Game on for Mathew Neilson in greyhounds

By Jordan Gerrans

Harness driver Mathew Neilson has dipped his toes back into the greyhound game with one chaser in recent weeks and he already has plans to expand his racing kennel. 

The multiple Group 1-winning reinsman grew up around the greyhounds before relocating to the Sunshine State to start his driving career.

At 42 years of age, Neilson has recently taken out his licence to train greyhounds and tasted success not long after with Game On Greg winning at The Q. 

He is just campaigning with Game On Greg at the moment but says he plans to lift his kennel numbers to around half-a-dozen in the near future.

“I have got three kennels at my place at the minute and I am planning to have three more soon,” the trainer and driver said.

“If I am going to the races with one dog I may as well take four and make the trip worth it.”

Game On Greg started his racing career around The Gardens with Christopher Kedwell where he won once and was placed on a few more occasions.

He transferred north to Neilson where he ran second three times in a row at the Q Straight track in July. 

The son of Fernando Bale broke through late last month on Queensland’s newest straight track in a time of 19.59 seconds over 350 metres.

The black and white dog is raced by a group named ‘Quaddie Saver’ who were thrilled to grab the victory as first-time owners of a chaser.

 “He has been pretty consistent,” Neilson said.

“He will poke around and be a consistent dog.

“It was a thrill to see him finally win a race, he had run second a few times and he finally got there.

“I was happy enough because they are first-time owners, the people in the dog. They were all happy.”

Celebrated race caller and form analyst John 'Bunny' Brasch made special mention of Neilson’s maiden win as a trainer in the call of Game On Greg’s win last month. 

“Game On Greg gets his win for Matty Neilson,” Brasch said with gusto.

Neilson grew up around the greyhound game with his father Peter a trainer at Maitland. 

Peter still prepares a team in New South Wales and has a number of chasers engaged over the coming days. 

“I mucked around with them when I was a kid but I had to stop once I moved up here to start driving, that was 13 through 16 years of age,” Neilson said.

“I helped breaking them in and doing all those things, helping out my dad.

“I have owned a few throughout the years that have raced in Sydney. I have always been involved.”

Neilson has juggled his harness and greyhound commitments in recent weeks, piloting a winner at Redcliffe on Wednesday before Game On Greg raced the following day at The Q.

The dual-code participant is based at Hatton Vale and says with The Q opening down the road recently, he thought the time was right to get back into the dogs.

“The track is so close to where I live, it is only a half hour away,” he said.

“My kids can muck around with the dogs a bit more now, as well.

“I think it suited us at the moment. The kids give me a hand; they get in there and do stuff with them.”

The reigning Redcliffe Gold Cup-winning driver has two engagements on Saturday evening’s metro program from Albion Park.