Crawford’s winning run continues with Young Guns success

By Pat McLeod

Jeff Crawford’s purple patch of greyhound racing success continued with a winning farewell to Thursday night racing at Albion Park.

With the focus quickly turning to The Q as the code’s headquarters, Crawford was prominent in the final two features to be staged at ‘The Creek’.

He took out the Young Guns Final with Star Turn, placed second in the time-honoured Winged Runner Trophy with Hooked On Kisses, who finished two-and-a-quarter-lengths behind Sandra Hunt’s Mustang Hayze, and also collected a fifth grade 520 metre event early in the night with Blue Blend.

“We are going through probably the best stage of our training career for the kennel as a group,” Crawford said. 

Star Turn ($2.40) held out the fast-finishing, second-placed Simulate (trained by Tom Tzouvelis) with Mossy Boots (John McCarthy) third, in 30.05 seconds. 

“I have had faster dogs and been fortunate enough to win bigger races before, but haven’t had such an exciting group of dogs before," Crawford said. 

“It is a combination of a lot of things as to why we are going through a good stage at the moment.

“We are really focusing on the dogs as individuals, but realistically we have two litters that are young and very good.

“They have motors, early pace and they chase hard.”     

Leading into the Young Guns Final, the Buccan-based Crawford feared that kennel ace, Star Turn, may have been feeling the effects of a busy campaign.

“The dog has been up for a while, with three trips back and forth to Rockhampton recently for the Cup there,” Crawford said.

“I was a little worried about how he was going. But, he had a light week this week, was able to jump well and do what he had to do.

“Any dog that led was going to be hard to beat and fortunately for us it was him.”

Part of Crawford’s focus will now turn to the rich and event-packed 2025 Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival at The Q which starts with next week’s QGOLD heats at the Q1 Lakeside on Thursday.

“I spent three hours trying to work out what races to target for each dog during this carnival,” Crawford said.

“This dog will probably go down to Gunnedah for the Chief Havoc Cup (heats are on June 1). I believe it is a race that will suit him and he travels well.

“We have great racing coming up here including the QGOLD races and some age races.

“There will also be some very, very good dogs up here for this carnival.

“I never talk Group 1s with any of my dogs because they are so hard to qualify for, but there will be races that we will aim this dog (Star Turn) for which have Group 1 next to them.

“The Brisbane Cup and the Flying Amy, I believe he is good enough to go into those races.”

Meanwhile, experienced local trainer Sandra Hunt said ‘goodbye’ to Thursday night racing at Albion Park in the perfect way, winning the Winged Runner Trophy Final for the second straight year. 

On Thursday night Hunt saluted with Mustang Hayze, the litter sister to last year’s winner, high-profile speedster Kahlo Hayze.

“This win is very special, but a complete surprise,” the Atkinsons Dam-based trainer said.

“This was her first 520 metre race for about a month so that was part of the reason that I just didn't think she would figure in the finish.

“But, she is fresh and I just hoped she got around that first corner. It was a change of luck for her and a beautiful race to win. So nice to win on the last Thursday night at Albion Park.”

Mustang Hayze has raced much of her career in the shadow of Kahlo Hayze, who suffered a career-ending injury late last year.

However, much to Hunt’s delight, she jumped beautifully from the five box, scooted to a clear lead down the back and won convincingly ahead of Hooked On Kisses, with Bear’s Bullet (Travis Elson) third, in 30.06 seconds. 

“To win the Winged Runner again, two years in a row, well I have to admit I didn't even realise that Kahlo had actually won it last year,” Hunt laughed.

“So, this win came as a double surprise.

“It was very special to win on what will most likely be the last night of Thursday night racing at Albion Park. This track has been good to us.”

Tom Tzouvelis may have taken out a classy 600 metre race at Albion Park on Thursday night with Seriously, but the happiest face on track after that finish belonged to the trainer of second-placed Red Dirt Road, Churchable’s Tim Britton.

The Space Star and Shiny Bright chaser was shaping as a genuine Group-class distance performer before disappearing off the track with a serious Achilles problem in October last year.

His safe return to racing on Thursday night was met with jubilation by Britton.

“I am very happy with that run, but probably more relieved than anything,” Britton said.

“I don't think I have ever been so nervous before a race during my entire training career. I know how good a dog he can be so I was just hoping that in his first race back he would get around safely.

“I didn't really care where he finished. The target now is to get him race ready for the Winter Carnival’s distance events.

“At the moment I am looking at the Dashing Corsair on the one-turn track (heats are on May 29).

“Then it will be the big prize, the (Group 1) Queensland Cup over 710 metres (heats are on June 26).”