth grade heat over 600 metres at ‘The Creek’.

“To have a dog of his calibre win on a Thursday night at Albion Park, well people notice that,” Gates says.

He collected his first ever win at ‘headquarters’ on a Thursday night two weeks ago.

“It has really been a dream. I don't nominate for Thursday nights at Albion Park because I haven’t had the quality of dogs," Gates said. 

“I've only raced there once before and I haven't been back there for years.

“But, to have a dog like this that has given me that first ever Thursday victory at Albion Park and the first ever dog I've had to break 30 seconds in a race there - amazing. I was over the moon and have been over the moon ever since.”

Who Told Shorty was a former top Victorian chaser with Brendan Pursell. 

“I got to know the owners because I helped fix up a couple of the other ‘Who Told’ dogs,” Gates explains.

“They had some niggling injuries and I patched up a few of their problems. So, the owners were happy with the job that I had done with them and the care that I had given them.

“Who Told Shorty was probably getting out-graded down south and getting towards the end of the line. The owners asked me if I would be interested in taking him on.

“I looked at his form (which includes a fourth by three lengths to Wow She’s Fast in a Group 1 Maturity Classic Final at The Meadows) and thought that if I could resurrect him, well he certainly has been a very fast race dog."

When the dog first arrived at Gates' place he just moped around for a month or so, the trainer said. 

“He was definitely taking his time to settle in," Gates said. 

“So, I gave him a trial at Capalaba, which I was a little disappointed in. Then I worked on him a little bit more and he started to come good.

“The next minute he is jumping all over us and loving it here and I thought, ‘Hello’ I then took him for a couple of trials at Albion Park and he went better each time. Then a post-to-post and then out of the boxes. Every time I was very happy. And, I finally thought, ‘OK, I have him back’.”

Gates then started racing the Raw Ability and Who Told Lindylu chaser, firstly at Capalaba for a sixth over the 366 metre straight there.

Then to Albion Park under the glare of the Thursday night lights.

He started with two second places and a fourth, all in masters fifth grade races over the 520 metres.

Then on Thursday, April 4, in race 10, the final race of that program, again a masters fifth grade over the 520 metres, Who Told Shorty realized Gates’ dream run, an eight-and-a-half-length win in 29.84 seconds. 

“That was amazing and I was surprised at the time,” he said.

“I thought he would run maybe around 30 seconds, but he was probably two or three lengths faster than what I thought he would go.

“The dog has got awesome track sense. He is an absolute professional, a tradesman. Even when he had the eight box in a couple of his starts here, he didn't crash over. He just stayed out wide and kept working.

“When he won, from the six box, he was starting to go forward and then a gap appeared and he went through it and he shot up under and I just stood back and thought, ‘Wow look at you, how much track sense’.”

Last week Gates stepped the dog up to 600 metres for a third behind Tom Tzouvelis’ classy performer, Pursuer.

“He has had plenty of starts over 600 metres and I think he can still go very well over that distance,” he said.

“I think the seven box this Thursday night might suit him. He doesn't get out the best, but he has that good turn of foot and can really put the accelerator down. He just keeps coming. I'm pretty sure that he will just keep improving with each run.

“He pulls up pretty well, just a few niggles that I have to work on each week, but he is really bouncing out of his skin.

“I feel like I have resurrected him to a degree. I have no doubt there is plenty more left in the tank. He is loving being up here and has found a new lease on life.”

The 43-year-old Gates is a metal engineer and fabricator and has been based out of his 40-acre property for about eight years.

He grew up in Sydney immersed in the greyhound culture, with his father Neal a well-known trainer and breeder. 

He says he is enjoying the sport partly because of the assistance from his partner Jean Bennett and his mother Anne Parfitt.

“They have been a really big help and when Who Told Shorty won, well nights like that is what it is all about,” he said.

Gates said he is progressing carefully with his veteran chaser, but is excited by the dog’s ability and keenness to race.

“I have just started to look at the back of the Chase Newspaper at the features section,” he said with a laugh.

"And, I haven't had to look there for a long time.”