Dog keeps paying across Queensland

By Jordan Gerrans

Consistent chaser Keep Paying has seen his fair share of the Sunshine State through 2025.

The fawn dog holds the rare achievement of winning at Townsville, Rockhampton, Capalaba and at The Q across the year so far.

There wouldn’t be many dogs in Queensland who could boast that record.

Keep Paying’s victory at The Q was on the Q2 Parklands circuit over 520 metres in master's grade while he has competed on Q1 Lakeside without yet tasting success.

The three-year-old greyhound is thriving on his travel across the state alongside trainer John Kuhn.

He added Townsville’s Showgrounds track to his winning hit-list on Tuesday evening when he claimed a heat of the feature North Queensland Cup.

The event is restricted to dogs who are based north of Gympie.

With Kuhn’s kennels at Bargara in the Bundaberg region, the trainer is perfectly centrally placed to travel his son of Fernando Bale across the state.

Keep Paying jumped from the three in Tuesday’s heat and did enough to book his place in the decider with a smart 28.88 second gallop.

“I was pretty wrapped with the performance,” Kuhn said.

“When Jimmy Roo in the four was scratched from the race, we were quietly confident that he could run a cheeky race, which he did. It was good.”

The heat of the NQ Cup was only the consistent chasers second start from the 498 metre starting position at Townsville this year.

After drawing the three again for the $24,000 Final on Tuesday evening, Kuhn believes his well-travelled dog will be competitive against the strong field that will assemble for the showpiece regional race.

“We have done a bit of form on the race and he should be in the first two or three going into the top corner,” Kuhn said.

“The two dog (Southpaw Mcgraw) is not that quick out, neither is the four dog (Navabi).

“We know he will come out and hold his own, while the one dog (Speedy Ben) should nearly lead, we reckon.

“If we are in the top three turning for home, hopefully he can get a bit of a break.

“He will improve another length or two from the heat performance.

“He will improve, do not worry about that.”

Kuhn prepares a team of four chasers at Bargara as well as being on the committee of the local Bundaberg club.

He has a close association with the Darren Taylor kennel at Rockhampton.

Experienced dog man Taylor previously prepared Keep Paying and still owns the NQ Cup hopeful.

Greyhounds will often finish up racing with Taylor in ‘Rocky’ then be transferred into Kuhn’s care as he is keen to travel dogs around the Sunshine State, just as he has done with Keep Paying.

“I aim to regenerate them, a bit,” he said.

“He was a free for all dog and found his mark in 'Rocky'.

“Some dogs get stale racing in the same place all the time so we do it this way so I can take them around. Keep Paying has enjoyed racing in master's events.”

The Taylor and Kuhn operations are a little more entwined than just their greyhound interests.

Taylor’s son is married to Kuhn’s daughter.

The Taylor and Kuhn team have bred a litter from former top race bitch Say Some Words that they believe show plenty of promise.

Say Some Words claimed the feature Country Cup at Albion Park back in early 2023 on top of a career that netted 24 wins.

Navabi from the Townsville kennel of Hayley Wooler posted the fastest time in Tuesday’s heats, scoring in 28.49 seconds.