Landrigan on epic retirement journey

By Pat McLeod

The next chapter of Michael Landrigan's ‘epic retirement’ begins at The Q on Thursday night.

That’s when the laconic Northern New South Wales conditioner will campaign his terrific trio of Mckeon, Heroic Federer and Apache Tiger.

They have all drawn wide in races five, six and seven on the Q2 Parklands circuit.

Both Mckeon (race six) and Heroic Federer (race five) will race over 520 metres while Apache Tiger is back up over 600 metres in race seven.

It is the first time the three will have raced since they all contested the Final of the Group 3 Casino Cup on October 14, with Mckeon taking the honours, Heroic Federer third and Apache Tiger fifth.

Landrigan has now shifted his focus to the upcoming Queensland Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival.

It’s the obvious move for a kennel that is bringing him and wife Beth so much joy.

Landrigan retired as a butcher three years ago, allowing him to invest more time in his life-long passion, greyhound racing.

The result has been what any retiree dreams of. His journey so far through his leisure years has been paved with gold, courtesy of the prizemoney provided by his trio of kennel stars.

Their success-laden tallies to date are: Mckeon - 29 starts for 19 wins and seven placings for $126,735; Apache Tiger – 41 starts, 21 wins, 10 placings for $105,355; and Heroic Federer – 33 starts, eight wins, 14 placings for $32,495.

“What I am living at the moment is I am sure all you can hope for in retirement,” Landrigan said.

“But, how long will it last? Well, you don't know and that is why I will take it as it comes.

“You always hope to have a good dog in your kennel, but to have three at the one time is amazing.

“I started in greyhound racing when I was about 14. I got my trainer’s licence a few years later and I might have put my age up a year or two to do that because I was so keen. You could do those sorts of things back then.”

With a successful Casino Cup campaign behind him, Landrigan will aim Mckeon and Heroic Federer towards the Group 2 Futurity and Derby over 520 metres on the Q2, with heats on January 1 and the Final the following Thursday.

Those age-restricted races each offer $75,000 for the winner.

Meanwhile, Apache Tiger will most likely head to the Wauchope Cup over 525 metres with that $10,000-to-the-winner race to be raced at Taree on Wednesday January 7.

The Wow and Sweet Fire All chaser’s move to the 600 metres on Thursday night follows success over that distance in the past.

“In his first run over the 620 metres at Casino he was just outside the track record,” Landrigan explains.

“If he continues to handle that distance OK then I will keep him there. But, we will see how the whole three go, week-by-week.

“I never try to plan too far ahead. Things can change quickly in greyhound racing.”

All three of his current kennel stars trace back to his nephew Mark Moroney’s very successful ‘Fire’ breeding line.

It is through Moroney that Landrigan met the owner of Mckeon and Heroic Federer, Grahame Blunt.

“I got to know Grahame when I would go and visit my nephew Mark down on the (NSW) Central Coast, because that is where ‘Jumpy’ (Blunt) lived back then,” he said.

“I trained a dog for him many years ago and now I have these two”

Landrigan’s ‘investment’ in the sport has increased with his wife recently buying her first dog.

“She got a bit keen on greyhound racing when she saw the money coming in,” he joked with a careful laugh.

“That pup’s only about eight months of age, but hopefully it will follow in the footsteps of these current ones.”