Trainer Allan Watts dreaming of Bundaberg Cup glory

By Jordan Gerrans

The Bundaberg Wildcard is the biggest race Allan Watts has ever won in his training career and now he has his eyes set on the Group 3 Bundaberg Cup later this month.

A heat winner at massive odds seven days ago, Watts’ All Genres continued her charge towards the Bundaberg Cup with another strong performance over 550 metres on Monday afternoon.

In doing so, the black bitch became the first ever winner of the Listed Bundaberg Wildcard – providing direct entry to the $60,000 Cup on March 28.

Watts only trains a small team of dogs – just four in work with only one going around on their home track on Monday – and he was over the moon to claim, what he described as, the greatest victory of his time in the sport.

“We are very happy with her,” Watts said of All Genres.

“She is a little dog that we brought up from Victoria a year-and-a-half ago but she has had a lot of injuries.

“She is just starting to put it all together now.”

Despite her heat win, All Genres was sent out a $10 chance with the TAB from the four alley on the grass track at Bundaberg and was leading going past the winning post their first go round and was not headed again despite running wide at times.

She ran home in 31.74 seconds - finishing a length-and-a-half ahead of Barcia Bullet for trainer Darren Taylor. 

Watts, who originally trained dogs in Mackay before relocating to the Bundaberg suburb of Elliott a couple of years ago, is daring to dream of winning the 2022 Bundaberg Cup now.

“I hope she is a big chance but once you get into a race like this, you are always a chance,” he said.

The Listed Bundaberg Wildcard is a new event this year for locally trained greyhounds giving the winner automatic entry into the Group 3 Bundaberg Cup Final held on March 28.

Prizemoney has been increased for the Bundaberg Cup Final to $60,000 ($40,000 to the winner) with the event now progressing towards Group 2 status in three years’ time.

The 59-year-old Watts has spent time away from the training game after the greyhound industry shut-down in Mackay and believes regional racing is on the way up again.

“The way racing is going at the present stage, it is a bonus,” Watts said.

“Racing Queensland is putting plenty in, they are running these races for the regional centres like the Country Cup and this Wildcard.

“To run these kind of races for the regional guys, it is only going to improve the racing standard in Central and North Queensland. This one is a great concept.”

With many Brisbane trainers already expressing their interest to travel to Bundaberg for the Cup following the Group and prize money elevation, fellow local trainer David Plummer last week said the new series was an excellent addition to the local racing program.  

Plummer’s Little Ripper – a fellow heat winner from last week – failed to run inside the top four in the Bundaberg Wildcard Final after starting as the odds-on favourite. 

Outside of the Wildcard, the Plummer kennel trained two winners on Monday across the program, as did trainers Travis Elson and Jeff Crawford. 

Away from his kennel of dogs, Watts works at a farm a few days a week and is enjoying being back training.

“I love it, greyhounds are a great game,” he said.

“It is a good family sport.”

Watts was born “Wayne Allan Watts” but is known widely as Allan by his friends.